I thought it would be a tough ask for four weeks, but I was surprised how simply thinking intentionally about what made me grateful consistently brought new things to mind. By Thanksgiving, our pumpkin was covered in ink. This time of year, people tend to reflect on all their blessings. If you’re struggling to find the words, here are 4 ways to show more gratitude.
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1. Limit complaining.
It’s hard to feel gratitude when you have a bad attitude. Try to limit negative talk with everyone you interact with. That means your family, friends, coworkers, that boss you spar with—everyone! When we are in a positive frame of mind, it’s easier to see the things for which to be grateful.
“It’s hard to feel gratitude when you have a bad attitude.”
2. Get back to basics.
How? By doing the little things our grandmothers taught us as toddlers. It’s the basics, like saying “please” and “thank you.” It’s being respectful of others, not interrupting them when they’re speaking, and holding doors for people. Little things like that reorient us to being others-focused, and when we are focused on others we can be grateful for the impact they have on our lives.
3. Use more than words.
We all know actions speak louder than words. Doing for others is a way to show gratitude. Philippians 2:14 says to “do everything without grumbling or complaining.” It teaches us to not only do things for others but to do them with a joyful spirit. Putting the needs of others ahead of our own needs is selfless and honorable, but it’s important to remember that the way we do things matters, too.
4. Give more than you receive.
Jesus told his followers that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). If you wrote down all the blessings in your life, you’d quickly run out of ink and paper. These are not always material items. Money is a blessing, but so are time, talent, and relationships. We all have something we can give. When we step back and see all the resources at our fingertips and contemplate how we can use those for the good of others, the result will be gratitude for our many blessings.
