Gratitude is not a new concept; however, its popularity has risen exponentially in recent years as people are beginning to understand its profound benefits. Being grateful has been linked to greater happiness, positivity and even improved health.
While we have zoned in on how beneficial gratitude is for us, how are you turning your gratefulness into acts of active gratitude? Active gratitude can be the difference between serving your own life with the practice of gratitude, to serving others.
What is ‘active gratitude’? Don’t worry, it doesn’t involve any movement as the name suggests! It’s about using gratitude as our fuel to make a positive change in the world around us.
We encourage you to give active gratitude a go today. It can be the smallest of things, or something more significant. Here’s a couple of examples to get the ideas rolling.
Cheers to a mate
We say thanks to our friends all the time: ‘thanks for picking my son up from school today’; ‘thanks for lending me a dress to wear this weekend’; ‘thanks for organising that weekend away for us’. And you know what? ‘Thanks’ is great, but returning an act of kindness can feel even better.
Shouting your mate a coffee, just because; returning the favour they did for you; or actively asking if there’s something they need help with… these are things that make our friends feel considered and seen. These are the things that will leave a lasting impression.
You could even scream your thanks from the metaphorical rooftops by sharing a message on Share Gratitude. You could literally scream it too, but it might scare the neighbours.
Donate, donate, donate
If you have a spare couple of dollars, you might automatically think of buying someone a gift to show your gratitude. But what about showing your gratitude via something you know is close to their heart?
Say you had a fantastic experience at a local health care facility where the staff took incredible care of you when you were sick. A thank you goes a long way, a message on Share Gratitude goes even further, but making a donation to national health care fund or the clinic’s chosen charity speaks volumes.
Don’t get us wrong, we’re not saying ‘practicing gratitude isn’t enough’. The thing is, Share Gratitude started from a bunch of people wondering what it would be like if we could use the positive energy of practicing gratitude and turn it towards others – channeling it into something extra-awesome. Spreading the love, so to speak.
So who are you grateful for? Say thank you the best way we know how, by sharing your story on sharegratitude.com