The Power of a Morning Gratitude Practice
Nearly a decade ago, a dear friend of mine, Angel Vaughn, the most consistently cheerful person I’ve ever met, taught me a practice that changed my life. Each morning, before coffee, before stretching, before even touching my phone, she encouraged me to pause and give gratitude for the day before.
Not for my whole life. Not even for the past week. Just for yesterday. Maybe a person, an event, an experience, or even a thought or learning.
This small ritual has had a profound effect: it cloaks me in positivity, like a warrior putting on armor. On mornings when I do it, negativity simply doesn’t stick for the first hours of my day. I move through my routine with lightness:
• I smile at the building staff on my way to the gym (one recently told me I’m their favorite guest because I’m always cheerful—what a gift to hear!).
• I slip into a 45° cold plunge and, with calm breath, stay twenty minutes while others last less than one. I often coach first-timers through their own “survival brain” until they discover triumph on the other side. I cherish those opportunities.
• I enjoy a sunlit walk, still buoyed by the mindset that began with gratitude. By 11am, I often realize I haven’t had a single negative thought yet.
But here’s the real magic: the mornings I forget to practice gratitude, I feel exposed, like a warrior with an unguarded flank. The world finds ways to lob negativity my way. When I do practice, I feel mighty, inspired, and compelled to pay it forward. On my best days, I choose to write, here in this group that I named “The Inspired”.
This is why I write to you. To offer just one positive and inspirational moment in your day. To give you the same choice Angel gave me: to start with gratitude, or to start with upset and negative emotions.
I know which one keeps me strong. Which one will you choose this morning for your day?
