Now that Thanksgiving is over and as we begin our preparations for the coming holidays, we often lose sight of everything for which we should be grateful. Studies show that when one gives thanks, one also feels better and more personally fulfilled.
So, how do you gain an “attitude of gratitude”? Of course, we all know that if you receive a gift or favor you should thank the giver for his or her kindness or generosity. But how about showing gratitude for intangible things too? There are ways to remind yourself of all the intangibles for which you are grateful. How about keeping a “gratitude journal”? Every day, write down a few things for which you are thankful. They can be as simple as being grateful that you heard the alarm clock and were on time for work or as profound as being thankful for a surgeon’s skilled hand. Or how about thanking that new puppy for learning to wait until he is outside? Maybe your child made you a special card at school and it isn’t even your birthday or Mother’s or Father’s Day?
A lot of things for which we should be grateful are things we take for granted. And the way you look at things can help you cultivate that “attitude of gratitude” on a more regular basis. Instead of complaining about the rain, think about how maybe the rain held off until you finished getting the groceries in the house. Or remind yourself that there are a whole lot of states and nations that are in a drought and would love to see that afternoon storm come through to quench their dry fields.
We all know that the best way to study is to write down what we are learning. So maybe if we start keeping written track of the things and the people who make us thankful we can learn to be more positive and can, without a second thought, be more positive in our outlook and boost our own happiness and sense of fulfillment.
The TUNG Brush and Gel team is grateful for all of our readers and customers, and we hope that each of you can cultivate that “attitude of gratitude” and enjoy life’s big AND small gifts, tangible and intangible.
