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IDAHOFALLSMAGAZINE.COM 53 Unable to identify the source of my dour mood, I determined I needed a serious attitude adjustment. Why had I allowed myself to step into the dark hole of negativity? It was time to take a huge dose of my own medicine. A lifelong advocate of living a gratitude-filled life, I had discov- ered personal empowerment by reflecting on and recording my blessings as a life enhancement tool. Could as simple a thing as writing in my Gratitude Journal be the antidote for an attitude correction? For years I had talked the talk of focusing on grati- tude. Now I needed to walk the walk. I needed to change my focus and consider the good things in life to pull me out of that bad- tempered mood. I needed a large dose of gratitude! With pen in hand, I grabbed my gratitude journal and forced myself to write, jotting down things for which I was grateful. Optimistic thoughts instan- taneously flowed, and it was hard to quit at just five, my normal entry number. Instantaneously, my petu- lant mood transformed to one of awe and appreciation. Although I preach the power of logging a few blessings daily, frankly I was surprised at how quickly that formula of listing bless- ings worked when I was drowning in grumpiness. Daily frustrations vanished and I was back on track with this dosage of gratitude. The gratitude Leading a ankl L ife 4 Surefire Ways to Intensify Your Gratitude Quotient BY SUSAN STUCKI My personal gratitude recipe: • A large measure of pure, fresh gratitude. You can never add too much into the formula. Remove any seeds of negativity before mixing. • Add some natural sweetener. Love is the preferred sweetener. • Mix carefully. • Serve often and generously. formula worked for more than just a daily pump up! It proved to be a game-changer that day. Embrace the empowering force for happiness with these four tools that are certain to intensify your gratitude quotient: 1. Routinely record five things for which you are grateful. Create a Gratitude Journal, or step up your game if you already employ this practice. Use your favorite writing tool in a notebook that sparks your joy. A friend posts three things daily on Instagram for which she is grateful. This habit sets her up to identify and recog- nize her blessings throughout her day. When you habitually count your blessings, the quality of your life will escalate. There is always something for which to be grateful. It's been said, "I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man that had no feet." Zig Ziglar proclaimed, "Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for". 2. Think to thank. Thank someone every single day for some- thing. Express appreciation in person, send a note, text or email, but find someone to thank every single day. Expressing gratitude to oth- ers will ignite your own soul. 3. Program your brain. Do this every night with thoughts of grati- tude. Fill yourself so full of appreciation that it spills out as you awake the next morning. Whose life wouldn't be more joyful if we all woke up every day with an attitude of gratitude? Albert Einstein claimed, "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." 4. Launch a gratitude rampage. List all the things you can think of that you appreciate. Use your imagination. One fam- ily wrote their lists on a large pumpkin, another in a notebook placed where the family gathers. Involve your coworkers in a gratitude ram- page of some sort. It has been said that thankful- ness is the beginning of gratitude and con- sists merely of words. Gratitude is the comple- tion of thankfulness and is shown in acts. IF