The Positive Dog: A Story About the Power of Positivity

Build Your Gratitude Muscle

“But what about the rest of the day?” Matt asked. “Can I take a thank-you walk during the day, too?”

“Great question. You're a lot smarter than you look,” said Bubba before laughing. “Of course. You can take a thank-you walk any time of day.”

“Good,” said Matt, “because sometimes I feel too tired in the morning.”

“I understand that little buddy and while you can take a thank-you walk any time I encourage you to make it a habit in the morning because there is nothing more energizing than walking and practicing gratitude at the same time. A morning thank-you walk gives you a double boost of positivity to start your day.

“It's also important to know that you can practice gratitude throughout your entire day—even when you are standing still. When you wake up in the morning you can think about the things you are grateful for. You can say I'm thankful for a roof over my head, I'm thankful that I am not sleeping in the freezing cold outside. You can practice gratitude when you are eating breakfast and give thanks for the food and water that nourish your body. You can be thankful that you can walk and smell and hear and see. You can be thankful for lunchtime and nap time, playtime and sleep time. And when you are going to sleep at night, you can be thankful for all the great events of the day. You can think about your favorite success of the day—the one thing or person that made you smile, laugh, and feel great—and you can be grateful it happened.”

“Wow, it ...