I believe gratitude is at the absolute heart of our ability to handle challenges and have a sense of purpose.

If we stay in a sustained state of negativity, and we focus on all the things we do not have, we are coming from a place of lack. Lack is the opposite of gratitude and abundance.

Gratitude is the simplest, fastest way to turn a difficult experience around and change the energy and direction of where it’s going.

I am not referring to the sadness and anger that come with loss. It is necessary to allow ourselves to grieve deeply and to honor our feelings. But we can grieve and be kind to others. It is the mindset of abundant gratitude that can move us beyond survival and into new meaning and purpose.

Gratitude is the practice of recognizing and appreciating the positive aspects of one’s life no matter how small or simple.

Practicing gratitude can enhance our joy and it can shift our focus from what is missing to what we already have.

In challenging moments when it is hard to find gratitude, we can still acknowledge that some form of valuable lesson or gift may emerge from the experience. Repeating this to ourselves, even if we don’t believe it at the time, is crucial in embracing abundance.

Gratitude might be the most overlooked of all the PEGS, but it is the absolute foundation of everything else.