Ian Berry, a Professional Speaker, once told me years ago that when faced with a terminal illness, he developed an "Attitude of Gratitude" and those words have stuck with me ever since that conversation. Today, I live my life with that exact same attitude, and not a day goes by where I don't say thanks for the wonderful things I have in my life. I am not just talking about material things either, I give thanks for my eyesight, my friends, for knowing the feeling of love, my family, the smell of the sea. The list is endless.

My advice for people who feel unhappy is to take themselves off to a serene place, maybe the sea, under a tree or anywhere else provided by nature with pen and paper and start writing.

Start writing pages and pages of all the good things you have to be grateful for. This helps to change your thoughts into being more harmonious, and a more positive feeling starts to flow from there.

At times in my life, when I felt overwhelmed, fearful or any other negative feeling, I have made it a daily ritual to start my day with a gratitude journal, and write down all the wonderful things that I have to be grateful for.

Whenever you feel a negative vibration, you owe it to yourself to change it immediately. This is the most important thing you will ever learn - you cannot attract the things or people you want in your life whilst you are in a negative vibration. Again, writing, thinking, or even singing how grateful you are for the little things in your life, you can't help to start to feel more positive.

Another secret to happiness is in the act of giving which also puts your mood into a higher vibration. For those of us who live the Law of Attraction, we know that one of the most crucial parts of being able to receive is to feel comfortable about the act of giving. If you believe you can't afford to give, you are not in the right vibration to receive, by openly and wilfully giving, you are helping yourself as well as others. Giving does not necessarily have to be monetary, you can always give your time or volunteer your services to a charity.

Make a habit of waking each morning in deep gratitude for what you already have. Every day is a blessing. For example, most of us have our eyesight -– be grateful for that. Be grateful for even the smallest things.

Some of my happiest moments have been when I have gone down to the beach and watched the sunrise on the horizon. It is in those moments that I am truly grateful for the wonderful life and experiences I have. I feel truly grateful for the people I meet, the joy I experience, the air I breathe, the meals I eat, my ability to run, the laughter of a baby, when I see my daughters, or when a stranger smiles at me. The list is endless.

I purchased a beautiful green crystal one day. I placed on my sink in the bathroom. Every time I wash my hands I can’t help but see its exquisite beauty, and it reminds me to say, “Thank you.”

Debbie Carr is a director of the True Colours Group and Coyote Management International. You can find her at www.truecoloursrecruitment.com, www.truecolourstraining.com, www.truecolourskeynotes.com and www.coyote.com.au/debbie_carr.html and you can read her story at www.seemingly-sane.com