Begin today with a simple “thank you.” There is so much to notice, so much to hold close. Each new day is 24 fresh hours to live, to celebrate life, and to find joy in quiet blessings.

“Man absolutely cannot live by himself,” wrote philosopher Erich Fromm. Gratitude opens us outward. To look at life with gratitude is to see opportunities even in challenge, to turn each difficulty into a blessing and a lesson of growth.

Winston Churchill reminded us, “Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it.” Failure, even pain, moves the heart toward healing and deeper compassion for others.

Jazz legend Lionel Hampton once said, “Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.” Keep those memories alive. Celebrate all that is right in your world. Write it down in a journal. Share your thankful heart with those who have given to you. A call, a letter, even a quiet word can change everything.

“Say thank you in advance for what is already yours,” encouraged actor Denzel Washington. Gratitude is a way of trusting life, of opening the heart to receive blessings even before they arrive.

Gratitude brings peace and hope. It is contagious. Share yours… and watch what happens.