3 ways to express your gratitude
Do you have a gratitude practice in your routine? What are the ways you go about to express your gratitude? In this week’s post, I will share my gratitude practice journey and 3 ways you can express your gratitude!
Over a year ago, I learnt about the concept of gratitude practice in my Positive Psychology course. I was surprised there were numerous ways we can express gratitude. So, I decided to do a 7 days gratitude practice experiment involving my husband, children and two best friends. Each day, we would write 3 things we want to express our gratitude for. And, I still remembered how we find it silly to give thanks to a cup of coffee.
Fast forward today, gratitude practice has become a routine in my life. It was challenging at first and I need to train my brain to do that search for the good, and over time, it seems so easy that I wondered how I have been so oblivious for years. And, I’ve notice how much happier I am by just doing this simple gratitude practice. It is truly amazing.
As what David Steindl-Rast, monk and known as “interfaith scholar” argues, “it is not happiness that makes us grateful” but “gratefulness that makes us happy”. If you have not seen his talk, please do!
So, these are 3 simple ways to be grateful and immediately feel happy!
1. Gratitude Jar
Write at least 1 thing you are grateful for, drop it into the jar and watch your gratitude jar fill up as the days go by! A meaningful and fun way to engage your child in practicing daily gratitude.
2. Gratitude Journal to give thanks to the little wins and people who have made it happen
In my gratitude practice, I have a journal where I jot down all the “achievements of the month”. It are the little things in my life that in the past, I would have simply moved on and perhaps didn’t even remember I completed or achieved these “stuff”. But now when I looked back on my journal, I feel proud and grateful for the people who have helped me during the journey.
3. Express Your Gratitude…Literally…Tell The Person!
It’s Thanksgiving tomorrow. This is a time that always bring me sweet memories back to the times where Jack and I were living in the US and I was grateful to have him and our best friends to spend Thanksgiving with. It is such a wonderful way for us to express our gratitude for one another.
But, do we have to wait till Thanksgiving to do so? Absolutely not. In fact, sometimes we wait too long to tell a person we are grateful for them and the meaning they bring to our lives.
I love how Brian Doyle spoke about his 365 days of Thank You initiative. While I may not be doing this for every single day, I start to tell people whom I am grateful for that I am grateful for having them in my life. There is no need to wait.
And you know what? It is not only a gift to be grateful for the things we are grateful for. It is also the greatest gift to receive when someone thanks us for being in their lives.
This is definitely one of the greatest gift I have received from my bestie in the past week. Thank you.
Happy Thanksgiving all.
Wishing you love & joy,
~elynn
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