6 Ways to Give Thanks
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Keep a gratitude journal. Make it a habit to write down your blessings. It might be helpful to write down 3 each day, or 5 each week. Remember not only the great things in life, but also God's presence with you through the challenging and messy parts of your life.
End every day in gratitude. Pick a time every day to thank God for something from that day — tell God exactly what that thing has meant to you.
Hardships. Get a current hardship in mind. Tell God about it. Where do you see God in this hardship? Is there anything to be thankful for in that hardship? If you cannot find God in it, spend time asking God to speak to you.
Notice comparisons. Notice your tendency to make comparisons - especially those that result in bad feelings or feelings of entitlement. Practice abstaining from thinking about what you don't have, and start mentally celebrating what you do have.
Write a thank-you note. You can make yourself happier and nurture your relationship with another person by writing a thank-you letter expressing your enjoyment and appreciation of that person's impact on your life. Send it, or better yet, deliver and read it in person if possible. Once in a while, write one to yourself.
Thank someone mentally. No time to write? It may help just to think about someone who has done something nice for you, and mentally thank the individual.
Edited from Adele Ahlberg Calhoun's Spiritual Disciplines Handbook & Harvard Health Publishing
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