10 WAYS TO SHOW YOU’RE THANKFUL
Thanksgiving is almost here and it’s a wonderful time of year to reflect on all the things we are thankful for. A fitting response to that reflection is to want to express our thankfulness to those around us. Whether there is someone specific you’d like to thank, or you just want to show the world that you’re grateful, here are 10 ways you can express your gratitude.
Write It Down
Make a list of your personal highlights from 2019. Did you get a new job, make a new friend, or adopt a furry friend? Everyone’s list will be different but we all have things to be thankful for this year. Have everyone in your family make their highlights list and share it at Thanksgiving dinner. This is a fun way to share your thankfulness and just might turn into a new family tradition.
Keep it Positive
Challenge yourself to not utter any negative statements for 24 hours. Thanksgiving day would be a great time to do this. Whenever you get the urge to complain, replace that comment with a positive one instead. When Aunt Sally shows up 30 minutes late to Thanksgiving dinner, let her know you are so glad she was able to make it. If you burn the green beans, state how thankful you are that there is extra corn. Speak only positive thoughts for the whole day and others will see your thankfulness instead of your frustration. What a great gift to others on the day set aside to give thanks.
Visit Someone Who is Homebound
Many times those who are unable to leave their homes, or who live in nursing homes, long to have more visitors. Make someone’s day by dropping by for a surprise visit. You could even bring them flowers, a new book, or their favorite milkshake. Spend some real quality time with them and show them you value them and are thankful for their presence in your life. You will most likely enjoy the experience as much as they do.
Serve Others
One of the best ways to show you are thankful is to serve those who are experiencing a time of need. Consider volunteering to serve Thanksgiving meals at your local soup kitchen or homeless shelter. It’s getting colder outside this time of year, which makes it even harder for those experiencing homelessness. You could also show your thankfulness by making goodie bags filled with clean socks, hand warmers, snacks, gloves, and other items to hand out to any homeless people you encounter this season. Show your gratitude by giving others the things you are thankful for in your own life.
Pay it Forward
You are probably familiar with the term “pay it forward”. It’s the chain reaction that occurs when someone performs an act of kindness for another, which inspires that person to then pay it forward to the next person. Start your own chain reaction by doing a good deed for a complete stranger. Some ideas to get you started are paying for the car behind you in the drive-thru line, leaving your server a large tip, or leaving coins in the machines at the laundromat. All of these things are signs of thankfulness. We are thankful because others have helped us, so we want to help the next person in our path.
Send a Letter
This Thanksgiving, pick 5 people who have made an impact on your life and write them a thank you note. Let them know that you are thankful for their influence in your life. You could do this by email or text, but a handwritten letter may be so surprising to them that it becomes a cherished treasure they keep forever. You could even do this every month. As a bonus, it will give those receiving the letter something to be thankful for as well.
Host a Friendsgiving Celebration
If you want to show your friends how thankful you are for them, host a Friendsgiving celebration for them. Because many people will have plans with family for Thanksgiving, you could host it the weekend before or after Thanksgiving. You should be responsible for the turkey and allow your friends to bring the sides and desserts. You can find inexpensive decorations at the dollar store and you can search Spotify for the perfect playlist. Make the celebration even more special by telling each guest one thing you are particularly grateful for about them.
Do What Others Didn’t
A powerful way to express our thankfulness to those around us is to do the things others didn’t. For example, push the shopping cart that someone else left in the middle of the parking lot back to the store. Pick up the litter on the ground that you didn’t drop. Taking care of these simple things shows the world that you are thankful.
Support a Friend
Look around at those closest to you and see if you can find a need you can meet. Is there a single mom who could use some free childcare while she goes Christmas shopping? Do you have a sick friend you could take some hot soup to? Know a couple with a new baby that could use help with errands or laundry? All of these things are very tangible ways to show others that you are thankful for them. These selfless actions will be appreciated and long-remembered.
Share It
If you really want to tell the world you’re thankful, you can do just that. Thanks to the magic of the internet you can literally share your thoughts with people around the globe. You can do the Thankfulness Challenge where every day of November you post something specific you are thankful for to Facebook. You can take a picture of something you are thankful for and post it to Instagram with the hashtag #thankful. Want to thank a celebrity for donating to your favorite charity? Tweet them. There are so many ways to express your gratitude online. You could even start your own blog.
Happy Thanksgiving
Studies have shown that grateful people are happier people. Hopefully, 2019 has been full of reasons for you to be thankful. Here’s hoping 2020 will be even better. Happy Thanksgiving!
