“There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein

Isn’t life beautiful? All it takes is a minute to admire the sunrise (assuming you’re up early enough) or another person’s smile. But often we miss out on great things like this because we’re too busy with work or other distractions. What a shame.

“The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; the pessimist fears this is true.” – James Branch Cabell

Cultivating gratitude is so important. It’s about taking a few minutes everyday to think about all the great things in your life. The fact that you’re reading this implies there have got to be plenty of those. Why not start a journal and reflect on all the things, both big and small, that make your life special? It sure beats complaining about traffic!

“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” – Charles Dickens

A great way to realise how good you have it is to consider the lives of those less fortunate. There are millions of people all over the world who need our help. We can’t simply stand by and leave them to fend for themselves. We need to take a stand and do whatever we can to alleviate their pain.

“The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” – Samuel Johnson

Ultimately, we all have a desire for contribution. It’s a human need instilled deeply in us all. It’s not about gaining recognition or admiration from your peers; it’s about acting selflessly to help those in need. It also doesn’t take a lot to make a difference. Simply talking about a problem is a step to solving it. Everything else builds from there.

“If the good has a cause, it is no longer the good; if it has a consequence – a reward – it is also not the good” – Leo Tolstoy

In closing, I’d like to offer a quote from Melody Beattie: “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

(For more resources and tips, download your free copy of “Work in Progress” exclusively from www.varsityblah.com/about and read this too)