Here's a BIG Secret to Daily Joy...

Want the secret to feeling greater contentment, joy, and a stronger sense of overall well-being? Practice gratitude.

I’m serious! This super simple practice - if you do it regularly (I do it daily) - can have huge positive impacts on your day-to-day life. When I started, I noticed an improvement almost immediately in my mood, which honestly just made me want to keep the habit going. I recommend this to every client I work with (and practically everyone I talk to).

Unsure how to start? That’s okay! Start small. Write down one thing you’re grateful for every day. It can be big, it can be tiny. What matters is that you write something down. Put it in your journal, jot it on a sticky note, type it in your phone, or post it to social media (and maybe inspire someone else while you’re at it). The possibilities are endless - just make sure you write it down. Don’t just think it. There’s real power in getting the words out of your head and onto a page.

To be honest, our brains are wired to look for problems. It’s that ancient “lizard brain” trying to protect you from saber-tooth tigers. Great for survival… not great for modern life. And you can’t just “turn it off.” You have to replace that pattern with something else - and gratitude does exactly that.

Story time... I started my daily gratitude practice because of an ex. Now, don’t get me wrong - he was lovely and wonderful. But he had a habit of complaining about Every. Little. Thing. Constantly. Any time something went wrong - big or small - he’d throw his hands up and say, “That’s just my life. This sh*t happens to me all the time!” And honestly? In a way, he was right.

I firmly believe we help create our reality with our thoughts and mindset. I’m NOT saying bad things don’t happen to good people. And I’m DEFINITELY not promoting toxic positivity. But if you go around looking for the bad, guess what? You’re going to find it. Sorry, but it’s true. Here comes tough-love Becca: if you spend all your time talking about what you don’t like about your life, you’re never going to appreciate the good things already in it.

Now, I love a good vent session as much as anyone. Vent, cry, stomp around - get it out. Just make sure you’re not living there. Acknowledge the stress, and then shift your focus back to the good.

And don’t just take my word for it. Check out this article by Dr. Melissa Madeson: “The Neuroscience of Gratitude & Its Effects on the Brain.”

She explains exactly how and why gratitude works. One quote I love:

When we experience gratitude, it changes physiological aspects of the brain that reside at the neurotransmitter level (Fox et al., 2015). These changes create feelings of happiness and contentment.

Because I believe in this practice so strongly, I’m hosting a 7-day gratitude challenge starting Thanksgiving Day (US – 11/27/25). It’s totally free and open to everyone. I just want to encourage people to try the habit and see how it feels. Each day, I’ll share:

-            one simple gratitude prompt,

-            a mindset shift to guide your day, and

-            a journal prompt for anyone wanting to dive deeper.

If you’re interested, just comment below and I’ll get you the details.

Whether you join the challenge or not, I hope you give this practice a try. You have nothing to lose - and everything to gain.

Warmly, Becca