“You’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.”
Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut
An easy way to develop gratitude is to just start noticing the beautiful world that's all around you. There certainly are a lot of things that can distract you and sometimes even your own thoughts can keep you from paying attention to what's right in front of you.
But in the same way that you "can't read with your eyes shut" you can't notice how beautiful the world around you is if you don't take the time to open your eyes and look.
Slow down, quiet your mind, put away your iPhone for a minute and look at what's all around. You can start to notice beauty when you gaze up at the stars the next time it's dark outside. You can go on a hike through the woods and pay attention to the animals and the tall trees around you. You could wake up early and watch the sunrise, go fly a kite, visit the beach or climb a mountain. Even the skyscrapers in the big city are beautiful!
In today's journal write down as many things as you can think of that are beautiful.