I’ll admit it, fall is my favorite season. It always has been, even before it became popular. One of the things I love about this time of year is how most people intentionally look at gratitude as they prepare for American Thanksgiving. But I am finding that this intentional gratitude helps me every day, not only in the fall. Here are some ways I keep gratitude in the forefront of my mind throughout the year.

Not taking things for granted – Taking things for granted is easy to do. Most of the time we aren’t aware that we have taken something (or someone) for granted until it’s gone. I find this one the most difficult to do consistently. I must purposefully bring to mind things or people that I am grateful for. The simpler those things are, the harder this is. For example, there was a time after my stroke (you can read more about that here) when handwriting was very difficult for me. My letters had to be quite large to be legible. Things are back to normal now and I will not take my ability to write for granted again.

Constant reminders of provision/abundance – I think the simplest way to begin a gratitude practice is to remind yourself of all the things you have rather than lament what you lack. When I catch myself wallowing in self-pity because I don’t have something, I look at all the things around me and appreciate them. It helps me to focus on the abundance I am experiencing. That changes my mindset quickly and I quit thinking of what I am missing.

Not being wasteful – As I get older, I am realizing how better it is to have fewer high-quality things than many lower-quality items. In my twenties, I was constantly buying things solely because they were on sale. I rarely asked myself discerning questions to make sure I wasn’t wasting money.

·       Is it necessary?

·       Do I already have something similar?

·       What need does this fulfill?

This also goes for wasting time. I’m not talking about spending much-needed time relaxing but wasting precious time when it’s needed for other things. Evaluate how you are spending your time. Maybe you need to restructure things so your time is fruitful.

Remembering I am not in this alone – I have many people surrounding me who I just couldn’t do life without. Family, friends, and colleagues who want the best for me and help me in a multitude of ways. They have shaped me into the person I am today and I cannot forget all they have done (and are doing) for me.

Establish a gratitude routine – Instead of relegating gratitude to one season, find ways to make it a regular occurrence. Here are a few ideas:

·       Start a gratitude journal. Writing down what you are grateful for can be very powerful and daily reminders can be so helpful.

·       Make a list. Ann Voskamp, in her book 1000 Gifts (https://amzn.to/3NhuzOQ), talks about making a list of 1000 things she is grateful for. This was done over several months and it was life-changing for her as she was dealing with a lot of hard things at the time. I’ve done this and it was so freeing.

·       Give out gratitude notes to those around you. I have a friend who does this for colleagues when she finds herself getting grumpy at work. It helps her see the good things there instead of focusing on the frustrations of the job.

These are just a few things that can help you refocus. I’ve found it helpful to focus on gratitude year-round instead of during one season a year.

Do you have a gratitude practice? Is there something you do that isn’t listed here that helps you be thankful, especially when it’s hard to do so? Please share in the comments below.

This post was centered around the word Gratitude. Please click on the links below to read other posts on gratitude by some of my fellow hope*writers.

Title: Why Gratitude is Important to God by Lisa Granger

https://lisamarcelina.net/why-gratitude-is-important-to-god/ 

Title: Gratitude Practices to Change Your Life by Ashley Olivine

https://ashleyolivine.com/gratitude-practices/ 

Title: Living with a Daily Attitude of Gratitude by Dianne Vielhuber

https://simplewordsoffaith.com/living-with-a-daily-attitude-of-gratitude/  

Title: Gratitude: Our Secret Weapon by Sharla Hallett

www.sharlahallett.com/gratitude-our-secret-weapon/

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