Lately, I have been contemplating the economic situation and looking at those around me who seem to be struggling with issues every single day. For a good long while, I was very much “down in the dumps” – worried about what was going to happen to families and individuals, businesses and entire cities.

I often wonder if we give ourselves enough credit for our ability to overcome situations. It was not too long ago that our parents and grandparents lived in a world where you didn’t live beyond your means; where families were one income households and people were happy with handmade gifts at holidays and special occasions.

As times become more difficult, there are more and more people turning to government organizations for help to put food on the table, gifts under the tree and clothes on the backs of their children. It’s hard to stay positive in spite of all of this, but I do have some tips on how to turn a menacing situation into one filled with hope.

First, I want you to head over to this site, print out the file, and ensure you have enough cards for the entire month. It’s actually taken from a Scrapbooking site but the idea will help literally everyone who chooses to try. You can also use a notebook that you have already, or even just blank paper on a clipboard. What you use isn’t nearly as important as what will change by doing the exercise consistently.

Each day before you head to bed, think of three things that you were grateful for that day. It could be something as simple as the line at the coffee shop was short. If you can think of more than three things, that’s great, but you need to ensure you have at least three things or moments that you were grateful for that day.

In your second and subsequent weeks, try to add a minimum of one grateful moment that you had during your day. I promise, this will become easier and easier the longer you write in your journal.

If you have had a bad day, it will be harder to come up with those grateful moments, and on those days, promise me that you will dig deep and try to find your grateful moments. Try looking back on past days and remember all the wonderful moments that have lightened your day in some way or another.

Many people find starting a gratitude journal to be a daunting task because we don’t normally seek out everything positive that happens in our day. Whether you are a positive person or you need a little assistance, I think the exercise below will be an eye opener for you. Try it out for yourself, and you may just be surprised how many additional moments in life you can be grateful for.

Question: What did the person who last smiled at you look like?

Can you do it? Or do you draw a blank?

We may not be able to change the world in which we live, but we can change the way we live within that world.