Practicing Gratitude Can Improve Your Life

It’s that time of year again; the time of year in which we feel the overwhelming need to change our bad attitude into an attitude of gratitude. With the changing of the leaves (for some, we Floridians don’t know what that looks like) comes a change of heart. Suddenly, the holiday spirit fills our souls and our hearts and we want to ditch the attitude and learn to fill our hearts with gratitude. Here are three simple ways we can all do just that – anytime of year.

Appreciate the Simple Things in Life

A fire in the fire pit on a cool fall night, a cup of hot chocolate in one hand and the sounds of your kids laughing,  the look of contentment on your husband’s face; it’s the simple stuff that really matters. You’d rather be right here, filled with gratitude for the simple aspects of your life than anywhere else in the world. When we take the time to notice and appreciate the simple things, it makes it easier to understand the true meaning of gratitude.

Gratitude Journals

Being grateful sometimes takes a bit of work when you have one of those days in which everything is going wrong. However, keeping a gratitude journal makes it simple. All you have to do is find just one simple thing every single day you are thankful for and write it down. It doesn’t have to be big. It can be the smallest thing, as long as it fills you with gratitude.

Do Something Good

One way to fill yourself with gratitude is to do something good for someone else. How does this fill you with gratitude, exactly? Well, it makes you feel good; and when you feel good, you feel thankful. Volunteer your time, do something good for someone else, be kind, smile at a stranger, pick up the tab for the woman behind you at Starbucks. Do something kind and feel more gratitude in your own life.