Isn’t it so beautiful that every time we wake up, we are faced with a brand new day? A new opportunity and a new page in our book to write whatever we please.

Sometimes we take that very blessing for granted. We often just get up and continue our lives like clockwork and roll with our usual routine because that’s just simply how our bodies are programmed to roll.

We all do. Of course we do, we are human.

But how often to you actually pause for a second to realise the blessing that each new day is? Do you ever wake up and thank your lucky stars for these new hours you are faced with?

For the most part, the answer is probably not, unless something has happened, generally something bad, that has triggered gratitude within us or sprung us with this sudden realization that, in fact, this new day is a blessing.

I’m guilty, but I am making a conscious effort to place more focus on gratitude for all the good that I have in my life.

Why?

Because that feeling of good really does make me feel better. It brings me joy to recognise how lucky I am to be living the life I am living.

It makes me feel blessed when my mind wanders toward negative thoughts. It gives me a feeling of belonging when I’m homesick. It reminds me that I am wanted when I’m feeling lonely.

It is all too easy to fall into a rut of just getting by each day with a mundane routine without stopping to breathe. It’s how we are programmed to function so there’s no surprise at all and if this is the way you live your life, don’t worry, you are amongst millions of other people who also feel they don’t have time to take a deep breath of gratitude or take a moment to acknowledge our blessings.

I was in that rut for a very long time and only recently have I realized the importance of doing this. I have had my fair share of highs and lows over the past few years and being a naturally emotional person, I admit with my hands in the air that I struggle to pull myself together after dipping into a low moment.

So I’ve recently made a conscious effort to start my day my way.

I haven’t made any huge or major changes to my life, but I have learnt that fifteen minutes is all it takes.

Here’s what I do:

• I wake up and try not to snooze my alarm more than once, despite this being a real struggle on some days. I roll over and kiss my husband on the forehead and tell him I love him before getting out of bed and getting dressed.
• Now here is where I am lucky before any of this all begins. As I exit my bedroom, I am exiting my cabin on the yacht I work on, which means I step directly out onto deck which is the first moment I stop to breathe in the gratitude. When we are out an anchor with guests on board (like this morning) I immediately hear the sound of the water rippling around me and see the blue turn into green or white, depending on our location and what is surrounding us. I stop, I look, I breathe deeply and I usually say to myself in my head “damn this is beautiful”, directly from the heart because it usually really is.
• It’s about a five meter walk from my cabin in the front of the boat to the main boat, so I enter through the side door to my galley and spend a short five minutes emptying the dishwasher, putting away whatever was left out overnight whilst I make myself a coffee.
• I take my coffee outside and find a nice dry spot on deck and sit with my thoughts and my long black whilst I look around me and take it all in.
• Sometimes it’s hard to close my eyes because I just want to look at everything that’s there, but I try to do so for at least two minutes as I meditate on my breath, in for four and out for six, as if I’m counting my blessings as I go.
• If I can, and this is rare these days, I will do some sun salutations or a five minute yoga flow to get my blood moving around my body and ease my muscles.
• I finish my coffee and smile to myself at this opportunity, by which time there’s usually somebody else up and in my vicinity so my quiet time is on pause until a later point in the day when I try to repeat this.
• By this time I will go and continue my day, starting with a smoothie bowl and start making breakfast or doing whatever it is that’s first on my to-do list.

This small moment of appreciation sets me up for the day ahead and sets my emotions straight with good intention.

I find it helps and when I fall back into a little rut, I stop what I’m doing and repeat this.

It’s made a difference to me and I hope these small moments of conscious breathing can make your day a little brighter.

Have a beautiful one.

With love from the very beautiful Sardinia.

L, xo