Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/216837
when a down moment strikes. simple acts reminded me that a healthy deprivation can build more gratitude. DAY #10: GIVE WITH GRATITUDE Toward the end of her year in Senegal, Krueger and two others showed their appreciation for their scholarships by starting a project to help elementary students receive school lunches (the organization, Project Japale Goune, now serves Senegalese kids 10,000 lunches each year!). Hence her book's title. Whether it's time, money or resources, charity isn't just good for others, it can boost your own happiness, too. unteer, pick up the tab for a stranger in line at the coffee shop or leave a sick friend feel-better goodies. I opt for giving blood—it only takes a few hours and tion I focus on how lucky I am for my health in that moment—and leave feeling lighter, in more ways that one. DAY #11: SLOOOOOW DOWN AND APPRECIATE OTHERS Another reason the Senegalese seem to smile more than Americans? Togetherness. "If you run into your neighbor, you would take 15 minutes to chit chat," joy each other." In an era of Tweets and texts, slowing down for chitchat can feel like a time IN THE END Practicing gratitude isn't about blind optimism, but really about devoting more space in your life to the good stuff—the everyday pleasures we might otherwise take for granted. Krueger puts it perfectly. "It's as much a mindset as it is an set," she says. With my project done, I feel ready to use gratitude to karate chop negative thoughts and emotions whenever they're on my face or reaching my arms up to the sky—that doesn't mean I won't be feeling that way, at least, on the inside. BY THE BOOK Take a page from one of these note-worthy reads on gratitude: "Gratitude: A Journal," by Catherine Price; "Gratitude Works!" by Robert Emmons; "Give With Gratitude: Lessons Learned While Listening to West Africa," by Katie Krueger; "Attitudes of Gratitude: How to Give and Receive Joy Every day of Your Life," by M.J. Ryan and "The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are," by Brene Brown. Visit BRAVAmagazine.com for a list of great gratitude reads! work, I try to ask more about how life is going. Instead of texting a friend, I call them—an actual, in-person phone call! don't just remind me of the awesome, funny, interesting and inspiring people I cross paths with every day, they help me build stronger connections and a sense of community support. DAY #12: MAKE A LIST If you're ever feeling lonely here's a repeople in your life, noting why you're thankful for each one. Back at another You notes with life coach Sarah Young, this is how we start. And as my list—and smile—grows I'm surprised at how many people I'm thankful for. When did I get so lucky? I'm keeping this list on hand for DECEMBER 2013 | BRAVAMAGAZINE.COM 51