(This was the newsletter I sent out this week for y Travel Blog. I have such a great response, I thought I’d share it here)

In the United States right now a lot of people are feeling completely stuffed. They’re loosening the belt buckle to make room for another piece of pumpkin pie.

(I understand that need. I’d loosen it to make room for 2 more slices.)

It’s not just their stomachs that are overflowing though, but a heart brimming with gratitude.

Thanksgiving is by far my favourite celebration. It removes all the commercialism and material overconsumption to strip everything back to what’s important.

What do we have in our lives to be thankful for?

How often do we stop to consider this? Usually we’re bitching and moaning about something. Just yesterday, I was moaning about another drizzly day in Tasmania and I was going to pack up my bags and head back to the mainland for some clearer skies and warmer days.

All I had to do, to change my reality (determined by my perception) was to stop for a moment’s reflection of gratitude.

So instead of being annoyed at the rain, be grateful that the pastures that grow our food were being watered, and the dry kindling of the leaves ready to burn were being de-fueled.

It’s something that should not be reserved for one day of the year (although this is better than nothing) but should be a daily practice.

One thing travel taught me is that there is always someone worse off than me and my bad day is someone else’s paradise.

When you take the time to acknowledge all that is great in your life you send out a very powerful signal that you LOVE every bit of life, no matter how annoying or painful it might seem at the time. The Universe sends a signal back– I love how you’re loving and appreciating, let me send you more of that.

We think we need a pay rise, a relocation, new friends, or a lotto win to improve or change the direction of our lives, but all we need is gratitude.

From now until the end of the year, I want you to join with me in making a conscious effort each day to practice gratitude. (By New Year’s it should be habit)

When you arise in the morning, write down 10 things in your life you are grateful for. Then in the evening celebrate 10 amazing things that happened that day. And from now on I don’t want you to say thank you once, but three times. Really feel it and mean it.

And just watch how your perceptions, and the magic of the Universe begin to change your life.