It’s that time of year, folks, when everyone and their sister are talking about Gratitude (with the big “G”). I guess I’m jumping on that bandwagon as well. It’s been a complicated couple of years, hasn’t it? We’ve been through a pandemic, economic crises, there are wars going on all over the world, innocent civilians are being slaughtered, we’ve lost loved ones, some of us can’t afford groceries, or even the gas to get to the market. That’s a lot. So how can anyone even talk about gratitude?

I don’t think we have a choice

I think in the midst of crises, of hard times, we must find the things to be grateful for. Sometimes, they’re very big things, sometimes it’s simply the experience of someone smiling at you, or telling you they love your hair/outfit/whatever. These things make a difference in our days, don’t they? I know they do in mine! Alternately, it makes me feel great to tell someone else that something about them is fabulous. I have never, ever had anything but a great response. For instance, once time I told a woman that her dress was gorgeous and she got so excited to tell me that her sister told her she was too old to wear it. You never know what’s going to make someone’s day. (Psst, it makes you feel good, too).

Every day, I make a list of three things that I’m grateful for. Some days I have way more than three, others I struggle and wind up listing mundane things that don’t mean much, but I am grateful for and to. Some examples might be, I hit all the green lights on the way home, or depositing checks with my phone. Small? Yes. But I’m still grateful that I don’t have to drive to the bank, right?

How do You Incorporate More Gratitude in Your life?

This one’s easy! You could start a gratitude journal, or list the things your grateful for in your planner. Most importantly, pay attention. Sometimes we get so caught up in the grind, that we forget to look around us. There is so much beauty in the world, even when we’re in the midst of our own shit. Take a breath, look around, find something beautiful; the color of the sky, a child’s laughter, the smell of fresh coffee. There’s alway something.

How about you? What are you grateful for? Do you keep track of it?