The Importance of Being Thankful
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How to Practice Self Care by Developing a Daily Gratitude Routine
What Is Gratitude?
There are many definitions of gratitude. Some define it as an emotion, some as a personality trait; some define it as both. Many experts frame gratitude as a practice—an action we take as an expression of loving kindness. Others frame it as recognizing and mindfully appreciating the gifts given to us in our lives. A few definitions of the term gratitude help us delve deeper:
Merriam Webster Dictionary says:
The state of being grateful: thankfulness.
On “gratefulness,” from monk, author, and lecturer David Steindl-Rast says:
Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy—because we will always want to have something else or something more.
Executive Director of gratefulness.org Kristi Nelson writes:
Gratefulness is about being able to notice and appreciate the gift of the glass itself, amidst the ups and downs. It is about knowing in our molecules that life is a gift, no matter how empty we may feel.
Courtney Ackerman from positivepsychology.com writes:
Gratitude is a positive emotion felt after being the beneficiary of some sort of gift. It is also a social emotion often directed towards a person (the giver of a gift) or felt towards a higher power.
How do these definitions shape your feelings and conceptions of gratitude?
Gratitude Isn't New: Historical and Religious Contexts
While the concept of gratitude, and garnering a gratitude practice, seems like a hip new trend in the self-help world, the concept of gratitude has been embedded in many spiritual and religious practices for hundreds of years. Within Judaism, gratitude touches every aspect of worship and life, which are written about in many Hebrew scriptures.
Within the Christian faith, gratitude is also very central—God is perceived as a benevolent giver of life and all creation, and worshippers practice giving thanks to God.
Within the Quran, the Islamic faith too centers gratitude as a foundational guiding principle. The Quran also guides followers to practice gratitude and give thanks to God, and teaches that followers who practice gratitude more regularly will be rewarded with more.
Gratitude is also a main theme within Buddhist teachings. Buddhism posits that one shouldn’t seek gratitude just to be rewarded with good fortune, but rather that gratitude is to be practiced in everyday life, which itself becomes a gift. Without practicing gratitude, we run the risk of our thoughts and behaviors slipping into mindless greed. Gratitude offers us a way into being thankful for simply being alive, for existing, and all of the gifts that come with being alive and being present.
In almost every Native American culture, thanksgiving and gratitude are expressed in gift giving. In fact, giving and receiving gifts in a practice called a “Giveaway” is quite different from the majority culture in America. At a gathering such as a wedding, a naming ceremony or a burial, a large blanket is spread out on the ground. The host family places many different handmade items on the blanket, and beginning with elders, everyone is invited to approach the blanket and take something. In this practice, it is considered most polite to let your spirit guide you in selecting your gift, and to not compare your gift to others—this practice is more about the essence of gratitude for what you have rather than what others have. The gift itself isn’t really the point, but rather the sacred practice of gift giving itself.
What Others Say About Gratitude: 5 Inspiring Gratitude Quotes
Because gratitude is such an all-encompassing emotion, trait, and practice, we’re including some quotes from spiritual leaders and thinkers to inspire your gratitude practice. In a world that is focused on material gain, and the concept of acquiring more, gratitude can be an antidote. Practicing gratitude for what you already have in your life can bring positive impacts, deepen your relationships, help your mental and physical health, and make you feel happier in your everyday life.
Without further ado, here are the 5 gratitude quotes:
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”
—Eckhart Tolle“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”
—Oprah Winfrey“If a fellow isn’t thankful for what he’s got, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get.”
—Frank A. Clark“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”
—G.K. Chesterton“When eating fruit, remember the one who planted the tree.”
—Vietnamese Proverb
Why Is Gratitude Important?
As we begin to understand more deeply what gratitude is, the next question you may be asking is, why is it so important? Creating a habit of cultivating gratitude shifts your mindset toward the good things in your life—you automatically start looking for them, and see them more clearly and immediately.
What would happen in your daily life if you began to notice the things you’re grateful for on a regular basis? How might you feel differently about your day, and about hiccups that happen along the way? Shifting our mindset toward gratitude creates a whole world of abundance that is right under our noses; we just have to stop and practice it.
Health Benefits of Practicing Gratitude
Studies are showing that there are endless health benefits of a regular gratitude practice. It turns out that cultivating a gratitude practice reduces the stress and physiological indicators of stress. Expressing gratitude can also increase feelings of happiness and satisfaction in life. To put it simply: grateful people live happier lives.
Here are some further health benefits of practicing gratitude:
Boosts the immune system
Improves mental health
Strengthens and improves bonds in relationships
Opens the door for more relationships
Improves physical and heart health
Increases optimism and decreases negative thinking
Reduces feelings of envy, aggression, and greed
Enhances empathy
Improves sleep
Boosts self-esteem
Societal Gratitude Practices
You can practice gratitude by acknowledging what you are grateful for in your own life in a gratitude journal, in prayer, or in a meditation practice. But gratitude is most powerful when it’s practiced in a collective social sphere as well. Telling a friend that you’re grateful for something kind they did for you, or that you’re grateful for your friendship, can make you feel warm, sincere feelings toward them, but can also make them feel deeply appreciated and strengthen your bond.
Expressing thanks to a group—for example a couple or a family who helped you move—can also create a better sense of community and common good. And most likely, those feelings of gratitude will be reciprocated down the line.
What Are You Thankful For?
Let’s practice!
Sitting here, reading this article, what do you feel grateful for right now? Start to tap into what you’re grateful for in your life at this moment, and notice the connections between gratitude and mindfulness. Gratitude can help you reconnect to the present moment, day, week, or month, and really take stock of what’s going well in your life. There is most likely much more to be grateful for than you’re consciously aware of.
5 Practical Ways to Express Gratitude in Your Daily Life
Because gratitude is such a powerful emotion and state of being, incorporating a gratitude practice into your life can have an immediate, tangible benefit to your emotional and physical wellbeing. We’ve put together a list of easy, practical ways that you can begin developing a gratitude practice and express thankfulness for all of the abundance in your life—as early as tonight before bed!
Start each day by thinking about something you’re grateful for first thing in the morning.
Set a daily reminder on your phone to mentally list something you’re grateful for at that moment.
Write a letter to a friend expressing gratitude for something they did for you recently, even if it was just a routine hangout.
Keep a gratitude journal. Make a list of 1-5 things, even small things, that you feel grateful for today. There are likely things all around you that you may take for granted. They can be things like your health, your home, your friends or family, your comfy bed, the smell of coffee.
Tell someone thank you for something once a day.
Notice a bodily sensation you’re grateful for every morning. Maybe it’s a hot shower, the taste of hot tea with honey, a yummy breakfast, or the comfort of your favorite chair.
Thank someone for something you cherish on social media! This will amplify their good feelings of being recognized.
Pay it forward. Make it a goal to do 1 act of kindness every week.
Give back to your community. Donate time or funds to a cause you care about, right in your neighborhood or city or town.
Gratitude journaling has become a popular way to develop a gratitude practice. If you want to learn more about the practice of keeping a gratitude journal, check out our gratitude journaling article.
Conclusion: How Gratitude Expands Your Happiness and Wellbeing
Developing a gratitude practice as a daily habit is about more than just the journal pages or thankful letters to friends. Cultivating a gratitude habit realigns your thinking toward positivity and all of the great things going on in your life. When you automatically start scanning for them because of your gratitude practice, your life will feel more abundant, full, and blessed. There is so much abundance in your life, and gratitude is about recognizing it and cherishing it, and letting go of the pervasive idea that we must always strive for more.
What if you recognized all the things in your life that are just right? How monumental would that one small change be for your life? THAT is the power of gratitude!
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Citations:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gratitude#Religious_approaches
2. https://www.learnreligions.com/being-grateful-449576
3. https://parabola.org/2016/06/20/sacred-giving-sacred-receiving-by-joseph-bruchac/
4. https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-appreciation/
5. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201504/7-scientifically-proven-benefits-gratitude
This advent reading plan starts with readings that focus our attention on the gospel—the good news that Jesus came to die and rise from the dead so that the sins of all who repent and believe could be reconciled to God. Read along and download a free printable reading plan !