4 ways you can make gratitude a part of your life

We need to be grateful for how our life looks right now in its present state (regardless of whether or not it is how we thought our life would look). But how do we do that? That is what has been on my mind a lot this month. How do we recognize and appreciate all of the wonderful things in our life on a daily basis? Life can be so busy and sometimes stressful and just overwhelming. I have been feeling that a lot lately. Busy, stressed, overwhelmed. How can we make gratitude a part of our everyday life?

1. Mind your manners

Conversational gestures like “please” and “thank you” might seem disarmingly simple, but their impact is extraordinarily powerful; someone who is well mannered will make a mark, and likely stand out in a competitive and transactional marketplace. So, if you want to be remembered for all the right reasons, mind your manners.

2. Don’t be picky: appreciate everything

Gratitude doesn’t have to be saved for the “big” things in life. The habit of being grateful starts with appreciating every good thing in life and recognizing that there is nothing too small for you to be thankful for.

Even if it is as simple as appreciating the clear weather or how quickly your mailman delivered your mail last Friday, don’t leave anything out when practicing your gratitude.

3. Count blessings

When you let all there is to be grateful for escaping your daily thoughts, it’s easy to drift towards feelings of entitlement and/or negativity. To remind myself, my wife and I begin every morning with a prayer of thanksgiving — a practice that never fails to ground us and remind us of how lucky and blessed we are. Before we get caught up in to-do lists and other tasks, we have already tapped into a positive and grateful mindset. Try it for yourself and see the phenomenal benefits, not only in mood and outlook, but in personal and professional relationships. A mantra I embrace is that, “gratitude and entitlement cannot exist at the same time”.

4. Express yourself

Sometimes it’s not enough to simply keep your gratitude to yourself. You can increase your feelings of gratitude by expressing that same gratitude to the people you care about.

Not only does expressing your gratitude for someone make their day a little brighter, but it can do wonders for increasing your own levels of gratitude and happiness in the long run