Hello, and welcome. I'm Julia Cartwright, and I'm so glad you're here with me today. Whether you're squeezing this practice in between meetings, or you've carved out a quiet moment for yourself, know that you're already doing something beautiful just by showing up. Take a breath with me. You deserve this.

It's mid-December, and I know what that feels like. The days are shorter, the to-do lists are longer, and somewhere between the holiday shopping and the year-end scramble, it's easy to feel like you're running on fumes. Maybe you're wondering what there even is to be grateful for right now. And that's exactly why we're here together.

Let's settle in. Find a comfortable seat, somewhere you can let your shoulders drop away from your ears. Feel your feet on the ground, your body supported by whatever's holding you up. There's no perfect posture, no way to do this wrong.

Now, breathe naturally. In through your nose for a count of four, and out through your mouth for a count of four. Feel the cool air coming in, the warm air going out. Let your body know it's safe to slow down.

Here's what I want you to do. Think of something small. Not the big, obvious stuff. Not your family or your health, though those matter. I'm talking small. Maybe it's the way sunlight hits your coffee cup in the morning. The text from a friend that made you smile. The way your body feels when you stretch. The fact that you remembered to drink water today. These tiny moments are actually where joy lives.

Close your eyes now and picture that one small thing. Really see it. What colors are there? What textures? If you can hear it or feel it or taste it, let all of that flood in. This is gratitude, not as obligation, but as doorway. When you're grateful for the small stuff, you're training your nervous system to spot kindness everywhere.

Here's the truth I've learned: gratitude isn't about feeling happy first and then being grateful. It's the other way around. Gratitude creates happiness.

So here's what I want you to do today. Pick one tiny thing each hour, something you normally rush past, and pause. Really notice it. That's your practice. That's how you rewire your brain toward joy.

Thank you so much for spending this time with me. Thank you for listening to Gratitude Practice Daily Mindfulness Reflections for Happiness. If this resonated with you, please subscribe so we can keep doing this together. You've got this.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI