One: Move
There are only two things really required for movement, says Palmquist: 1. You just do it. 2. You continue to do it. The more you move your body, the more grateful you will feel for all the incredible things your body can do and the exhilarating endorphin high.
Two: Go Outside
Don’t just think, I’m grateful for this sunny day and move on. Take it further. Engage with the day! Walk in the sunshine and feel how it dances on your skin. Look for and see where the lighted pathway wants to lead you.
Three: Choose to Love
In one day, there are one thousand opportunities to be kind. We are far better equipped to feel, act on, and create gratitude when we choose the high-energy frequency of love. This means making loving choices in a world that sometimes makes us want to shut down or take the low road. Is it always easy? No.
Four: Experience Awe
Moments of awe ground us in gratitude when life unfolds in ways we do not like. They remind us that maybe we are part of something far bigger than us that we don’t need to understand. Sit by a window and witness a storm roll in across the horizon. Attend a musical performance and immerse yourself in the sounds and vibrations.
Five: Make Friends
Connecting with those we love amps up gratitude. You make the call; instigate a get-together to break bread (or clink some wine glasses). In the midst of the laugher, look around—all these people were once strangers. What a miracle!
Six: Rest Easy and Often
Denying yourself much-needed rest makes it harder to connect to all the good in the world. Intentionally slow down. Cancel plans for things you don’t really want to do. Go to bed early (preferably in a beautifully made bed and cozy pajamas). Adequate sleep improves your mental health and makes the hidden miracles of this lifetime spring into focus.
In This Lifetime By Jill Palmquist (Wise Ink, $105.00)
This original article first appeared in the WINTER 2025 issue of City Style and Living Magazine.
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