I know I mention this all the time, but it’s because it’s so important and special to me - I believe that regularly focusing on, and actively appreciating, all that you’re grateful for truly does make for a happier life. I think that living with optimism and a positive attitude helps you to form the habit of noticing all of the good things happening around you, and to you, so that you build up a great pair of “rose colored glasses” for yourself :)
I’ve always believed that we have a lot of control over the outcomes in our lives, and that we can each have a hand in shaping our perception of the world and our individual role in it.
Here’s one way to think of it - you’re getting ready to buy a new car, and you’ve decided which one you really like and want to buy, and you start noticing those same cars on the road around you constantly. They’ve probably been there the whole time, but you’ve just now opened your eyes to them.
Gratitude and positivity work the same way, in my opinion; once you start noticing the wonderful things in your life, more have a tendency to pop up all around you. Opening your mind up to the good and deciding how you WANT to see things can really shape the way you feel about life!
So I wanted to let you in on what I’m grateful for today, and I hope you’ll join me in finding (and sharing!) what you’re grateful for!
I think this exercise is so crucial that I’m planning on sharing a tidbit of my own gratitude with you all now and again to keep this rolling, and I’ll be using the tag #attitudeofgratitude if you’d care to use it also! :)
Steemit is already such a wonderfully positive community that I thought this would be the perfect place to further this mindset practice - after all, the more we can spread the joy the happier we’ll all be, and the world will become an even better place!
My #attitudeofgratitude for May 30th, 2018:
Today I am grateful for Santa Barbara.
The people, the natural beauty, the weather, everything. There hasn’t been one day that I’ve lived here that I haven’t been happy to be exactly where I am.
I love that when people pass each other on the street it’s common to smile and nod as you go by. The culture here is so friendly, and more often than not people appear to be happy and are generous of spirit. It’s rare to encounter someone who is rude or unpleasant, and for the most part people are polite and kind - exactly the environment in which I prefer to exist, and hopefully add to in a meaningful way.
In Santa Barbara, we are sandwiched between the mountains and the ocean. You can have your feet in the sand in 10 minutes or less from anywhere in town, and look behind you to see incredible rolling hills and rocky, tree-covered peaks. You can count on a breathtaking sunrise and sunset every day without fail, that bathe the landscape in amazing colors.
It feels like summertime almost year-round, and the air has a particular balmy, tropical quality. When it gets misty or it rains (which is unusual), there’s a special freshness to the air that I love.
Whether it’s warm or chilly, being on the beach is my happy place - the breezes off the ocean, the sound, of the waves, and the view of the islands off in the distance over the blue water make me feel so peaceful.
Suffice it to say that Santa Barbara is my favorite place on earth, and I’m lucky enough to live here. I am so grateful for all the events that brought me here, and all that this town gives to me each day. It’s my goal to return the energy and love that I feel being here, and to further perpetuate the magic of this incredible place.
What are you grateful for today? Please share your #attitudeofgratitude with me and the rest of our Steem family, I know that I for one would love to hear about it!
Please feel free to comment, upvote, or resteem if you’d like, and help spread the love! :)
