What if we focused on gratitude all year long? What if we didn’t limit thankfulness to a season or special occasions? What kind of difference could we make in this world? Take some time to be thankful.
I’m going to be honest here: gratitude is not my strongest point. Of course, I say thank you and please. I am thankful for the people and things I have in my life. But sometimes I fall into a pattern of complaining. Sound familiar?
Thankfulness Should Not Be Seasonal
Then the holiday season comes around and I’m reminded to focus on thankfulness. But what if we focused on gratitude all year long?
The researchers of a University of California, Davis study, found the following when they studied gratitude:
One group wrote about things they were grateful for that had occurred during the week. A second group wrote about daily irritations or things that had displeased them, and the third wrote about events that had affected them (with no emphasis on them being positive or negative). After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. Surprisingly, they also exercised more and had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on sources of aggravation.
In a Forbes article, it’s pointed out that University of Kentucky scholars discovered:
Grateful people are more likely to behave in a prosocial manner, even when others behave less kind, according to a 2012 study by the University of Kentucky. Study participants who ranked higher on gratitude scales were less likely to retaliate against others, even when given negative feedback. They experienced more sensitivity and empathy toward other people and a decreased desire to seek revenge.
So what if more people practiced gratitude all year long? Perhaps there would be less aggression in the world. Maybe there would be less disagreement, less fighting, less war. Maybe there would be more understanding among people, even through their differences. Sound good?
How To Be Thankful Every Day
- Say thank you for your life each morning.
- Be thankful, even for the less positive things.
- Say thank you to those who have helped you in any way.
- Send thank-you cards or notes.
- Give free hugs.
- Give little gifts… just because.
- Do someone a favor.
- Practice better listening.
- Be open minded.
- Share yourself and your work with others.
These are just a few ways we can begin to show more gratitude. Check out these articles for many more ways to show gratitude all year.
This post has been as much for me as it has for anyone else. As I said at the start, gratitude has not always been my greatest strength. But it’s my hope that this reminder will also help you to start showing a little more gratitude all year long.
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