Do you practice giving the gift of gratitude in your daily life? If you want to develop this habit, now is the perfect time to start.
Practicing gratitude has many benefits for our health, emotions, mindset and relationships. There are many ways that you can express your gratitude. The trick is to be consistent about it so it becomes a positive habit in your daily life.
Expressing Your Gratitude
Have you said “Thank You” to anyone today? What were you thankful about? It’s simple but it’s so hard to do sometimes. Some people are too shy or are not used to doing it. This is why practice is important. We usually reserve expressing our gratitude for occasions where we consider it’s necessary. You don’t need to wait for a formal event to say the words.
Start expressing your thanks for the small things. When you receive your order from the delivery guy; get off a taxi; when your food is served at a restaurant. These guys do get paid for serving their customers. However, a sincere “Thank You” from a complete stranger can make a big impact on their day. When conveyed with a genuine smile, it can lift up the mood of a tired worker and put a smile on their faces too.
Gratitude Thru A Note / Letter
Saying “Thank You” can become awkward. This is the case when you and the other party are not used to such gestures. Or when you are too shy to say it out loud. Perhaps you were too surprised. You missed the chance to express your gratitude. Then the next best thing to do is to write a “Thank You” note.
In the work place, a simple note stuck on to the person’s computer or desk will do. A “Thank You” thru text or via their social media channels is also appreciated. If you want to express more than just a “Thank You’, then a longer email would do. Don’t forget that a personally hand-written letter still has its appeal and conveys much more thoughtfulness into your simple act of expressing your thanks.
Acceptance Thru Gratitude
All of us have had difficult life experiences. We may have gone through a crisis that made it difficult to get back on our feet again. Some of us have had traumas because of these experiences. We wish we could get over them but we are too afraid to take the risk. Giving the gift of gratitude can help you move on.
If we are unable to move forward from a traumatic past; it is also because we have not accepted who we became as a result of that experience. That experience changed us for good or bad. In order to move forward, we have to be grateful for the lessons that it taught us so we can start transforming our selves and our lives for the better.
Review what lessons that experience taught you but don’t focus on just the bad. Try to see what good things came as a result of it too. Then express your gratitude for the life lesson and start taking action to better your path ahead.
Forgiveness Thru Gratitude
Similar to life experiences that we have no control over; we also have no control over other people. We end up getting hurt or hurting them. Moving on from the past also means forgiving yourself and the people who caused you hurt and harm. Giving the gift of gratitude can help you in the process of forgiving.
Realize that they came into your life to teach you a lesson. They may have helped you to uncover parts of yourself that you didn’t know you had. Your conflicts with particular persons made clearer for you what you truly want and don’t want. It also showed you parts of yourself that you like and don’t like. It might have even unlocked in you strength of character that you never thought you were capable of. They might have driven you to despair but they also taught you how to fight back or strengthened your determination to change your situation.
The important thing is to realize that you can forgive them by being grateful for the lessons that you learned because of their influence in your life. You don’t need to tell them personally. You don’t need their apology to forgive them. As with your difficult life experiences; thanking them in your heart is enough. Lastly, forgive yourself for your own shortcomings and strive to do better.
Daily Gratitude
Another way of learning to practice gratitude is by expressing it for the small things you receive in your daily life. Did a friend offer you the last cookie from the box? Did a family member praise how you look in your new outfit? Did you wake up feeling alive and healthy this morning?
Say “Thank You” to the Universe, or God, or the Creator, etc., for all these things that you have in your life each day. Be mindful of the persons, experiences, things, coincidences that you experience daily. Better still, start a gratitude journal so that you can keep track of all your blessings. Pretty soon, you will notice that you are attracting more things to be grateful for in your life.
Being grateful for your blessings every day helps to keep you a positive mindset. Giving the gift of gratitude to your family, friends and even strangers will not only promote a peaceful and calmer mind. It will also help maintain and develop better relationships. Finally, it will help expand the positive vibe to more people.
Feature Image: Original Photo by Hanny Naibaho on Unsplash.