For me, reflecting on all that I am thankful for is not a yearly activity. It is a daily practice, and a part of my family’s routines. When I wake in the morning, my first thoughts are “What am I grateful for?” or around the dinner table, my family and I will share what we were grateful for during our day.

Last week, I had the great pleasure of connecting with my good friend and acclaimed writer, Dr. Christine Carter, author of The Sweet Spot, Raising Happiness, and The New Adolescence.  A Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, TEDx speaker, and guest on the “Oprah Winfrey Show,” Christine is known in particular for her scientific research on happiness, gratitude, and for her very practical guidance on how to thrive in today’s hurried and pressured world.

During our 20-minute conversation, Christine shared with me some of her tips for making gratitude a part of your family’s routines and traditions (even in the most reluctant households!). I hope you will find a few minutes, while driving or taking a walk, to listen to this short podcast (link below). As someone who has read the research on gratitude and practices gratitude daily, I was delighted to learn some new tips from Christine. I am thrilled to share Christine’s fresh insights and practical advice about how and why to incorporate the practice of gratitude into the fabric of your family.