gratitude
noun \ grat·i·tude \ˈgra-tə-ˌtüd, -ˌtyüd\: a feeling of appreciation or thanks.
Gratitude. Pretty simple concept. Being appreciative or thankful for something, someone, an event, a happening.
Just noticing and recognizing that there are a multitude of things to be grateful for is an important part of my everyday life.
The tagline of my blog is “finding the extraordinary in the ordinary” and that is part of the whole gratitude thing in my mind. Taking the time to see those extraordinary things and acknowledging them with thankfulness. Yes. That is how I mean to live my life.
Just today I observed something that made me very grateful. We had a bunch of tree trimming done on our property and there are some pretty massive trees that needed trimmed. The company we hired is actually the one that plowed out our driveway last winter when we got that 13 inches of snow that supposedly happens once every 20 years.
Before the guys started working on trimming the massive pine in the front yard they prayed. Yes. They prayed. Now that made me very grateful. It is not easy work to trim trees and there is definitely a lot of skill required. Things could turn bad in an instant. But these guys recognize that. They prayed. I was grateful. I found it a little extraordinary. Not that I should because prayer is the basis of my life but still. To know that 4 guys were praying about safety before they did the job made me grateful.
This wasn’t even the largest tree but you get the general idea.
Being grateful does not even have to cost a single penny. Showing gratitude to others is as simple as saying thank you.
It can be a compliment given to a store employee.
Gratitude can be shown by pointing out a strength in someone and encouraging them to do something with that strength.
Writing a note to someone who has made a difference in your life is a great way to show gratitude.
Give a larger tip than is normal. I guarantee that will make a server’s day.
Write a glowing review for a product or service you received on Yelp or Facebook.
Pay it forward in a drive thru line.
Simply being present for someone and listening to them is a perfect way to show your gratitude.
Gratitude can change the world. I am convinced of it.
So tell me–what will YOU do today to express your gratitude. I would love to hear about it in the comments section. Remember that for each comment on the blog this month there will be a 5o cent donation to the American Diabetes Association. You can read more about my Comments for a Cause by clicking here.
