Welcome. I'm Julia Cartwright, and I'm so glad you're here with me today. You know, it's mid-morning on a Wednesday, and if you're anything like me, your to-do list probably feels a little like a tower of pancakes that keeps growing. So before we dive into anything else, I want you to know that taking these next few minutes for yourself is exactly what you need right now. This is your pause button, and it's already working.

Let's start by getting comfortable wherever you are. Maybe you're at your desk, maybe you're curled up somewhere quiet. It doesn't really matter. What matters is that you're here. Go ahead and sit up just a little bit straighter if you can, not in a rigid way, but like you're making space for something good to happen inside you. Now, take a deep breath in through your nose, and let it out slowly through your mouth. One more time. In, and out. Beautiful. Feel that? That's you already beginning.

Now, I want to walk you through something I call the Gratitude Anchor, and it's remarkably simple, which is usually when the best things happen. Close your eyes if that feels right for you. Think about someone or something that made you smile in the last week. Not something huge necessarily, just something real. Maybe it was how your coffee tasted this morning, or a text from a friend, or even just the fact that you made it through a tough meeting. Got it? Good. Really see it in your mind. Notice what you felt in that moment. Where did you feel it in your body? Your chest? Your belly? Just notice.

Now here's the magic part: that feeling of gratitude you're experiencing right now, that warm recognition of something good? That's your anchor. That's real, and it's always available to you. Every time today when you catch yourself spiraling or stressed, just touch your chest gently and remember that feeling. You're not forcing happiness. You're just reminding yourself that good things exist in your life too, right alongside the difficult stuff.

Here's my challenge for you today: find three moments to notice something, anything, worth appreciating. They don't have to be profound. Write them down if you want. Just notice them.

Thank you so much for spending this time with me on Gratitude Practice: Daily Mindfulness Reflections for Happiness. This practice works best when we show up consistently, so please subscribe and join me again tomorrow. You've got this. Be gentle with yourself today.

For great deals today, check out https://amzn.to/47ZqpWT

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI