Sometime, you are stuck in traffic, anxious about getting a job, or stressed about making a deadline at work. 1 as these situations are, they are also opportunities to 2 kindness and gratefulness. Responding gently and thankfully will not 3 make these situations go away, but it can help you be happier and 4 . As someone who travels as part of my work, I find that when I practice looking for 5 to be kind and grateful, travel is a much more 6 experience. The mental and physical 7 of kindness and gratitude are impressive. Such simple practices not only make you feel good, 8 they can also help protect your immune system, reduce stress and anxiety, strengthen self - control. That is, simple practice done regularly can 9 both your physiology and your outlook. It is more likely that you also view the future 10 . However, being kind and grateful is not a ( an ) 11 for working toward important goals, or dealing with challenge. Practicing kindness and appreciation is a way to 12 the quality of your experience and relationships while you are doing these things. 13 what your brain may tell you, your ability to be kind and grateful is not 14 upon either your circumstances or how you feel. 15 simply, kindness and gratitude are available to you whenever you choose to practice the m . During your lifetime many things will happen. You will experience some of them as pleasant and comfortable and others as 16 and unwanted. You do not have control over the circumstances that life 17 , but you do have a choice about how you 18 to them. Reacting to whatever 19 up with kindness and gratitude is powerful 20 , a choice supported by hundreds of scientific research studies and recommended in every enduring wisdom tradition for thousands of years. What will you choose?