I think about gratitude every day of the year. When I am rising to greet the day and retiring for the evening, I give thanks for the blessings that have been bestowed upon me, and for the people in my life who bestowed them. My thanks does not just include family and friends. It encompass the many people I come in contact, and the things that happen in my life during that year that elicit my appreciation.
I often read about how grateful people are during the holiday season and with social media and the Internet, we are inundated with streams of photos and information flying by our computer screens that are designed to illicit our gratitude. But once those streams fly past us, do we remember to be grateful?
When we show gratitude it’s like money in the bank. It’s is a way of giving thanks because as the holiday season unfolds, so do our expressions of gratitude. It is a time when we shine a light on the people in our immediate circle who love and honor us all year long. They’ve embraced us and we, in turn, strive to do our best to show our thanks. A little “thank you” really does go a long way, so why not stretch it and make it go long and wide? Why not also extend your appreciation to the people you come in daily contact with who have been there in different ways, offering something vital just when we needed it?
Did the grocery clerk smile at you and make you feel good this morning? Maybe the mailman delivered good news. Perhaps someone held a door open for you when your arms were burdened with packages. Did you say thank you to any of them? Are they on your mind this year as you reflect on your blessings? More importantly, how are you honoring and showing your thanks? It’s never to late for gratitude, so let me get started with some ways to accomplish this special kind of remembering.
Write it out! Keep a gratitude journal and use the method of counting your blessings by writing them down, etching your appreciation in stone. You can even write the names of some of those people and events in your journal, thanking them. But be sure to at least three reasons you are grateful each day. Can’t think of three? Well, you are breathing, aren’t you? That’s one! You are reading this positive article. That’s two. You get the idea and soon the number on your list will grow and change daily.
Be kind! Pass along an act of kindness for every act of kindness you receive. You would be surprised at how the little things you do can add up to an abundance of joy to the lives of those you touch, whether they know you’ve touched them or not. You’ll gather a lot of positive energy you way for the kindness in the action you take.
Embrace spirit through Prayer! This is another great way to give thanks. To be prayerful is to be connected with your spiritual foundation by way of an expressed intention. Send your intentions out to the universe this way enforces our belief system, no matter what that is.
Follow the above suggestions as you move through the season and share in the spirit by adopting the attitude of gratitude and applying some of the thoughts I’ve shared. I promise you it will make your spirit bright and your attitude positive.
originally published by on November 27, 2013 in Inspiration
By Linda Lauren
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