1. 7 Habits of Grateful People
I know I fall a little more on the cynical side of the line, because when I see titles like this, all I can think is, “You mean 7 habits of people with no problems?”
Gratitude is not like that, I’ve learned. Gratitude is seeing the positive in the negative. It especially means, do not ignore, avoid, or be in denial about the negative…but find a way to be grateful for the experience. Is anyone grateful for a messy house, or a slim monthly budget? Of course not. But we can find gratitude for people in our lives who live in our house with abundance. We can find grace in spending time with them building a monthly budget together. It takes time, and patience, but anything is possible.
2. 100 Things To Be Thankful For
With any exercise, it’s hard to know where to even begin. Fortunately, there are good people out there who want the attitude of gratitude to charge our days and enlighten our lives.
I’ve found that in my darkest moments, reading the silly thanks of others helps me to see the magic in the world again. Just because I can’t see the beauty of a dandelion on my own doesn’t mean I won’t see it when my kids bring me a bouquet of them.
People are in our lives and in the world to inspire us to love more: so let them!
3. 30 Days of Thanksgiving
This woman understands the struggle with gratefulness in a life of abundance. It isn’t the material world that brings you down, but the emotional toil which wears on us:
God has taught me time and time again, that by focusing on the many blessings he’s given me, those things I felt I needed, wanted, or had to have, just washed away…He’s showed me that by intentionally choosing to focus on the good, I can hedge myself against the fear, worry, anxiety, doubt, envy and frustration that can so easily consume me when I’m feeling vulnerable.
4. 30 Days of Thankfulness Challenge
It’s not enough to challenge yourself to find gratitude every day. We must share this with the people around us.
No, I’m not talking about posting motivational meme’s on Facebook, or hanging a plushie sun from your rearview mirror during your work commute. Real gratitude is paying attention, writing things down, and sharing these revelations with our friends and family. Just think how lovely family dinners would be if we all talked about what we were grateful for that day!
5. A Practical Guide to Gratitude
I love this so much. I am so grateful for people who understand those of us who need a practical guide to gratitude.
Maybe for some people keeping a journal and logging the warmth of the sunshine will do it, but for me? I’m bogged down with lists of things to do, lists of things I haven’t done, and a mental list of odds and ends (“You should eat/shower/walk outside.”). So, I am grateful knowing there are others like me out there who need some help!
The importance of thankfulness and gratitude has unfortunately been diluted over time.
Between motivational posters and catchy images on Facebook we see in the morning, it can be hard to focus, or even refocus, on what really matters when we think about what we are thankful for.
Tony Robbins is firm in his assertion that gratitude is the key to a happy life. But you have to be realistic and honest with yourself…”I am thankful for life,” or “I am grateful for the sun” don’t touch into who we are or what we are striving for in our lives.
Thankfulness comes from being grateful for the mundane, such as the wind on your face. It also comes from the corporeal aspects of being grateful for business success you have had. It also is rooted in emotional and spiritual growth, such as overcoming impatience during the week, or meditating in the morning, or reading more in the evening.
Practicing gratitude is very similar to any exercise: it improves over time. And, just like working out, it is easier to do when things are going good. But what happens if you twist your ankle while you’re jogging? You stop running, and get out of the routine. This happens to all of us in our walk with gratitude.
This month is a perfect opportunity to open up a new routine during the day to reflect on gratitude, thankfulness and ourselves.