As we move through the holiday season towards the end of the year, I wanted to share an artwork / graphic that I stumbled on a few years ago that has resonated with me.  It’s called “The Gratitude Tree” and if you take a minute and really stare at this image, you might also connect with it.

If you’re like me and focused on your personal growth and actively managing your mental state, you probably stumble on the topic of gratitude quite often. At 63 years old I have a lot more gratitude than ever before and it probably has a lot to do with the life learnings that I’ve attained and appreciation for the struggles that I’ve overcome. But it also has a lot to do with the fact that I water this tree frequently.  If you don’t consciously focus on the things that you truly appreciate and have gratitude for you are depriving yourself and your brain something truly vital. To this point, I find myself deflecting the noise in the world better than ever and this allows me to look within and focus on appreciating the journey that got me to where I am.

I can make a really long list of the things I’m grateful for, but the purpose of today’s Monday Thoughts is to simply share The Gratitude Tree with you in hopes that it triggers an emotion that makes you think a little bit more about what you also appreciate in your life.