What is the first thing you think of when you first get out of bed? What is the last thought before you go to sleep? How you start and end your day sets the tone for how you get through each day, and for the quality of your sleep at night. Research has shown that gratitude is a powerful force. Dr. Robert Emmons of the University of California at Davis found that people who practice gratitude are 25% happier. They are more optimistic about the future and feel better about their lives. Combine gratitude with awe, and you’ve got an even more powerful combination to shift your energy.
Try starting and ending each day with a sense of awe and gratitude and watch what happens to your energy. Take a short walk. Sit in your backyard for a few minutes. Even just looking out the window at a beautiful tree can make you feel awe at the beauty of nature. For me, just watching my two girls never fails to instill a sense of awe at just how purr-fect cats are. Allegra and Ruby always help remind me that life is good. Focusing on gratitude for their presence in my life starts my days off on a positive note, no matter what may be waiting for me on my to do list or on my daily schedule.
A new book by acclaimed publicist, photographer and cat lover, Kim Weiss, provides another way to embrace life with awe and gratitude. In Sunrise Sunset: 52 Weeks of Awe & Gratitude, Kim shares glorious photographs of the morning and evening sun captured from the same vantage point—the 14th floor terrace of her South Florida high-rise from which she can see the sun rise and set each day. The photo at the top of the post shows Kim’s two cats, Annabelle and Satchi, lounging on the terrace from which Kim takes her stunning photos.
The gorgeous photos are complemented by meditations, passages, poetry, reflections and contemplations from some the most beloved inspirational leaders of our time: Jack Canfield; Marci Shimoff; M.J. Rose; Arielle Ford; don Miguel Ruiz, Jr.; Richard Bandler; Lisa McCourt; Jean Houston; Judith Orloff; Betsey Chasse and many more.
This little book reminds us every day of life’s precious gifts and provides a lovely reminder that we all have the power to send out ripples of gratitude through uplifting thoughts.
Sunrise Sunset will publish this Tuesday, October 28, and is available for pre-order now. I think this is a book that belongs on every nightstand, and it makes a great gift – after all, what better gift than giving the gift of gratitude?
Photo of Annabel and Satchi ©Kim Weiss, used with permission.
My kitties are my life! I feed them 1st of all. 1 or 2 sleep with me each night. They are the only thing that gets me out of bed in the morning. They seem so grateful for the cat chow I feed them and for the nice water they have.
My kitties are on the top of my list. The love and devotion from them is absolutely amazing. When I sit to watch TV Mikey comes and lays on my lap. When I go to bed at night Simon comes and spoons with me. Simon was a feral cat that has become the most devoted and loving cat. He still doesn’t trust strangers but he is getting better.
Gratitude is very powerful. No matter how good or bad my day is, I always try to find something to be thankful for. My kitties always make the list! It amazes me how perfectly they are made, too.