A common theme that I see here at The Gratitude Experiment is gratitude for friends and family.  It’s so wonderful to see people expressing their appreciation, at least in their gratitude practice…and, hopefully, directly to those family member and friends.  Nothing makes a relationship blossom more than appreciation.  So make sure you do verbalize your appreciation directly.

Loving and supportive friends and family members are invaluable.  The key words here are “loving and supportive.”   I’m sure most of us have family members who are anything but.  While it’s true that “we can’t pick our family members” we can certainly pick how much time we hang around them (unless the person in question happens to be your spouse, in which case, there’s a different issue here.)  For the most part, we have a choice about who we spend our time with.  And, if we find ourselves hanging around listening  to a sibling, relative or friend criticize us, or give us a list of reasons why we will never realize our dreams, then it’s time hang up the phone and get new friends.

As my friend, Rhonda Britten says, “there are lots of healthy people out there…always have been, but it wasn’t until I got healthy did I notice them.”  When we’re practicing proactive gratitude and other skills that aid our personal growth, we’ll begin to notice those people who are loving, generous, supportive and who want to be our friend. 

When we find them, let’s appreciate them. Let’s continue to add them to our list of daily gratitudes. For indeed, a good, supportive friend is one of the most valuable assets in life. 

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Today I am grateful for my dear friend, Rhonda, who is the most generous, supportive woman I know…and the way she lives her life is a true inspiration to me.

I am grateful for the brand new daffodile shoots that just appeared in our backyard.  The first sign that Spring is on the way!

I am grateful for the flexibility in my fingers, and how fast they can move over the keyboard. How strong, yet how delicate fingers are!

I am grateful for the  purchase deal that is moving forward and progressing in a better direction that I even thought possible!