When cancer came into my life, I made a decision. It wasn’t going to steal my joy. Instead of thinking, “I have to go through major surgery,” I chose to think, “I get to have a major surgery that’ll save my life.” Instead of focusing on the medical bills, I focused on how lucky I was to have insurance that helped cover most of them. Instead of thinking about dying, I was grateful to be living.
That’s the power of gratitude.
I even set an alarm on my phone that goes off every night at 9:00 PM. It asks, “What are you grateful for today?” Some nights it’s something big, like being married for 26 years to a woman who’s way out of my league. Other nights it’s something small, like my dog curled up in my lap.
Gratitude became my habit, and that habit transformed me.
Because living a life of gratitude is living a life of joy and peace. When I focus on what I’m grateful for, it’s nearly impossible to be negative. Gratitude may not cure my cancer, but it absolutely shapes how I feel about living with it. It gives me peace in the middle of chaos.
The Gratitude Game
Here’s a simple game I like to share. The next time you’re struggling, walk yourself through the alphabet and think of things you’re grateful for.
A: I’m grateful for the Adventures I get to go on.
B: I’m grateful for Barbecued ribs and Burnt ends, yum.
C: I’m grateful for my Children, because being a dad is the best thing ever.
Now it’s your turn. What are you grateful for that starts with D? E? F? You get the idea. You can also play with the colors of the rainbow. What are you grateful for that’s blue? Pink? Red? It’s simple, it’s silly, and it works.
What The Secret Taught Me
In The Secret, Rhonda Byrne talks a lot about gratitude, calling it one of the most powerful tools for attracting good things into your life.
Gratitude changes your energy. When you focus on what you already have instead of what’s missing, your entire outlook changes. You stop seeing problems and start seeing blessings. A lack of gratitude blocks abundance. It fills your mind with jealousy, resentment, and dissatisfaction, which only brings more of the same. But gratitude multiplies. The more you list things you’re grateful for, the more you find. It builds momentum.
The Secret suggests daily practices like saying thank you with every step as you walk to the bathroom in the morning, keeping a gratitude journal, or carrying a gratitude rock in your pocket as a reminder. It even suggests giving thanks for things before they happen, because when you do that, you’re signaling to the universe that you’re ready to receive them. And yes, The Secret even connects gratitude with physical healing. That’s one more reason I embrace this superpower so fully.
Gratitude Changes Everything
Gratitude isn’t just a nice thought or a fleeting emotion. It’s a strategy. It’s a daily choice that shapes your mindset, your relationships, and your entire reality. It’s a superpower that multiplies joy, quiets fear, and invites peace. If you’re looking for one simple strategy that’ll change your life, start with gratitude.
Hear the Conversation
In the following interview, I talk with Aneta Kuzman about the role gratitude has played in my journey. Click below to hear our conversation and learn how this simple strategy continues to guide my life every single day.
