Today, stop and smell the roses – yes really! The scent of flowers can lift our mood, help us recall happy memories or even just serve as a reminder of the beauty Mother Nature provides.

It’s not just the whiff of flowers that can enhance our mood – aromatherapists have long espoused the benefits of tapping into our olfactory systems. Burning scented candles, infusing pure oils or even the smell of fresh baking can enhance our feelings of wellbeing.

While the fragrance alone can make a difference, the mere act of stopping for a moment to catch your breath will also be beneficial.
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Not everyone is aware of the benefits you can bring to your life by expressing how grateful you are. Share your attitude of gratitude with others. If you have children, or contact with young people, teaching them to give thanks each day in some way can be a meaningful and memorable ritual that helps them develop a positive and resilient attitude toward life.

There are many opportunities throughout the day to show appreciation for what you have got in your life. Start first thing in the morning, every time you eat and before bed. Like bedtime stories for children can help develop a lifelong interest in books, bedtime gratitude can alleviate fears and foster a positive outlook that combats the negativity children encounter every day. There’s a good lesson in this for adults too – it’s never too late to learn.
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Do you ‘like’ your life? Most of the time we tend to notice what’s not working. We listen to the one person in every 1000 who complains and feel upset if a small thing goes wrong.

I don’t know about you but in the past there has been a little voice inside my head that has made mountains of many molehills.

I once heard that worry is the worst use of your imagination and yet so many of us get worked up about things that haven’t happened. And here’s the thing – those unknown outcomes possibly won’t occur.

The more we think about something, the more likely we are to attract it. So using that reasoning, we should be focusing on the good stuff.
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For most of us, if we are hungry, we go to the fridge or cupboard for food. If there is nothing there, we head to a corner store, supermarket or cafe.

Millions of people around the world don’t have that option and when they get food, they are extremely grateful for every morsel. It’s a stark reminder for me to be more mindful at each meal. Not only should I feel privileged to have food available at every meal, but to also think about all the people involved in the process of getting it to my table.

I’m going to be more aware of what I am eating and focus on savouring each mouthful, paying respect to the journey it took to get the food to my plate.
While my leftovers can’t be of help to someone in a third world country or even my own backyard, there are many steps I can take to support the hungry and homeless of this world.
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It’s never been easier to communicate with people – be it in person, by phone or online. Right now I’m focused on connecting people and getting us all to share what we are grateful for.

Whether I’m having one-on-one conversations or speaking to large groups of people, I am using this month to spread the word about the benefits of having an attitude of gratitude. I’m even telling service providers, shop assistants and I can’t wait to market back to a telemarketer!

In addition to communicating in person, I’m spreading the word throughout the virtual world. Today’s challenge is to join me. Here are five ways you can inspire others and connect online with people on the same path.

• Download the Grateful in April posters and put them up in your office, a local cafe on a community noticeboard.
• Send inspirational tweets throughout the Twitterverse– the hashtag is #gratefulinapril
• Add www.gratefulinapril.com to your Facebook status reports while telling your mates what is good in your life
• ‘like’ the facebook.com/gratefulinapril page – and while you are there, add a positive post
• write blogs about Grateful in April
• Share what you are grateful for on the Grateful in April website – and read what other people are thankful for too!

Today I’m grateful for how easy it is to make new friends – both in the ‘real’ and the ‘virtual’ world. See you on the world wide web – I’m all over it!