Are You Grateful? Or Are You Forgetful?
If you're anything like us, you know you have so many things to be grateful for. And yet, you probably feel like you have some room to grow when it comes to expressing that gratitude to God and others.
It's not that you're ungrateful, necessarily. It's more like you're forgetful.
When you're in the rush of daily life, it's hard to slow down and practice the spiritual art of noticing. No matter how many things you know you have to be grateful for, it can just be hard to call those things to mind.
And to complicate things even more, you also probably instinctively know that right when you're at your busiest, or your most stressed—when the dog relieves himself on the bed and your kid is in the other room crying over some literal spilled milk and you're trying to prep for a job interview—is the last moment when you want to be told to "be grateful."
But maybe it's also one of the moments you need that reminder the most.
A Life Hack That Can Last
We get it. We've been there. And while we can't promise a quick fix, we can offer a 30-second tool to help you remember one thing you're grateful for at a time. Consider it a centering exercise, a small drip in a bucket of endless grateful moments. A drip in the morning, a drip at school drop off. Sitting down at work. Washing dishes. Drip. Drip. Drip.
Here's how it works. Take a look at the categories below. We separated them into three groups: (1) An experience you had today, (2) Something in your life, and (3) Something from your past.
And within those groups are 12 prompts. They're simple enough that, with a little practice, you can remember them with just one word.
You can write them on a mirror, put them on your phone background. Or, use our GratiKube, where we take it one step further and turn it into a game.
And from there, the prompts do half the work for you!
Consider the prompts.
Find one that resonates.
Say something you're grateful for related to that category.
You can whisper it as a prayer, share it with someone nearby, or even text it to someone as a thank-you note. Do it with your kids, in a quite moment alone, or even in a group of friends.
It doesn't have to take long. But we find that vocalizing gratitude—to God, to someone else, or even to yourself—makes a difference.
An Experience You Had Today
- Someone You Saw—Someone you ran into today.
- Made You Smile—Something that made you smile or laugh today.
- Something Accomplished—Something you did that you are proud of.
Something In Your Life
- Nature—Something in nature.
- Friend—Someone near and dear to you.
- Something Special to You—A meaningful possession of yours.
- God, Thanks for Being ... —Something about God you're grateful for.
- Food—Something you love to eat.
Something From Your Past
- Someone Helped—A time someone helped you, or you helped someone!
- Something Unexpected—A time when God did something unexpected in your life.
- Difficult Time—A time God brought you through something difficult.
- Challenge!—Tell someone you're grateful for them, and why!
Grow Your Gratitude Muscle
Gratitude is a muscle. And just like any muscle, the more you exercise it, the more you'll find it grow! Start right now, pick a category, and get your gratitude out. Practice remembering the things you're grateful for. Practice externalizing it. And practice creating those small moments of engaging with God and one another.
As you do it again, and again, and again, you'll accumulate small gains. And over time, the more you gain, the more you'll find your gratitude muscle grow.