Having gratitude is something we all should have for the good things and good people in our lives. We all need to find ways to show our gratitude to each other because it makes us all feel good about ourselves. It may seem like a small thing, but in reality it is huge! Here are 10 ways to show your gratitude:
Make up a Gratitude Ritual for Yourself
It may sound silly, but first of all you should make up a gratitude ritual you can do every day when you first wake up or when you get ready to go to bed at night. Just close your eyes and think about all the people, things, events, etc. that occurred that day that you are thankful and grateful for having in your life. It only takes a few moments! Just ask God or whatever you believe in to bless the people you love and you can start the day or go to bed feeling good.
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” – Eckhart Tolle
Send Real Thank-You Cards
These days everyone seems to do all their correspondence via social media, instant message, texting or email. But if you are truly grateful for something someone did for you or for something you received, then why not send a real, paper thank you card! It will wow your recipient and it’s a nice thing to do to show gratitude. Taking the time to pick out a nice card or to even better yet, make a handmade card, writing a little note in it and signing it can show that you took a few minutes of your time to think harder than just hitting send on a text or email for sure!
Give Someone a Little Gift
Giving gifts is a great way to show your love and gratitude. It can be something like paying it forward by paying someone’s toll or fast food bill behind you, or maybe even just doing them a favor or helping them out with a stamp or some other small item of need. What really matters is that you thought enough to give a gift because you had gratitude that you were able to do so and perhaps karma will return the favor to you if you need something too.
Even be Thankful for the Negative Things in Your Life
It’s easy to have gratitude for good things, but what about the negative things in your life? If someone is mad at us or mean to us, we don’t want to be grateful to them, but even if life gets us down, we should be grateful for just being alive and being able to go through even the negative things because it is part of life and we are still here to experience not just the bad things, but the good things too, so be grateful for being here to experience life in all things both good and bad.
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” — William Arthur Ward
Smile at People
Smiling is something they say is contagious and it can turn someone’s day from sad to happy in a moment. If we truly smile at each other and express our happiness in each other’s presence and tell each other thank you for the things we do in each other’s lives, then that can also show gratitude. Smile and the whole world smiles with you, the saying goes, but if you cry, you cry alone. So, smile and make yourself and others happy!
“Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.” – Mother Teresa
Do a Free Favor for Someone
Do something as a favor for someone and don’t ask for something back. This can be running an errand, doing a chore, or just about anything the other person needs. If you do this, it shows you truly have gratitude because as we all know, actions speak louder than mere words.
Don’t Complain About Things
It seems people are always complaining and whining about everything big and small. It could be someone cut in line ahead of you or maybe the person in your office said something mean, or maybe you just woke up with a headache. Whatever it is, just stop and don’t complain about it. Complaining makes you be in a negative mood and that hurts both you and those around you. Try to think positively instead and that will show you are grateful for everything in your life around you.
Volunteer in Your Community
Another way to show your gratitude is to volunteer in some way in your area. This could be reading to children at a school, helping out in a food bank, or maybe helping in a senior citizen’s home. It could be tutoring or walking dogs or any number of deeds. The bottom line is that you are helping others and volunteering to make a difference in your neighborhood.
“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” – Mother Teresa
Surprise Someone with Thoughtfulness
Take the extra step and surprise someone like your spouse or maybe your roommate by doing something for them like housework, making dinner, write them a nice note to start their day, picking up the groceries, etc. Just try to think what would make their life easier and do it for them once in a while just to show you care.
Be Respectful to Everyone Around You
Treat everyone the same way you want to be treated. Be courteous and kind to people, show patience, listen to what they are saying, and be understanding. Everyone needs some kindness and gratitude in their lives at times, and if you are respectful to others, they will notice this and it could have a big impact on their life. Show people respect and they will also respect you in kind!
For example, if you go to lunch, see if anyone else needs an order, or maybe hold the elevator for a stranger, help someone with their packages, do the dishes for your mom, etc.
The bottom line is that we need to be grateful for all the good things that happen to us and doing so will make everyone happier and healthier!
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. – Melody Beattie
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