We live in a culture that prefers bad news to good news.

We look for the bad, the shock value of another mass murder, or political crisis, war, character assassination, anything that captures our emotions. But what about Good News? Why do we not feel the same about the good things that are happening in the world, and the good things that happen daily in our own lives?

I’m a huge believer in spreading positive vibes, giving off good energy, looking for the best in life and in people. This morning’s message from Jay Shetty talks about GRATITUDE.  We need to remember to be grateful. Jay shared this quote from an Oscar speech by Mathew McConaughey.

“It’s a scientific fact that gratitude reciprocates.” – Matthew McConaughey

Several years ago I was reading a book by Elizabeth Gilbert and she mentioned a daily habit of gratitude that I decided to add into my life: it begins with a Gratitude Jar.

I took a coffee tin and a black marker and wrote GRATITUDE on it. At any point in my day, I take a small piece of paper and write down something specific in my life that makes me smile. For example, when I decided to streamline my life, and live from my suitcase, I had a gazillion details that required constant lists, check-off, cross out, and add-in of more items. I’ve lived in Mexico since 2002. I have ties to the community, friendships, and two major careers. There were incredible amounts of details to take care of before I took the first plane out of Puerto Vallarta and headed towards Dallas, and continued on to Paris. I had to keep reminding myself that what I was doing was something I’d dreamed about for many, many years. But no matter how positive I was, I still had my insecurities.

It’s so easy to complain. It’s also inevitable that details will get missed. The only difference, on this particular journey, there was no room for error.

I was leaving North America–possibly for good–and journeying to places I’d never imagined visiting. My intention was to begin the next stage of my life in foreign locations. I could panic when things went wrong–and they did–or I could merely add another project to my list and take it all in stride.

Up until the last day before I left, I kept adding notes to my Gratitude Jar. I insisted on reminding myself that no matter how daunting I found this new direction in my life, I would be grateful to my heart and my mind for opening up the world to me and allowing this opportunity to emerge.

So every day I start the day with an attitude of gratitude. Every time something negative happens, I find a positive in my life and my world. Something that makes me smile and remember how very lucky I am!

Have a beautiful weekend, and my lovely grandson and I say Bonjour from Paris!