The power of gratitude - and daughters!

I have long believed in the power of gratitude to contribute to our happiness. After all, it is difficult to be angry/frustrated/sad/[insert any other negative emotion here] if you are feeling grateful for the wonderful things in your life. It could be the little things (a smile from a loved one, an unexpected green light on the way to work) or the big things (a new job, a wonderful relationship). There is always something to be grateful for which will put a smile on your face -try it!

Today, it was my daughter, Nimu, who wins my Hero of the Day Award! We've been without gas (and therefore hot water) for weeks due to the gas shortage in Kathmandu. Knowing I was desperate for a hot shower, my incredible daughter surprised me - telling me there was hot water and to come quickly to shower. I dashed down, thinking she was joking but hopeful nonetheless. And she had boiled 2 buckets full of hot water for me! The feeling of the hot water running over my body made me feel human again - and overwhelmed with gratitude for the hot water, for the electricity being on so I could sit in front of the heater afterwards (we only have 5 hours of electricity a day so lots to be grateful for when it's on, especially unexpectedly), but most importantly, an incredible sense of gratitude for my amazing daughter who really is the best daughter in the whole wide world!

So after a long, busy week and a month of no hot water, the power of gratitude (and a bit of hot water!) to put a smile back on my face sure worked for me. Try it, I guarantee it will work.

You can start with being grateful next time you flick a switch and the light comes on or turn on the tap and hot water comes out! Enjoy!

And thanks, Nimu, I love you so much!

Be happy, healthy and have fun!
Bec xoxo

It's the little things that make up the overall picture of the day!

Our days are like one of those mosiac images - a picture made up of hundreds of tiny images which, when viewed from a distance, give an overall view of a different picture. It's a series of moments, of tiny actions or events, that create the overall impression of our day. So even if there is a bad moment - an argument, an annoying email or phone call, a red light - the overall colour of the day may still be bright!

So today, I had some wonderful moments:

• Rachana, one of my wonderful team members that I have the honour of working with, came top of her class in her Masters results;
• Lata, one of the fantastic girls at Bal Mandir, was in a giggly, happy mood, putting a smile on everyone's faces with her joy at the simple pleasure of having ribbons gently run over her face;
• Nimu, my daughter, was so excited to have pizza at our favourite restaurant, Fire and Ice.

All of these gave a wonderful positive tone to my day. Sure, there were a few frustrations, but they gave balance to the bright spots, highlighting the wonderful.

So next time you miss a parking spot or your coffee is cold, remember it's only one small moment that contributed to the mosaic of your day. Don't let it become the complete picture - keep it as a balancing tool for highlighting the fantastic moments.

Enjoy and be happy, healthy and have fun always,

Bec xox