Oprah said it years ago.  And author Rachel Hollis reminded me this week.  About gratitude.  Daily gratitude.  And how it is a game-changer.

So as my kids prepare for the last day of school before summer, I am starting my own mini gratitude movement.

I’m going to get a little notebook and at the end of each day, I will write down five small things that I am grateful for.  Not big things like my health and my family.  But things like getting a spot by the door of a packed graduation parking lot when I need to run right after to see an author at her book signing.  Or a stunning sunrise.  Or the wind off the lake during a morning walk.  Or that perfect cup of tea.  Or a conversation that makes you laugh until you cry.  Or a delicious bite of cheesecake.  Or a standing ovation for you or for someone else.  Or a handwritten card arriving in the mail.  Or a smile from a stranger.

Because the thing is, if you know you have to write down five things each night, you will spend your day looking for those little nuggets of happiness.  Those blessings.  And it will change your mind, your day and your life.

Author Melody Beattie said, “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”

Here’s to a summer full of blessings, gratitude, happiness and hope.