7 Surefire Paths to an Attitude of Gratitude

During this time of year especially, giving thanks is at the forefront of our minds. The more I read and the more I participate in social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, the more I see my friends, followers and fellow bloggers addressing the topic and/or giving thanks in tweets and status updates. This got me thinking about the different ways we can show gratitude not just during the holidays, but year-round.

There are many ways we can express our gratitude. Below are six that have worked for me in the past:

Journaling

Take a moment each day to jot down something you're thankful for. Journaling is an easy and quick way to get you thinking about those things that happen to you during the day that are good. Folks who journal their thanks begin to look for the positive in their days, and the negative, while it is still a part of every day to some degree, tends to be minimized. Also, when you have those bad days, looking back through all of those things you are thankful for will perk you back up!

Journaling is one of the 4 pillars of Shawn Achor's book "The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work" along with meditation, exercise and random acts of kindness. Using the free iOS/Android apps Catch Notes and I Journal, Achor's book can come to life in your life.

Public Displays of Gratitude

I am a teacher in an Iowa public school. We have bulletin boards everywhere. Although I haven't done this yet, on my list of things to do is to create a place for my students to pin up their thanks and compliments for each other. I bet this will be a popular space for those teens I work with every day!

A random email to a friend or card to a coworker takes but a few seconds, but the effects can be long lasting. Think back to how you felt when someone else had done that for you... You can return that feeling to as many others as you can think of! Better yet, giving that great feeling to another person won't cost you a dime.

Volunteering

Giving of yourself and your time is a wonderful way to show gratitude. Giving back to people or organizations -- investing your time helping those who have helped you or others -- will enrich your soul. This past Veterans Day, my son and I went to our local Veteran's Hospital with his Cub Scout Pack. We spent an afternoon visiting with sick and injured men and women who gave of themselves in our military. Connections were made and we left the hospital feeling great about the time we spent there. My son learned a lot during that visit, and I did too.

Prayer

Rather than asking God for help or intervention in your life, why not simply send your thanks to Him through prayer? Prayer reminds us that there is a higher power to which we answer. Realizing that we are not alone in our struggles and triumphs can help keep us grounded. Gratitude expressed through our faith can be tremendously powerful.

Random Acts of Kindness

Along the same lines as sending a thank you card to someone, performing a random act of kindness each day reminds you that there's more to your day than just moving from point A to B on your way to C. There are so many ways you can be kind to others. one great resource I have found is the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation: Random Acts of Kindness.

Don't Move the Goal Posts (Right Away)

I get caught up in moving from accomplishment to accomplishment without stopping to savor the results of my hard work. More often than not, after I finish a school year and the students in my bands have achieved so much, I will look to what's next. I'm guessing you're that way, too.

I have a saying in my band program: "We have set the bar of performance at a certain level, and we're not going to do the limbo!" This, of course, means that we won't accept underachieving. While this is all well and good, it doesn't mean that I shouldn't take some time and be thankful for the progress made by my students and celebrate our collective accomplishments. Showing gratitude for the hard work of everyone involved acknowledges the worth of each individual.

It's A Wonderful Life

Expressing gratitude toward others is only half of the equation. Acknowledging what you currently have and being thankful for it is key to a happy personal life. Just like Jimmy Stewart in the classic Frank Capra movie "It's a Wonderful Life," take a moment and count your blessings.

Once in awhile when I get worked up or down on myself, I use a little technique I learned a while back to create my own Jimmy Stewart movie. I close my eyes and imagine myself far into the future. In this future, my children are grown and gone, my parents are no longer living, my friends are gone, perhaps my wife has passed away and I am struggling to simply move through my day. I internalize what that would feel like, and then open my eyes. The rush of gratitude for what I have now in the present can be overwhelming! The "good old days" are right now! I have my family, my health and a bright future to look forward to. I suggest you give this a try!

 

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