We spend a lot of time (and energy) worrying and complaining. We are surrounded by scarcity, fear, and lack. We gossip, we judge. We swear. We snap, and we snap back.

And yet, how often do we utter words of praise? How often do we speak aloud words of gratitude, awe, and love? How often do we notice something remarkable and say out loud how remarkable that thing is, how grateful or lucky or both we feel to witness it? How often do we speak the beauty of our lives into existence?

When I began investigating blessings, I imagined the sum total of the words I speak in a day as though they were filling a bucket, or a plate. What would be on that plate, I wondered? Do the words I speak reflect my values and beliefs? Do they reflect the world I want to live in? Do I want to live in a world filled with worry, gossip, and complaint? What if I replaced some of my daily words with words of blessing? Could it change me? (Spoiler, it sure did.)

Do I still worry? Yep. Do I complain? I do. I definitely gossip less, much less. But I’m conscious of the words I’m putting into the world, and the way they reflect and shape my reality. I’d rather live in a world surrounded by blessings.