“If you want to appreciate what you have, imagine your life without it.”

It’s an unfortunate thing, but it is all too often the case – In life it is so easy to fall into the trap of not appreciating all that we have. Whether it’s a person, or an experience, or a material possession, we too oft end up taking things for granted because we have become used to them being there – they have become “normal” and “expected” by us. That’s why I love the opening quote of today’s blog.

“If you want to appreciate what you have imagine your life without it.” What a great trick to use to help yourself feel gratitude and appreciation for what you have in your life – Imagine your life without it. Imagine your life without the people you love. Imagine your life without your home or your job. Imagine your life without your health. Imagine your life without having gained the wisdom you’ve gained from your past experiences.

Make a list of all the things you have…then each day imagine life without even one of the items on your list. How would it feel? What would you miss out on? How would you be impacted? How would you feel?

I tried this exercise the other day to see how it felt and boy did it make me feel tremendous gratitude for what I had. As I looked through the items on my list and considered all I would feel if they were not part of my life I was overcome with just how blessed I felt to have these people and things in my life. I felt so incredibly appreciative and thankful. And then I felt a bit ashamed that I wasn’t taking time every day to reflect and feel truly appreciative for all the things that bless my life.

What a great exercise to go through….try it for yourself and you’ll be overwhelmed when you realize just how blessed your life truly is.

Have a beautiful day. #blessed

~Amy Rees Anderson