Throughout the last several days my heart and mind have been filled to capacity with the love I am so blessed to be surrounded by, my family, friends, and incredible community. As a motivational/ inspirational speaker, I believe it is my passion and calling to help inspire others, using my own story and example. These last couple of months my gratitude meter has been on overload, as I have lost count of the blessings, encouragement, and love which has been thrown at me by so many.

I love the weeks leading up to Easter as it is a time when we give thanks for our Lord and Savior for the sacrifice he has given for us all. But no matter if you are Christian or not, this time of year also inspires us to feel gratitude for the life we have and to all the people we have the privilege to share it with.

I encourage you to step back and notice not only the immediate friends, family, and those closest to you in your life, but also those on the outside of that inner circle. I’m talking about the server at Starbucks who said hello and gave you a smile of greeting when you ordered, or maybe the waitress or waiter who was extra helpful during dinner last week, or the friendly person at the grocery store who let you check out first because you only had three items.

We don’t often pay attention to these little things and show gratitude for them, but “it makes a difference” when we do, and I encourage you to make a difference! Life is too short not to, and putting a smile on someone’s face by making the extra effort is worth it every time. Be inspired to be grateful and express the gratitude you experience, you will make that  difference in someone’s day and maybe even their life.

Friends, the opportunity to share my gratitude and help create more joy, is why I was led to become an inspirational and motivational speaker. I am not perfect at it but I practice every day at getting better. I encourage all of you to also focus on living your life with an attitude of gratitude. For when you do, only the best is yet to come!