I woke up this morning and knew that I had to send out a newsletter on gratitude. I’ve officially decided that this going to be a weekly thing (on Fridays), so I really hope you find value in it and that it makes a difference in your life!

So many of us live for the weekends (I know I’m guilty of that at times) and really just go through the motions trying to ‘get through’ Monday – Friday. It’s natural to look forward to having time to catch up with friends, family or your significant other and getting a bit more sleep is always incredibly alluring, but a “get through it” mindset means we’re bound to miss out.

When I moved to London, I was alone, miserable and completely lost. When I finally got sick of being sad and was tired of waiting for things to “get good”, I decided to start a Tumblr blog on gratitude to get myself back on track. Every single day for almost a year, I wrote down what I was grateful for. No one read this blog, and it was completely for me, but I have to tell you, it made a huge difference! I went from a list of one very small thing to a fabulous list of five or ten!

Focusing on what we have that’s positive in our lives is paramount to our happiness. If we’re always in our heads and dwelling on the negative or what’s just “not right yet but will be perfect in the future” – we’re missing out on some really good stuff! Newsflash: Life is now, and this is it!

So how about making a small change today? Pause for a minute and think of one thing that made you feel special, loved or happy this week. Or over your cup of tea or coffee, think about something that happened that made you glad to be alive.

For me, I’m grateful that I was able to speak to some incredible women this week. I know they are going to change the world, and they’ve truly inspired me. I feel so lucky to do this “work”! I’m also grateful for my mom who has become a friend to me as well over the years.

Have a lovely Friday and please feel free to email me at emily@iheartmylife.com to let me know what you’re grateful for this week! I’d LOVE to hear from you!