A selfless act is never selfless. We want to practice gratitude to have a better quality of life, and showing gratitude is taking a bit of time out of your day to say thanks. Say thanks to yourself for your amazing life and say thanks to those around you.
The holiday is about giving, of course! But, sometimes we don’t need to spend a ton of money, fight the crowds, and be overwhelmed to show appreciation to those we love.
This is an invitation to give differently this year. Maybe these are things you practice already, or they are new. Either way, these are 5 ways to practice gratitude to yourself and others this holiday season.
1. Write three things in a gratitude journal everyday
A study was done where some people were asked to write down gratitudes everyday, others asked to write down irritations everyday. The people who expressed gratitude everyday had better, more optimistic, outlooks on life. This group even had less doctor visits…
It is a practice of focusing on the beauty in life. A potent time for yourself to show gratitude to YOU everyday. Taking those tiny moments of pause, to feel into the gratitude for yourself, your life, and all that is in your world. Can you think of three things you’re grateful for right now?
Writing down my gratitudes has been such a potent practice in my life that I have gifted gratitude journals to people I love.
A gratitude journal can be a great holiday gift to a loved one!
2. Tell someone you love how much you appreciate them
Appreciation is a pillar of gratitude. The smallest thing as a, “hey, I appreciate you” out of the blue can go really far in someone else’s day.
Showing appreciation to others binds us closer to them and strengthens a deeper connection. Nourishing the relationships around you is a sure way to increase your vibration and show gratitude.
3. Compliment your partner, or yourself, on how good y’all look!
It can be easy to project our daily frustrations on the people around us, or ourselves. Complimenting your partner, or yourself, is like a small cup of coffee in the afternoon. A perfect pick-me-up.
Appreciating the beauty and the little things in life allow us to live with more ease and grace. It softens our edges and invites a sense of peace. So we can live souly expressed and guided...
4. Do an act of kindness for someone
An act of kindness can be as little as opening the door for someone, or asking how someone’s day was. Or it can be paying for someone’s coffee in line behind you. It's all about service!
Whenever someone pays for my coffee in the drive through of Starbucks, immediately I have a better day and see a bit more beauty in the small things.
5. Write a hand-written gratitude letter to a loved one
A very potent expression of gratitude is writing a letter. Here you can get detailed about what exactly you appreciate from your loved one. Maybe one event or moment has stuck out that you can elaborate on.
Oftentimes when we say thank you to someone for doing something for us, the power in those words can be lost in translation. If a moment or event has a significant impact on you, then tell them!! They probably do not realize how much of an impact it made on you. And they would love to receive a handwritten letter filled with love and gratitude.
Just 5 ways to practice gratitude in a world where there are hundreds! I hope you find some space to show yourself and others gratitude this holiday season. Check out, Practical Steps to Create Lasting Change... Happy Holidays!
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Do you feel inspired to dive into gratitude practices? Do you want more out of your life than you are getting? Inside the Activated Alchemist container, we obtain the EXACT life we want to live and gratitude radiates... Are you ready for that?
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