Being thankful is celebrating the wonderful things you have in your life. While sometimes it’s easy to focus on the negative, celebrating your life and the positive things in it is the best way to spend your time. After all, life is short and most of us spend a third of ours sleeping. So make it count. Here some ways to renew and express your thankfulness. It will make you a happier person.
Send thank you cards. Randomly. Don’t wait until someone does something nice for you or gives you a gift. Send a random thank you card to someone you appreciate thanking them for just being who they are.
Not only will it be a nice surprise for them, it’ll be a gift for you as well when you feel that tingly feeling that comes with doing nice things for other people. If you want it to be a random anonymous act of kindess, don’t even sign your name.
Spend at least 3 minutes a day thinking about things you’re thankful for. Everyone has 3 minutes to spend. Even it’s while you’re brushing your teeth, thinking of reasons you have to be happy about your life is a good way to spend your mental energy. And that’s what being thankful is, being aware of the reasons you have to be happy.
Start a tradition with your kids. At dinner, go around the table and have everyone say at least one thing they’re thankful for that day. You’ll be teaching them how important it is to appreciate what’s good.
For every complaint you have, think of one thing to appreciate. Sure, there are things we don’t like. But to keep negative thoughts from dominating your mind, make it a habit to think of one reason to be thankful for every thought you have about things you don’t appreciate. If you think a negative, think a positive, If you complain out loud about something, verbally express your thankfulness for something else.
Being thankful is an important part of staying happy. Too many negative thoughts can make you feel depressed. So make sure you find reasons to be thankful as often as you can. You’ll thank yourself for doing it.