gratitudeˈɡratɪtjuːd/noun
the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
synonyms:gratefulness, thankfulness, thanks, appreciation
Most of us are being taught since we are very small to say "Thank you" if somebody gives you something or does something for you.
Some people tend to forget that when they become older and they start taking things for granted.
Being thankful is a way of life and it can be that you are thankful for big things or even the smallest things that happen in your life. The more thankful you are for people and things around you, the more you will appreciate it.
In order for you to be grateful, you have to live in the moment and experience and feel what is happening at that moment or what you are seeing or what a person is doing for you. It is also important that you appreciate your own talents and be grateful for what you achieve in life.
It is a good idea to make time every day to think of the things in your life that you are grateful for, like your house, your parents, your animals and your health. Try and think of different things every day, even if it is something very small and trivial.
The more you practice to be grateful, the more you will start appreciating the smallest of things.
Whenever you get a feeling of happiness or find something that makes you happy or leaves you amazed, stop and take a moment to be thankful for it. Some people will pray and say thank you, but even if you are not religious, it does not mean that you cannot be thankful for something.
If somebody has done something nice for you or helped you in any way, take the time to acknowledge what that person did for you. In the same way as what you enjoy and appreciate it when somebody thanks you, other people also do.
You can "pay it forward" meaning that because you feel blessed and thankful you would like to do something good for somebody else to show your gratitude for everything you are blessed with.
There is a special day put aside each year to remind you to pay it forward, but you can do this when ever you feel like showing your gratitude and helping others. Read more about what you can do.
It is so easy to just take people close to you for granted. They are there every day and you may think But they know I love them. People appreciate to hear how thankful you are for them in your life and what they mean to you.
It is easy to tell somebody how much you appreciate them, but it is more important that you show them how grateful you are.
We are all guilty of looking at other people's lives and comparing them to you and see what they have and you do not have.
We can easily fall in this trap and concentrate more on the negative.
Make a conscious decision that from today you are rather going to concentrate on what you have and be thankful for it and any small thing that happens in your life, be thankful that you are alive to experience it.
Even if something bad happens, you can still be thankful that you are able to sort it out or have people around you that will encourage and stand by you as much as they can - that is enough to be thankful for.
For some inspiration on being thankful, you can watch the video