Gratitude is great. It feels good when someone articulates their gratitude to you. It is important to do this back. We believe it’s necessary to offer genuine thanks to the world. There is so much in life we can be thankful for. At the same time, we recognize the world is a complicated place. Life is filled with ups and downs, constantly changing. But finding those aspects of it that sincerely move you can help you remember how life is so worthy of thanks. Simply giving thanks can balance your relationship to yourself and the parts of life that make you most alive. 

There are many ways to show and express gratitude. Sometimes we may struggle to find the words to sincerely express our thanks. “Thank you” can feel too familiar. The quality of your approach to giving thanks may make all of the difference. If it’s in person with another person, make eye contact with them. Keep yourself available. Listen carefully to their response. Giving back is another form of gratitude. If you identify something you are grateful for, find ways to give to it and support its growth. Even leaving simple gifts or tokens of appreciation may bring your gratitude more fully into the world. Recognizing how much each of us have been given shows how much each of us have to offer.

In the strain of daily life, we may forget some of what we’re grateful for. This is understandable. The world makes a lot of demands on our attention. One way for each of us to cultivate thanks is to make time to write down the moments, people, interactions that we are grateful for. These little glimmers of connection and light can be easy to forget. So, taking the time at the end of your day to remember them and bring attention to your gratitude can strengthen your ability to give thanks. They can be anything. The only criteria is that you feel thankful.