It's so easy to get caught up in what goes wrong, isn't it? Like today, I just got home from the market and couldn't stop pouting because I forgot to grab some cherries. I completely overlooked the fact that I snagged the last strawberry rhubarb pie—my absolute favourite!

We all tend to fixate on our challenges. We get so used to the good things around us that we take them for granted. Everyday beauty and kindness slip by unnoticed—a stranger’s smile, the cozy warmth of a favourite sweater. I've realized that I often miss these little opportunities for happiness and connection.

This year, during the Joie de Vivre retreat in France, I decided to tackle this bad habit head-on. I challenged everyone to list three good things that happened each day and to think about what caused them. So, as we gathered for our daily pre-dinner "apero," we focused on moments of joy. Sometimes, they were big things—new revelations or bucket list dreams realized. More often, though, they were small—like the taste of a really good croissant, hearing a favourite song, or basking in ten minutes of sunshine.

Pretty soon, what started as a workshop exercise turned into a life-changing habit. We set our internal radar to pick up on the good stuff and discovered there's plenty of it.

This new habit can truly change the emotional tone of your life. It replaces feelings of disappointment or entitlement with gratitude, which might explain why this practice is linked to a significant boost in happiness (if you’re curious, check out the work of The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkley).

If we are what we think, then practising gratitude teaches us to notice, remember, and savour the better things in life. You'll start paying closer attention to positive events and fully engage with them—both in the moment and later when reminiscing and sharing these experiences with others.

Hear all about this technique from our dinner table in Provence during the Joie de Vivre retreat!