Practicing gratitude will require you to focus on the things in your life that you are thankful for.  You'll need to pay attention and look for all the good things in your day and in your life.  Seeing all the positive aspects in your life will help you realize just how much you have to be grateful for.  Periodically ask yourself something like “What am I grateful for right now?” or “What am I thankful for today?” Be on the lookout for small compliments you might receive or little gestures of kindness from others. Focus on the positives, no matter how small they might seem. This could be a bunch of pretty flowers that you spot on the way to work, or a beautiful sunset in the sky on your walk home. Take a moment to appreciate the positives in your life, even if they seem insignificant. Not every good thing in life will be obvious or a big deal, which can cause you to miss a lot of good things in life. Throughout the day, try to think of all the little things that you were thankful for.  Chances are, you'll be able to find a lot of small events that will add up to one excellent day.  Try to be aware of all the good in your life, big or small, to help you practice feeling grateful.[[3]   For example, a sunny day with warm weather might be something you're thankful for. Even if it's a rainy day, you might be grateful for the chance to stay at home and clean or enjoy something indoors. Things like having a clean pair of clothes to wear or a comfortable bed to sleep in might be little things you're grateful for. Although you are working to focus on the good things in your life and being thankful for them, you won't want to ignore challenges or negative aspects.  Disregarding difficult things and focusing only on the good in your life can cause you to become unbalanced and may even cause trouble in your life.  You can still acknowledge a challenge without it bringing you down or preventing you from practicing gratitude.  Ignoring a serious issue may actually be detrimental.  Try being grateful that you were made aware of an issue or that you have the ability to meet a challenge. You could try thinking about how grateful you are for the support of your friends or family during a tough time. It's okay to feel negatively about tough situations. Remember that life won't always be smooth sailing.  If you are having difficulty finding things to be grateful for, don't worry.  Take a few moments to relax and find a couple of things that you feel thankful for to help you get back on track.  You might even find that a tough time or challenge is something to thankful for itself.  If you find yourself being resentful or overly negative, don't let it bother you.  Readjust your outlook, try to find at least one thing you are thankful for and resume your practice. It can be difficult to settle into this new way of thinking.  Be patient with yourself and don't be too critical if you find yourself being more negative than you'd like.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary -- Focus on the positives. Be grateful for the little things. Keep a balanced outlook. Be patient.


You’re going to begin a powerslide by turning or “carving” out to one side of the road. The turn is an integral part of the powerslide, as it involves drastically turning the board until it’s perpendicular to the road, causing you to skid or “slide” to a stop.  The side you carve out to depends completely on how you situate yourself on your longboard. Carve out to the side your toes are pointing ("toeside") to complete one of the most basic standing powerslides. Be mindful of traffic coming from both behind and ahead of you. You will not want to attempt to slide and stop with cars coming in either direction, as the powerslide is a tricky maneuver to perform until fully mastered. After carving out and setting up your powerslide, shift your weight to your heels. This will mean you’re leaning more backward than forward, allowing your bodyweight to dictate the board’s slide. In addition, put the majority of your weight (60 to 70 percent) on your front foot. This will help when fully turning and fully sliding. The more weight on your back foot, the harder it will be to slide. While it’s a perfectly normal tendency to have some weight on the back of your board for stability, it’ll actually prevent you from completing a slide in the proper fashion. After you’ve shifted your weight appropriately, swivel your hips and shoulders in the direction of the slide. If you’ve leaned back on your heels and toward the front of your board, use your front foot as a pivot. This will begin your perpendicular slide.  Exercise caution in regards to anything that may be on the ground before performing this step. The tiniest piece of gravel, stone, wood, or glass can easily sabotage your slide and make for some gnarly road rash. Determine the speed in which you want to turn based on your speed. If you turn too fast, you’re just gong to turn 180 degrees without detracting any sort of speed. Ease into the turn slowly to attain a fuller stop. As you pivot with your front foot, kick out in the direction of your slide with your back foot. This will turn you 180 degrees and complete the slide. If performed correctly, you will have slid your board “sideways” along the road or path. Be prepared to skid and slide a short distance.  It’s important to remember to continue leaning back throughout the slide. If you lean forward, you run the risk of bringing your board to a complete stop. At higher speeds, this can be very problematic and runs you the risk of injury. Continue rotating throughout the entire slide. If you slide completely sideways (perpendicular to the road) for too long, you’ll warp the shape of your wheels to the point of having flat spots. Continuing your rotation will help your wheels evenly wear when power sliding. After you’ve turned 180 degrees and continue moving, lean forward and even out your weight. This will prevent you from falling backward after the slide and allow for a smooth transition and a significantly shorter speed. If performed correctly, the powerslide will slow you down to the point you can utilize a foot brake.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary --
Set up the slide. Shift your weight to your heels and the front of the board. Turn your hips and shoulders in the direction you’re sliding. Kick out with your back foot. Lean forward as you complete your slide.