Every single day we experience many hundreds of minor pleasures in both the material and spiritual aspects of our lives. We can learn to focus on all these common occurrences and recognize the kindness of the Almighty.
As an exercise in appreciation, try for one hour to feel grateful for every single thing you find yourself doing. When you read, be grateful you can see and read. When you walk, be grateful for the use of your feet. When you talk, be grateful for the ability to communicate with others. For a full hour do not take even the smallest action for granted. Be aware of every detail of what you can do. Anyone who does this daily for even a short time will have a much greater appreciation for everything he does.
(see The Steipler Rav - Birchas Peretz, Aikev; Gateway to Happiness, p.46)
See more Daily Lifts on the topic of
Gratitude
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Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's new book has just been published by Artscroll:
SELF-CONFIDENCE:
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About the Author
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Rabbi Zelig Pliskin is a noted psychologist and prolific author of 24 books, including Guard Your Tongue, Gateway to Happiness, Gateway to Self Knowledge, Love Your Neighbor, Growth Through Torah, The Power of Words, Consulting the Wise, and the recent Life is Now. Rabbi Pliskin lives in Jerusalem, and is the director of Aish HaTorah's Counseling Center and a senior lecturer at Aish's Essentials program and the Executive Learning Center. He was ordained at the Telshe Yeshiva in Ohio and holds a degree in Counseling Psychology.