Gratitude and Giving

Gratitude. It’s a three-syllable word that starts showing up a great deal during the month of November. On the surface, the idea seems like a straightforward concept: be grateful for what you have. Also, please pass the gravy.

Given an individual’s circumstances, gratitude can seem like an unreasonable demand: when times get hard and things seem bleak, gratitude can rank pretty far down on the list of immediate concerns.

Fair point. If things can get worse, logically they can also get better, but true gratitude can offer more than just optimism. As an emotion, it can be directed anywhere: at ourselves, at other people, at events and circumstances, and all the intangible things that make life an interesting experience.

The true power of gratitude rests in allowing yourself to be grateful, no matter the circumstances. By allowing anyone to acknowledge the trials and problems and still feel grateful, gratitude plays an important role in a person’s overall health and wellbeing.

How It Helps

Gratitude can go a long way in helping a person experience more positive emotion. Practicing gratitude does not mean throwing on a fake smile and pretending everything’s dandy when it’s clearly not, but it can help keep a person grounded and moving forward during hard times. It’s also an extremely satisfying emotion when things have been going right.

Practicing appreciation can also help ward off feelings of fear and depression. By taking the time to value what we have, we come to understand a thing’s true value, making us less likely to run off and seek quick fixes in hard times. Gratitude leads to appreciation, which can lead to treating the people and places already dear to us with greater care and cultivation. This can apply to personal relationships, physical and mental health, self-esteem, and overall mindfulness for yourself and the world around you.

Ways to Practice Gratitude

1. Express Gratitude to Anyone You Care About

Family members, spouses, partners, co-workers, neighbors, associates, and everyone in between. It doesn’t have to be a big show, either; just say "thank you", or "I really appreciate everything you do", next time the chance presents itself.

Gratitude doesn’t get measured by volume; only by how it makes a person feel. And it can be bottomless.

2. Practice the Feeling of Gratitude

There’s no limit to what a person can feel grateful about. As such, it’s perfectly acceptable to be grateful for small things like getting to work on time, or getting the mixture of your morning coffee right. Have a good night’s rest? Take a moment to feel grateful. Fall weather finally decided to show up? Take a deep breath and be grateful for the change in weather.

3. Go Volunteer

Nothing generates a feeling of gratitude faster than volunteering in the community. It creates an opportunity to get to know the members of the community while also showing the diversity and inclusiveness of the people you see every day.

Don’t Wait for Thanksgiving

You can practice gratitude 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Just like you don’t have to wait until the December holidays to practice goodwill, you don’t have to wait for the last Thursday in November to be grateful.