How a 5-Minute Gratitude Practice Has Changed Me

Reflecting on what I have to be thankful for sets my day on the right course—with the right heart

It's all but impossible to be envious or resentful when we focus on the good things life has brought us. It is, however, much easier to be content. Luke SW/Shutterstock

I’m often pushed to learn foundational life lessons from the thoughts and actions of my young children. Their youthful musings can allow me to ponder a greater meaning, one that can be discussed with them and contemplated more deeply afterward.

I’ve been reflecting on what it means to have gratitude lately as I’ve observed behaviors from my 6-year-old daughter. Gratitude is widely held as one of the keys to happiness. Once, after months of playing joyously with a doll she had received for a previous Christmas, she said, “I think I need a new doll, I’m too used to this one. Maybe we should put her in the attic.”