The holidays are over. Unless you have a birthday or anniversary looming, don’t expect to receive many presents in the near future. But that’s okay. I’m not talking about material gifts. I’m talking about the freebies in life that you enjoy, the things that surround you RIGHT NOW.

The other day I woke up with crap-colored glasses. I felt sick, my cats were screaming like they were being tortured (and then they were tortured once I had to get out of bed), and I had a full day ahead of things that I’d been putting off. Once I got the coffee going, I sat at my desk and did something different. Instead of griping about all of the nasties of my day, I looked out the window. The earth was covered with a clean, white layer of snow. A squirrel looked at me from a tree not 6 feet away and flicked his tail at me. Then one of my cats began to purr…

Long story short, I began taking an inventory of some gifts of life that surround me. And I have to say, I don’t think I complained for nearly 24 hours! Then yesterday I asked on Facebook for my friends who wished to stay out of the Complaint Line in life to tell me 5 things around them RIGHT NOW that make them happy and grateful. And I heard things like coffee, pets, music, snuggling children, a wonderful spouse, good health, zumba (okay, not a clue what that is, but I don’t judge), working from home, God, America, heat, the mountains, books…. You get the idea. By the end of the day, I think I made it another 24 hours without complaining.

So my challenge to you is this: Look around and find 5 things in your life that bring you joy and happiness. Hold on to those 5 things all day. And I’ll promise you, if you keep those things in your mind throughout the day, today will be a good day. Because those 5 things are your GIFTS.