I’m a huge believer in peak family experiences.

Those moments when all the problems and struggles take a back seat to just being together and bask in the deep joy that is family.

This picture captured one of those moments.

We’re at a wedding waiting to get our picture taken and just enjoying being together.

What makes these peak experiences rare is how our mind wants to fixate on the negative.

Even when 95% of life is good, I find my mind wanting to spend most of its time obsessing on the 5%.

What helps me gain a more balanced perspective is the discipline of gratitude.

Gratitude is not a virtue, it’s a practice.

Every morning I take time to experience my 60 seconds of bliss.

I close my eyes, take 10 deep breaths and with every breath I thank God for one blessing and experience the joy of meditating on how that blessing has brought good into my life.

It’s a selfish indulgence but unlike most selfish indulgences, this one is guaranteed to make your life richer.

Do you have a daily gratitude practice?

Don’t let the hard 5% cast its shadow over your whole life.

When you’re able to regularly acknowledge all the good gifts God has brought into your life you’ll find a smile, a laugh, and a sense of peace comes over you more often.

And you’ll find peak family experiences emerge more often, even in mundane moments.

Jeremy
PS. Did you know our family leads Family Teams tours of Israel every January? We have one coming up in January 2022. Check out details here.

This entry is a part of Jeremy’s Journal, a newsletter Jeremy sends out every Wednesday morning to encourage you on your parenting journey. You can sign up to get them every Wednesday here.