Another way to really plant gratitude into your brain is to get out in nature. Seeing what mother earth has provided for us will reinforce a gratitude mindset. The beauty and magnificence of nature will remind you why it is so important to be grateful.

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Embracing a gratitude mindset helps you to focus on all that you have. It automatically programs your brain to see the glass as half-full. Using gratitude helps your brain to focus on the solution rather than the problem.

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It is so easy to go down a negative path considering the fact that a lot of life can be very negative. By making a list of your blessings every day, you will blunt the forces that create negative feelings and attitudes. You can incorporate your list into your daily gratitude journal entries to further reinforce your feelings of seeing the upside of everything.

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How do you put a cord of wood away? One piece of wood at a time. What a great way to tackle any project! Don’t focus on the enormity of the project, just break it down into bite-sized pieces. Before you know it, the project will be done. Being grateful for the small steps helps avoid being overwhelmed.

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This may be one of the best lessons you can learn in life. Why do you not focus on your strengths? You can’t be good at everything. Gratitude will direct you to the things that you do well and that will ensure much better outcomes in many areas of life.

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My experience with death is watching from the sidelines. Most dying persons I’ve sat with appeared ready in their own way. Perhaps you’ll feel ready, or have some things left undone. Find peace with yourself, if at all possible. “Be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.” --Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, 1952

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Some people chose to plan a “living wake,” having a big party for all their relatives and friends before they die. If this is something you hope to do, you will need to plan ahead, and talk with family and friends to help make arrangements. Remember, because nobody really knows when you will die, you may not be present after all, or you may linger after attending your exit party!

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Start advocating for yourself! Not everyone is able to do this well, so you might need to rely on someone else to advocate for you. Have vital discussions with them now, to ensure they are supporting what is really important to you.

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This is a time of re-evaluating priorities. Do you know the things that matter the most to you now? You may want to practice the “six months to live” test. What would you do, where would you live, who would you be with if you had six months to live? Now is a good time to think this through.

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No one has the “right way” or all the answers to journey through illness, and eventual dying. Just as every birth is a unique experience for every individual, the way you choose to go out of this life will be your own unique journey.

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