So what if Thanksgiving was last week? It’s never too late to be thankful.

Gratitude need not be a one-night stand, but rather, a way of life. A robust gratitude practice is one of the best tools to cope with life and generate hope.

I start each and every day with a glance to the sky and thank the Universe for giving me all I need for the day ahead. I used to ask earnestly for certain things, but then realized that when I pray for specifics, it’s usually about what I want, rather than what I need. By saying thank you, I’m acknowledging my reliance on a loving energy that cares about me.

Some days I have doubts about that loving energy – remember, I spent my youth believing that God hated my guts, and that core belief has yet to fully fade away. That little girl inside isn’t so sure about the whole God thing. Yet I can be grateful anyway – even if I’m wrong, it doesn’t hurt anything!

Another trick I’ve used is the ABCs of gratitude. I list the alphabet down the page and start naming the gifts I’ve been presented. I’m grateful for art, and babies, and cotton candy. I double or triple up on many letters – especially when I start naming all my grandkids. This is a fun exercise to do as a group activity as well.

I close my evening with my 3×3 journal, where I name three things I’m grateful for from my day, three things I did right, and three things I kind of like about myself. I do not allow myself to repeat from the night before. For a bonus, I sometimes add one thing I learned that day.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

John F. Kennedy

JFK reminds us that gratitude is a verb. I can talk a good game, but I need to DO it. For me, this means sticking with my practice, but also paying it forward. Giving back to people, community, or Mother Earth is the surefire way I can prove to the Universe that I am thankful for all I’ve been given.