Advertisement
Why We Need to Express Gratitude
Table of Contents What is Gratitude?Benefits of Expressing GratitudeSome Ways to Express Gratitude1. Appreciate what you have2. Make gratitude a…
Table of Contents
Advertisement
Advertisement
If you are wondering about why we need to express gratitude – you are not alone. Expressing gratitude is essential because we often take for granted all that life offers us, without being grateful.
In this fast forward modern life when people don’t have time for themselves – even their slightest of concern means a lot. If somebody is helpful and kind to us in thought or action, we need to express gratitude or return our thankful feelings.
Advertisement
What is Gratitude?
Gratitude is a reciprocation of kind feelings; it is an attitude of gratefulness.
An expression of gratitude acknowledges the importance of people, things, events and the difference they make to us. We express our gratitude to convey our warm and friendly feelings.
Expressing gratitude is more than an inner benevolent feeling, which brings a calming effect to all of us. It’s the exchange of good and positive thoughts that develop relations.
When good things happen in our lives or when we are with the one’s we love, and when we are grateful and express our gratitude, the feeling of love and tenderness grows.
Being grateful is more than saying “thank you” and being polite. When we express gratitude, it’s the beginning of being generous, courteous, and showing our concern and appreciation for another.
When we deeply feel and express gratitude, it’s an effective way to positively influence the behavior and attitude – our own and that of others.
Spiritually, we need to be thankful and express gratitude for everything, irrespective of whether it seems good or bad.
We should take nothing for granted or be judgmental about them. The hidden and deeper truth is that everything counts.
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” ~ John F. Kennedy
Benefits of Expressing Gratitude
Expression of gratitude strengthens bonds, whether they are between family members, children, spouses, or friends.
When we express our gratitude, our family members or friends know that we appreciate things they do, and the efforts they make. It makes us feel that we are truly blessed in so many ways.
Some benefits of gratitude are –
- It creates a positive feeling and fosters happiness.
- It strengthens relationships.
- It brings us peace of mind and makes us feel good.
- It gives us more energy to do things.
- It reduces or eliminates stress in some cases.
- It improves sleep quality.
- It benefits both the giver and receiver because it increases satisfaction.
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~ Melody Beattie
Some Ways to Express Gratitude
There are so many ways each one of us can express our gratitude for another. Some people do so by sending cards, letters, gifts and flowers, while others do so through their words and actions.
In a deeper spiritual meaning, we need to be thankful and express gratitude even towards things and events that we cannot reciprocate in terms of feelings. The best way is to have a state of mind that is forever thankful.
Some simple and more practical ways of expressing gratitude are–
1. Appreciate what you have
I wonder if you’ve heard these lines before…”if we want more in our life – we need to first appreciate what we have.”
Simply waking up to a bright new day each morning, being grateful for the wonderful food we eat, clothes we wear, drive luxurious cars, or living in lavish bungalows are things to be grateful for.
Or even spending time with our loved ones, our family members, smelling the roses, appreciating nature are a few things we need to be grateful for – isn’t it?
However, often times we begin taking all these things for granted. What does this result in? We stop appreciating one another, stop smelling the roses, or just get lost in our own chores and forget one another.
Advertisement
We often tend to forget all that has been given to us and value what we have, and instead focus on what we don’t have.
Remember, small things matter and we should not lose sight of all the wonderful gifts we are blessed with.
2. Make gratitude a way of life
Most of the time people consider gratitude as a brief interruption in their thought process. They begin expressing gratitude by being grateful for specific things like for their health, relationships, income, success, food and shelter.
Instead, to be grateful, we must carry it permanently with us by making it a way of life. Be grateful for everything life puts forth – just like the gift of life, gift of nature, gift of mind, and so many other things.
When we do this, everything that comes our way will be viewed as a joyous experience. We will learn to make the best of a situation, even if it’s been a bad or negative one.
Once you begin doing the above, you will no longer feel grateful, instead you will be grateful.
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
You need to remember to keep things simple and start small. Take 5 things today, then 5 the next day, and carry on till you are into a habit to see things that make you feel grateful daily.
Why do I Need to Express Gratitude
That is because of all of you! I need to thank each one of you for being an integral part of this blog.
It was time I thought to let you all know how much I appreciate your being gracious enough to take out some of your valuable time to visit and show your support to my blog.
I must add that your wonderful and uplifting comments raise the level of conversation and provide more insight to the posts. Thank you to each one of you for sharing your positive energy, feedback, encouragement, and experiences here.
I must mention that your being here is not taken for granted, because I am truly grateful to each and every one of you!
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ~ Marcel Proust
This is one of my ways of expressing gratitude to all of you. I take this opportunity once again to thank each one of you and the wonderful readers of this blog, from the bottom of my heart for being a part of my life.
I appreciate all of you.
“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” ~ Meister Eckhart
Your Turn –
Why do you think we need to express gratitude? What other ways of expressing gratitude would you suggest? Share your experiences when you have expressed gratitude with your loved ones, friends, or colleagues in the comments below.
Photo Credit: Brett Jordan
Advertisement
Advertisement
Hi Harleena,
When I noticed your tweet I just had to click over to see what you had to say here. I loved this post! You are so right on target!Gratitude Just simply makes people Happy! The Attitude Of Gratitude!! Thank you so much for sharing.. Chery :))
Hi Chery – nice to have you back 🙂
Ah…glad you liked the post and could relate to it. Yes indeed, being grateful does bring you inner-happiness. I just wish more people would practice it.
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Hi, Harleena,
I just looked in my facebook messages at “other”, and saw a message from you alerting me that you’d posted this blog, and you sent it to me 14 months ago! I apologize for not responding. Oh my! I had to have seen it before since it didn’t show up as a new message. This was a wonderful blog post. We all need a little reminder to live with gratitude as a guide. 🙂 I’m glad you shared the award! Thank you 🙂
Hi Teresa,
Ah…good to see you after a long-long time 🙂
No worries at all, though I wonder why the message went to the other folder. I had even Tweeted it, but perhaps that too might have gone some place! Oh yes…we all do need to express gratitude and the sooner we realize it the better.
Thank you for passing on the award to me that I had to pass on to others. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
Thank you for the mention and congrats on being awarded again. I believe you deserve it as you have a very unique blog and are such a sweet lady. I am really blessed to have met you and I can only wish you the best in the future with your goals and dreams.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Linda
Hi Linda,
Sorry to have missed your comment, but I’m glad I got to see it now 🙂
Thank you for the award I should say, and there was no ways of not passing it onto others. It’s been a pleasure to meet you too and I wish we catch up again, though I know our lives are busy but the feelings remain, isn’t it?
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your views 🙂
Hey Harleena,
I almost did not read the reply thinking that it was old news, but glad I read it 🙂
Boy that was a long time ago – I started back up blogging again, but missed my mark last week and not sure I will get back this week – super busy with gardening and then our local fair events.
Anyway – I miss chatting with you, but I will be back soon!
Hope all is well, talk to you soon!
Linda
I can understand and sorry for that…the comment just seemed to have slipped by 🙂
Yes, one remains rather busy with work or then other chores that catch up in life and blogging does take a back seat, something I go through too off and on. Local fair must be interesting indeed! I know and I miss out chats too, catch up with you soon too. 🙂
Thanks once again 🙂
Hi Harleena,
It’s really a great thing to read these great words again! Talking about gratitude, there is nothing you can give to reciprocate a good gesture than showing gratitude. It is the greatest thing you can give and though it costs you nothing, will pay you with great rewards.
I’ll never forget when at the close of last year I made a post expressing my gratitude to all that commented on my blog. The acceptance it received astounded me and the joy that brought me knew no bounds!
It think we just have to learn how to show more gratitude in both our professional and private lives.
Btw. must say thank you for your #ff that has always come without fail. I’m grateful for the mention!
Hi Chadrack,
Extremely sorry for having missed this comment, but glad I’m here now 🙂
I totally agree with you there. Expressing gratitude can be done in so many ways, and this is exactly what I keep teaching my children too, though it takes time with kids and certain things only come with age, isn’t it?
Yes indeed, the joy in giving is something you need to experience for yourself, and like you, I find immense pleasure if I can give something to someone, in someway. Ah…I’ve nearly given up on the #FF now because it was getting tough to mention everyone who I follow literally…and I didn’t want to leave out anyone either. It’s surely been long, but nice that we met here again.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your views 🙂
Dear Harleena,
I loved your post on gratitute.It’s really important to be grateful for all the good things in our lives.Your post was very meaningful and it has inspired me,as I am new to blogging.Thanks for sharing such a beautiful post.
Thanks ,
Diana
Welcome to the blog Diana!
I am sorry, I think this comment seems to have slipped by, though I’m glad I saw it now 🙂
Absolutely! Expressing gratitude is the least we can do for all the big and small things that have come in our life. Nice to know that this post inspired you, and perhaps now you are no longer new to blogging too!
Thanks for stopping by, do visit again 🙂
Harleena, aloha. What a fabulous post!
Having an Attitude of Gratitude is, in my opinion, one of the very best ways to be. Speaking of which, thank you so much for including me in your awards. Since I have been absent more often than not these past several months, I truly appreciate your remembering me.
The quote you began with by William Ward is one of my favorites and expresses it so well. If a person does not express gratitude, then much is lost.
Each morning upon awakening, I do express my gratitude for having another day to enjoy. Each night before I go to bed I write in my Gratitude Journal things that happened during the day for which I am grateful. While sometimes there are HUGE things that happen for which I am grateful, I find that more often my gratefulness is for the beauty of a flower or rainbow, a kind word, a special message or a glorious day.
A friend of mine takes a picture each day of something that she is grateful to have in her life. She has pictures of flowers, meals, people, animals and a vast array items.
Harleena, in addition to my Gratitude Journal, I also keep a Sunshine File. In that I keep any nice notes or e-mails that I receive. Not only am I grateful when I first read them, I am grateful anew each and every time I read them.
When I express gratitude I feel better. The more grateful I am for what’s in my life as well as what I anticipate coming, the better I feel.
The online world gives me many reasons to be grateful. The very best reason is because I meet and get to know people like you who enrich and enhance my life. Harleena, I am grateful for all you do with your wisdom, compassion and support. Warmest aloha, Janet
Aloha Janet! Thanks and nice to see you 🙂
You are most welcome and so very deserving of the award. I can never forget you, whether you are absent or present Janet for the wonderful person you are. Yes indeed, that quote touches my heart too.
I had just about read and written about maintaining a Gratitude Journal, but you are the first person I know who really maintains one – that’s wonderful indeed. There is so much we can really be grateful for, right from the biggest to the smallest of things just as you mentioned. But making note of them and truly expressing our gratitude is something worthwhile.
Taking pictures is another wonderful day, and am sure your friend must be having a huge collection of all the beauty life has to offer. Wow! I love the name “Sunshine File” – (it instantly brightened up my face and brought an instant smile). I guess that must be so very precious to you as you can read them whenever you want to.
Yes indeed, when we are able to express gratitude or do something good for someone or even towards things, we feel better and nicer for having done something good. It gives us immense satisfaction within.
Thanks so much for those warm and kind words, and it’s likewise too. Having known wonderful friends online has indeed been an enriching experience for me, so much so that I hardly miss having offline ones now.
I am indeed grateful and blessed to have friends like you who are a part of the blog and me. I appreciate you and your presence in my life a great deal. 🙂
Boy am I feeling gratitude in bucket loads right now! =) Thank you, thank you, thank you for including me and remembering me, Harleena! =)
I’ve been so out of it in terms of blogging these months, which is why I especially appreciate your warm gesture in this blog post. You’ve set the perfect example for the importance of gratitude and the positivity that exudes from feeling and receiving gratitude. This is why I so admire you as a blogger and as a person! The warmest thanks again!!
Nice to see you Samantha!
You are most welcome and so very deserving of the award, and I never forgot you to remember you again. 🙂
I can well imagine why the break in your blogging nowadays, but that’s so obvious with your recent marriage. I’m sure you’d be back on track after sometime and till then enjoy the time with your loved one as the time once lost never returns.
Thanks so much for your warm and kind words. I appreciate you a great deal for just being the wonderful person you are, and for being a part of the blog and me too. 🙂
AAAAAhhhhhh….where have I been that I missed this?!?! Must have been distracted by the Canada Day Weekend :-). Great list Harleena – and thank you so, so much for including me. This has made my day, and I am flattered to be on the list with some other amazing bloggers!
Glad you made it Ruth and it’s nice to see you once again!
Yes indeed, the Canada Day weekend must have kept you rather busy. And you are more than welcome and so deserving of the award too. Your name needed a special mention among all these wonderful bloggers indeed for the informative content you share and the amazing mom you are who manages to take out time for your work and business as well.
Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate you a great deal. 🙂
You are so right Harleena!
Being grateful is more than saying “thank you” and being polite–it is not a saying, but a feeling indeed. One of the things that I am reminded of is an interview that Michael Jackson gave many years ago where he was asked by the interviewer if he was thankful for his success. His response was ‘Oh absolutely’, but then he immediately followed it by saying how grateful he was for all of the many gifts given from the Creator–and get this: he never mentioned his singing or dancing talent at all, instead he talked about nature–how he always gives thanks to the Creator for the beautiful creations on the earth. I thought that was the most beautiful heartfelt expression of gratitude I had ever witnessed. It always reminds me of how real gratitude comes from a place deep within–a place where we are connected to the world around us.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful reminder of gratitude! 🙂
Nice to see you Makeba and am glad you resonate with the post!
Expressing gratitude is indeed more than words – we need to really show it – isn’t it?
That’s a beautiful reply from Michael Jackson’s and thanks so much for sharing it with all of us. I guess he was a very humble and simple person at heart, no matter what some people may think of him. Gratitude is heartfelt and something that we feel towards another more than anything else, and that’s why I thought it was time once again to express mine. 🙂
Thanks so much for stopping by. It’s always a pleasure to have you over, and I thank you for being a part of the blog. 🙂
Hey Harleena, I finally made it by.
What a beautiful post and I’m sure you know how I feel about expressing gratitude. I just know from my own experience that my life is so much happier and fulfilled because I am so very grateful for things, people, circumstances, you name it I have in my life.
I start my mornings saying what I’m grateful for and I do it with a big old smile on my face. You speak your world into existence so by saying what you’re grateful for even if you don’t’ actually have it in your possession yet will bring that into your life. To me I thank God everyday for the things I do have and those yet to appear.
This was such a wonderful post and fabulous message. I appreciate the nomination and will definitely put it on my “to do” list. I’m so honored that you thought of me especially in that particular category.
Thank you so much Harleena and you enjoy your week okay. I’m grateful to have you as a friend.
~Adrienne
Always a pleasure to have you over anytime Adrienne!
Yes indeed, I well know how you feel about expressing gratitude and that’s what makes you a beautiful person. 🙂
Ah…your beautiful smile says it all Adrienne, and starting your day thanking the Almighty with a smile is the perfect way to show your gratitude for all that He’s given us or even for what he’s not given or what he shall give us – I think there’s just no limit to being grateful.
You raised a very nice point in saying that when you are thankful for what you don’t yet have, it works in your favor and eventually it does come to you – something like the Law of Attraction – your positiveness pulls it or attracts it towards you.
Glad you liked the post and the message of gratitude for each and everyone here. You are more than deserving of the award and so much more for the gem of a person that you are.
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you know how much I appreciate you, and am indeed honored to have you as a friend. 🙂
So glad to see Mayura nominated here! He is so deserving of it. I’m also a fan of Adrienne and Sylvia – great choices!
Being grateful is a morning exercise we should all do to start the day off.
I will have to check out your other nominees 🙂
He sure is deserving for his sweetness most of all Lisa!
There are so-so many wonderful bloggers I wanted to express my gratitude to by nominating them, and it does become tough to choose just a handful from among so many of them. Ah…yes Adrienne and Sylvia are great and so are the others, which I’m sure you would like, once you visit their blogs. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate you a great deal for your support, and just being the wonderful person you are. 🙂
Thanks Lisa 🙂 I’m always happy to have sweet friends around me with greatest values. You, Harleena, Adrienne, Sylviane and all are really good friends. Having such friends is itself an award for me 🙂
Cheers…
I think if we are thankful for the good things that has happened in our lives like the time when we got a trophy, finished school or mastered that last project we will then attract more fun stuff in our lives!!
There is an old saying that success breeds success!!
Lawrence Bergfeld
Glad you could relate to the post Lawrence!
Yes indeed, being grateful for the good things does attract more fun in our lives, but we also need to remember and learn to be thankful for the not too good things that happen in our lives, though we still overcome those rough patches. We need to learn to express gratitude for the good and bad both, and remember that it’s our trying times that make us all the more stronger, so why not be grateful to the Almighty for showing us those times as well- isn’t it?
Thanks for stopping by and I do appreciate your support in sharing these posts. 🙂
Hello Harleena, thank you for this amazing post!
It is very timely in my life and really hits home in many areas. I am still learning about the ups and downs of life, as we all are. I believe many people are so stuck on seeing material rewards and possessions appear at an instant and don’t believe in the power of gratefulness. I am actually going to meditate and enjoy all the experiences that life has given me and everyone around me, and it’s great to see from all these comments that we are all not alone.
Have a great Sunday.
Welcome to the blog Carlo!
Glad you could resonate with the post, and yes, all of us learn about the ups and downs of life with time. I too wish that people developed more of an attitude to make gratitude a part of their lives, and learn to be grateful to one another more than the materialistic thankfulness for things.
Ah…meditation is a nice way to go within and be grateful for things life has bestowed upon us. And yes, most people who have left their wonderful comments feel the same way about expressing their gratitude. I am truly blessed to have such awesome friends and readers here at the blog.
Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Sunday as well. 🙂
This thing about gratitude is a hard one to live, and that’s unfortunate. Whether life is going well or not, thinking about it as a concept doesn’t enter most minds. I’ll admit that, though in the last week I’ve been giving it a try by acknowledging every morning what I’m grateful for. It literally takes seconds, as I can only think of 3 or 4 things at a time, each one beginning with “I’m grateful for waking up today.” Isn’t that a shame? lol
Glad you could relate to the post Mitch!
It surely isn’t easy and that’s unfortunate, though if we put our heart and mind to it, it’s not that difficult too – isn’t it? I guess just being a little conscious and making an effort is all that it takes. But yes, we all need to think about gratitude or being grateful so that it really becomes an attitude or habit with us, especially till it comes naturally to us.
I think you are doing wonderfully by acknowledging what you are grateful for every morning, which must be giving you so much of positiveness for the rest of the day. It has been suggested to start small, just as you are doing, by being grateful for a few things and then gradually increase. And just as you said it takes just a few seconds, so it’s not time consuming too. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and I am grateful to you as well for being a part of this blog. 🙂
Congrats on the latest blogger awards. Well deserved.
Gratitude is something I know I need to work on. Just two simple words, thank you, can go so far, and I am trying my best to use them more frequently. And here is one for today – thank you for sharing your own experiences and wisdom with the world. Just think how much better a place it would be if everyone followed this wisdom!
Glad you liked it Carol, though it gets tough to just select a handful of your favorites!
We all need to work at being able to express our gratitude or appreciate what we like, and small things matter as they say, so even a few words to express our gratefulness go a long way.
Ah…I like that you tried it with me Carol! Yes indeed, the world would be so much of a better place if all of us are able to just show a little bit of appreciation and gratitude towards one another.
Thank you for stopping by and being a vital part of the blog and me too. I appreciate you a great deal. 🙂
Very thorough my dear! And one of my favorite topics. Can’t wait to check out these news blogs! Lots I have heard of!
Glad you could resonate with the post Jodi!
Yes indeed, it is one of your favorite topics and something that all of us need to remember to bring about into our lives too – more of gratitude. You must check out these wonderful bloggers – each one different in their own ways, which makes them tremendous places to visit.
Thanks for stopping by and being the wonderful person you are, which is why I had nominated you long back. And I am glad you are part of the blog too. 🙂
Hi Harleena,
First of all, I was happily surprised to see my name on our blog! Wow, for real, I didn’t even know if you liked my blog at all 🙂 Very kind of you and let me express my gratitude to you! And yes, I do accept this award and want to wear it proudly 🙂
I think that people are not grateful enough and if they only “knew” how much a word of kindness, a simple I appreciate you can make a difference in their life, I’m sure they would reconsider.
See, if you had not mentioned my name here, I would have never known. Thank you so much for speaking up your gratitude, Harleena.
I also agree with the quote of John Kennedy that gratitude is shown my action more than just words.
Thanks for thinking about your blogger buddies, Harleena.
Glad you know of it now Sylviane, and yes, you do deserve it too!
I am so happy that you accept the award and I can virtually see you wearing it. 🙂
You are quite right there about people not being grateful enough, even for the smallest of things that can really make a difference to another person. And all it takes is just a few words of kindness to show your gratitude – isn’t it? You surely wouldn’t have known had I not taken your name, so that was one way of expressing my gratitude…good example!
I love that quote of John Kennedy too because it has such a deep meaning that’s so true.
Thanks for stopping by and yes, you are all always in my thoughts. And I’m honored and lucky that you as part of my blog and me too. 🙂
I couldn’t have been honored! I feel so blessed to have such wonderful bloggers around who keep liking me so much despite my irregularities of dropping by!
Gratitude is a heavy word and it is just as easy. We need to be thankful not only for what we have right now but also for whatever we have had the pleasure of having. If we aren’t thankful for what we have right now we will never be thankful for whatever we have. Appreciating the value of the right now will go a long way in developing the feeling of gratitude amongst us. Even if it is a bad time we are going through; we need to remind ourselves that we will get through and times will pass.
Once again, thanks so much for the mention! I am saving it for a rainy day! You are too kind!
Yes you are Hajra and you so well deserve it for just being the person you are!
I think most of us understand the problem of irregularities, which happens with all of us at some time or the other, but that isn’t a reason for liking or not liking you – at least not in my case at all. 🙂
You raised a nice point about being grateful even for things we have had the pleasure of having in the past, something that most of us tend to forget about. And yes, bad times never last and that is something we need to be grateful for also – for being given the courage to overcome those trying times. Expressing our gratitude for what we had and have is what will make appreciating gratitude in the future more of an attitude that we all need to develop.
Thanks for stopping by and there was no question about you not being mentioned. Save it up for any day as long as you accept it. And I’m so glad you are part of the blog and me too. 🙂
I agree, we do need to express gratitude but often we are not able to do so. We really need to tune outselves in such a way that we can express gratitude more often.
Congratulations for those amazing awards.
Glad you could relate to the post Shalu!
Yes indeed, it’s not always easy to express gratitude, though we do need to find ways and means to learn how to do so – isn’t it? It can be done by trying to show gratitude towards just 2-3 things a day or writing them down in a dairy, and gradually increasing the number daily. This does help increase you being thankful to things or people around you.
Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Oh, thank you so much, Leena. I really do appreciate the Sisterhood of the World award. I love it!
I always express gratitude because I started this life with a minus – a less than nothing.
I thank God each day for what I have. I also pray for the insight to see the blessings I already have and don’t use. As you said, we have to make gratitude our way of life. It’s the way to be.
The biggest result of this way of life is that you start to see blessings in places you thought were dark and empty before. Many people are always reaching for more, more, more. No matter how much they’re given they’ll never see what they have, or have enough.
Thank you for the award, and thank you for a very uplifting article. You’ve added something positive to my day today. 🙂
You are most welcome and deserving Anne!
What really matters is that we learn to appreciate and be thankful for the smallest of things, especially when we realize the fact that we are truly blessed to be where we are today.
I do wish that more people make gratitude more of an attitude and way of life, and just learn to be thankful and appreciative. Yes indeed, people are never satisfied with what they have, very few are, and they keep striving for more and more. But during this struggle to attain more they forget to value what they have.
Thanks for stopping by and I’m grateful that you are part of my blog too. It’s been a pleasure knowing you. 🙂
Hi Harleena,
What a wonderful post and can we say a big thank you to you, for sharing so much of yourself through your blog.
This post of gratitude got me thinking about how I express gratitude to other people. When I was growing up with stuttering, I used to have very low self-esteem, I usually didn’t think myself worthy of much. So, whenever anyone did anything for me, I was overly thankful. However, once I developed a stronger sense of self, I’ve learnt that I’m still overly thankful and these days I love it! I guess its because the gratitude comes from a place of strength, rather than need.
Glad you liked the post Hiten!
Thank you so much for being here as a part of the blog too. 🙂
I can well understand about how you must have felt in your growing years, which surely isn’t easy. But just as it’s mentioned by so many others before in the comments, it’s when you experiences hardships and tough times that you learn to appreciate the smallest of gestures deeds, words, or anything that’s linked to people showing gratitude.
Just as they say that when the going gets tough the tough gets going…so, you learnt to deal and overcome that low self-esteem and made it your strength, which is how you are where and what you are today. You are absolutely right in saying that gratitude comes from a place of strength rather than need – beautiful indeed.
Thanks for stopping by. It’s always nice to see you. 🙂
Hi Harleena,
Life can simply never have too much gratitude, in my opinion. Simply starting each day with a few thoughts of gratitude sets your mindset for the rest of that day’s journey.
And let me be perfectly honest here, you will see results flow from this too. It literally changes the way you relate and view other aspects of your life – in a very positive way. The karma from that flows back to you.
Welcome to the blog Martin!
Rightly said, and I’m in 100% agreement with you. This is what I meant by having an attitude of gratitude, which you aptly put in words – thoughts of gratitude that sets your mindset. And eventually, your perspective changes, you become more postive, and indeed thankful – every moment.
So, there’s no extra effort needed to have or acquire gratitude in life; it’s just a matter of having the right attitude. I totally beleive such a practice produces postive results. No doubt, I hope you’d agree that gratitude is an important ingredient towards both inner and outer peace and happiness.
Thanks for stopping by and your valuable contribution. 🙂
Thanks for the warm welcome, Harleena.
Holistic peace and happiness is why we exist, I believe.
You are most welcome Martin, and yes you are absolutely right there. 🙂
Harleena – First I would like to mention that this was a very good article and I loved reading through the same. You have clearly explained the meaning of gratitude and why we really need to keep thanking for what we get in life.
At the very end, I was surprised and overwhelmed seeing my name in your list of 7 nominees for the Sweet Blog Award. I really appreciate the mention and nomination and I hope to live up to it. This is the 2nd award I am recieving since I started my blog back in May of last year. Ruth presented me the Sunshine award a while back and all this recognition among you professional bloggers and writers makes me proud.
I hope I can come up with my article regarding the same, but I am sure it will be a daunting task to select 7 of my blogger friends now 🙂
Glad you liked the post Praveen!
I tried my best explaining about being grateful, but I feel a lot more can be said on the subject. Guess I just fall short of words at times. 🙂
Ah…nice to hear that you liked the surprise at the end of the post, which you are so well deserving of for your support and friendship, and just being the person you are. Nice of Ruth to have nominated you, which she did to me also sometime back. I guess such awards do bring us more closer and help appreciate and recognize each other better – isn’t it?
I am sure you would find the time to put up your article about the same, though yes, selecting just 7 from the awesome bloggers we know gets tough indeed. That’s what takes most of the time in-fact, but they are worth the effort too.
Thanks for stopping by. It’s been a pleasure knowing you and I appreciate you a great deal as well. 🙂
Beautiful words on gratitude!
Love all the award lovin’ going on here. Blessings friend.
Nice to see you Alene!
Glad you liked the post, and yes, it was time I expressed my gratitude to so many wonderful people who have been a part of the blog, though I had to limit myself to just a handful of the many I wanted to. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by. It’s always nice to have you over. 🙂
Hi Harleena! 🙂
“Spiritually, we need to be thankful and express gratitude for everything, irrespective of whether it seems good or bad.” I loved this line!
I think if we’re able to show gratitude for the good, as well as the bad – we’re doing mighty good in putting forth being thankful. That also allows room for us to receive more of what we really want and less of what we don’t.
Congrats to all the winners of both awards. Many of whom I’m very familiar with – Kudos ladies.
Glad you could resonate with the post Deeone!
Yes indeed, I guess no matter what the circumstances, whether good or bad that come forth us – need to be appreciated and that’s where we need to express our gratitude to the Almighty for giving us the opportunity to learn from such situations. However, it’s easier said than done because when tough times come, most of us take the easy way out.
I guess if we are able to show our gratitude, even a little bit of it for the good or bad – we are on the right track. Yes indeed, kudos to all those well deserving bloggers, though please include yourself among them too Deeone because you know how much I appreciate you. Even though I wanted to, but I couldn’t include you in these lists as you’ve already been nominated here earlier. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and for being a vital part of the blog. It’s been nice knowing you dear friend and our association, which has been a long one now, continues to grow – isn’t it? I value you friendship, support, help and continuous warmth. You are one of the kind! 🙂
Hi Harleena,
Thank you so very much for giving me the Sisterhood Award! I am truly honored to receive this award, especially from someone who is as amazing and lovely as you are, Harleena. You definitely show us all about gratitude and I know so many of us are grateful to you, Harleena for your sharing and for your commenting on our blogs.
Gratitude is so important, Harleena. It’s the foundation of satisfaction in life. People who are depressed often are advised to start gratitude journals, as you suggested, listing five things a day you are grateful for.
I agree with Nikky, if you’ve been through hard times, you are very likely to appreciate the simple pleasures of life.
I am very grateful to you, Harleena for your friendship, support, awesome writing and warm spirit. You are a gem!
You are so very welcome and deserving Carolyn!
Thank you so much for those warm and kind words, but the fact remains that I am honored to pass on this award to you and so many others. I am indeed grateful that you and everyone else are part of my lives – truly blessed. 🙂
When we learn to be grateful for the smallest of things in life and express our gratitude for what we have, rather than for what we don’t – we do ourselves a great favor and yes, it does satisfy us. I didn’t know about people who are depressed being advised to start gratitude journals, though am sure that would be helping them feel much better.
Yes indeed, Nikky rightly suggested about going through tough times, which is what makes us more appreciative in life. And she is a very brave and courageous lady to undergo all that she is going through in her life.
Thanks so much for being a wonderful friend and a continuous source of support and inspiration for many like me. It’s been a pleasure knowing you. 🙂
Hi Harleena,
I’m touched and honored that you nominated me and I humbly accept. Thanks so much!
I so enjoyed your post, Harleena, gratitude and appreciation is something close to my heart. What is very interesting, is that I started 10 days ago, to send out “Gratitude Cards’ where I pick one person a day for 30 days and I send them a card expressing my heartfelt gratitude. (I wish I could say I came up with this “Gratitude Challenge” myself, but it was actually the idea of the company I’m involved with. However, I do send out cards expressing my gratitude to people on the spur of the moment all the time, I’ve just never done it 30 days in a row.)
Expressing my heartfelt gratitude to some gives me a feeling that is hard to put into words. (I’m not a writer, hehe.) It’s a wonderful happy feeling though and it puts me in a good mood all day long. You’re right, it’s a great stress reliever. And the thought that when someone opens that card and feels that I deeply appreciate them and I was able to put a smile on their face and brighten up their day…that thought even makes me more happy.
I love that quote, it’s one of my favorites and I’m glad you made it your title image because it is just so fitting… “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” I just put that into a card to send to a dear friend.
Thanks so much for all you do, Harleena, I so appreciate you! You certainly put a smile on my face …and in my heart…today with this beautiful post.
Be blessed,
Ilka
You are so very welcome and deserving Ilka!
In-fact it’s an honor for me to have the chance to express my gratitude and appreciation for having such wonderful friends as yourself. 🙂
What a beautiful coincidence that you too were thinking about sending out “Gratitude Cards” (something I need to learn from you)- and it doesn’t really matter whose idea it is, because the sender would always be you. I think the concept is so warm and heartfelt indeed to be able to express your gratitude through the cards, something that most of us forget to do otherwise due to our busy lives.
Even though I am somewhat of a writer, but I do fall short of words at times and often when I most need to express what I feel in my heart. But yes, just as you mentioned, if us appreciating another brings a smile on their face and brightens the day – the purpose is accomplished – isn’t it? And this in turn gives us double the joy, one of appreciating them and another of making them happy.
Ah…quotes, something that I can never do without too, and this one I found on Flickr while looking for it, so that was just being lucky I guess. It must be looking wonderful in the card you must have made though. 🙂
Thanks so much for stopping by and adding more meaning to the post (I can see your virtual smile and that’s what makes my day!). It’s been a pleasure knowing you and I appreciate you a great deal as well – more than words can say. 🙂
For me, Gratitude is a command from God, and this is why I am grateful for everything in my life – both the joys and the pains.
God, in his unfathomable wisdom, knows the benefits of having a grateful heart and mind. You are right, it benefits the giver, the receiver and the people around them. That’s why in the Bible gratitude is mentioned over and over again.
I am by nature a pessimist. If I don’t train my mind to look at everything in my life as working for my own good and hence be thankful for it, then I would always be depressed, negative and not very good company to have! 🙂
Like Betsy says, we do have a choice, we can control how we view our lives and indeed, it is difficult; but for me, anything is possible because of the grace of God.
Friday is my thank you/gratitude day where I review the week’s happenings and just express my thanks out loud into the blogging world. When I saw the tweet of your post I knew I just had to read this – another divine appointment for me.
Thank you for sharing this!
Warmest regards,
Mary
Nice to see you Mary!
Yes indeed, that’s the best way to take gratitude – as a command from the Almighty, because then you are able to appreciate both, the joys and sorrows. It surely does benefit anyone, whether it’s the giver or the receiver in more ways than one can mention here.
By saying those words and calling yourself a pessimistic, you turned very optimistic and positive Mary! And it’s absolutely alright to have our down or depressing moments sometimes, something that all of us have. But as long as you remember to be grateful and remain positive about life in general, and are able to express gratitude in the little things around – you are on the right track. 🙂
We do have a choice for sure, and that is what really guides us to take the positive path rather than the negative one. It’s a nice way to choose a day to express your gratitude and thank the ones you appreciate.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your views with everyone. 🙂
Hi Harleena,
Gratitude and humility are two virtues I consider as powerful – in fact transformational. Thank you for this lovely post and for spreading this awareness.
Regards!
Glad you could resonate with the post Dilip!
Yes indeed, to be grateful and humble are indeed great virtues, which if people acquire into themselves would then transform their lives.
Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Hi Harleena,
Really thank you for nominating my blog for “The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Awards” dear 🙂 Teresa & Nikky should be part of it and I’m grateful to ’em too. I’m really honored. You know, I’ve started to read your blog lately and I remember your welcoming me here, on Twitter to relate to posts where I can. And, today I’m nominated here too.
Gratitude is what I always love to see on people. A simple thing we can do but some people don’t find it necessary. Sometimes always admiring people could be seen as that someone is really fond of that person and going after advantages. No I’m not talking about admiring a boss blindly to win hearts while looking out for promotion 🙂 You know, it’s kind of admiration we can’t agree.
I like to express my gratitude in any way I can 🙂 Yeah, then I see advantages of it as you mentioned above too. But actually gratitude is just not to have that advantages but it comes out naturally. And people can practice it too. A common thing I see among people who don’t value gratitude is they think our gratitude is meant to take their attention. For benefits and so. But that’s not our intention. However it happens sometimes 🙂
I love “Appreciating what we have” 🙂 And also appreciating each and every moment of our success. Sometimes I appreciate mistakes I’ve done, ’cause they helped me to find best way of doing it. It may seem like a crazy thought, but I bet if I didn’t do those mistake I’ll never find that way. And another thing which helps me to think about gratitude is feeling that what if I can’t live tomorrow. If I couldn’t appreciate someone today, then I won’t be able to. So I always try to thank them each and every day when it happens. But still I miss few, ’cause sometimes due to some circumstances I may not able to reach ’em. Anyway I’m grateful to what I’ve learned from each other and that’s what made me today.
On Social Media, as I know we all express our gratitude on Twitter by replying and on Facebook and Google+ by commenting. But I see sometimes people don’t comment on what they have enjoyed or they don’t share as they can and at least they don’t like or +1 it. I think likes, retweets and +1s are the minimum possible ways to show gratitude if we enjoyed them. So I always try to take some time and like the post shared on Facebook page or +1 on Google+ page. After reading your post, if I like it I do that on your page too. In social channels where I can reach. I didn’t do that earlier but am doing it now. I think that’s why likes and +1s are for 🙂 I always think good things are growing and a simple gratitude can do a BIG thing later on.
Love the way you showing your gratitude dear 🙂 What matters is showing our gratitude in the way we can rather than ignoring it completely, no? 🙂
I know you take your time to write such interesting posts. I do come here, enjoy and comment on yours. Learn something new. Even if I knew something already, I’m learning it in a new way. That’s what matters and voices are not duplicating even though topic is the same.
So let me be grateful to you again for nominating me and for writing an interesting piece of information dear 🙂 Words just don’t come out easily, though we see like that at the end. Energy, experience, creativity and all counts. So thank you for all your efforts 🙂
Have a nice weekend ahead 🙂
Cheers…
You are most welcome and so deserving for the “sweet” blog award Mayura!
Yes indeed, we need to express gratitude even to the ones who have passed on the award to us – as it’s because of them that we are receiving it. And yes, our association though not that long, but sometimes one can make a connection in a few seconds, so time really doesn’t matter – does it?
Some people are good at expressing their gratitude, while for others it doesn’t really come with ease. However, I think most of us keep trying to find ways to express our gratitude and appreciate one another, which is how it should be. Even simple things matter, so even a “thank-you” at times can do wonders.
We all have our own ways of expressing gratitude, though we shouldn’t do so for the sake of advantage or seeking any kind of importance or attention, as you mentioned. Instead, it should be a natural flow of our feelings for the one we want to thank, by just being our true-self and going right out and thanking the ones we appreciate.
You raised very nice points about appreciating even the mistakes or problems that come across our lives, because those are the ones that always teach us something in return. But yes, sometimes we tend to forget this fact and realize it much later. And also that our lives are so short, so we should ideally live each moment as if it were the last, and not forget to appreciate all that life offers us – big, small, good, or bad – so that there are no regrets left whatsoever.
I guess people have their own views about sharing each other’s post on Social Media, perhaps because it isn’t of their niche, or any other reasons. But yes, just like you, I love sharing peoples post in whatever ways I can and appreciate their work. Sometimes even if I can’t leave a comment on their blog because of time constraints, though I have read and like it, I do spread the word around. And it really doesn’t take much of our time – isn’t it?
I am happy that you enjoy the posts I share here, and it’s gives me great satisfaction if it helps people in some ways. I am indeed honored to have you and so many other wonderful people as part of this blog, and it’s been a pleasure connecting with all of you. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and adding so much more value to the post by your wonderful comment. It’s always a pleasure to have you over. 🙂
Congratulation, Mayura and yes, you are irresistibly sweet! You really deserved that award!
Indeed he is for just being the person he is – “sweet” in his own way 🙂
(Just in-case he doesn’t reply!)
Hi Sylviane, Thank you very much my friend 🙂
I’m recalling your bird nest and all my friends are irresistibly sweet as birds in same nest. Think I’m the youngest brother and you all are my sisters. How much sweet I would be? 😉
Gotcha… I’m here to reply Harleena 😉 Thanks again for nomination dear. I said you nomination is the most thing I value, right? 🙂 Now you can see it from the feedback. You’re sweet indeed dear 🙂
Cheers…
Thanks for stopping by and taking time to reply to the comments Mayura!
And you are most welcome and deserving of the “sweet” blog award. 🙂
I believe we have a choice in how we see things, and it’s usually subconscious: we see things as complete (not perfect) or needing to be fixed. It’s very hard to appreciate and feel gratitude for something or someone when we see it also as lacking something at the same time.
Gratitude, to me, is fully appreciating whatever shows up as “enough”. It means looking at the essence of something or someone and fully appreciating them…and then telling them, no matter how simple the thing is that you saw. It’s to fully understand the magnitude of the complexity and the simplicity of your life and to know how valuable each piece of it is, and to grasp the fact that your world would be different without one of those parts. That is an impossible state of mind to maintain all of the time. But taking a moment each day to reflect IS possible.
People are always a bit shocked and humbled when you tell them how grateful you are for them. Have you noticed that? We soak it up like a thirsty sponge!
Glad you could relate to the post Betsy!
If we do not feel grateful, we do not express gratitude. I feel gratitude is basically an emotion that isn’t always ruled by logic or rules. You’re right in that maintaining a state of mind to be grateful for everything without being judgmental about them is not easy.
Sometimes we begin judging a person as a whole and find it difficult to express gratitude for even the things we are thankful for – because we do not think the person is worthy to receive that. But if we just consider the part where we find that the thing or person has made a difference to us, I believe we should let the feeling of thankfulness flow by.
I respect your views and it’s always good to know how differently or similarly people think about certain issues that we face in life. Life is all about learning from experiences, whether from our own or from others. Nikky in her comment describes an optimistic view of feeling gratitude, and I too believe in expressing gratitude for every moment of life, as you never know what’s in store for you in the coming moments, and I’m glad that worse things could’ve happened, which didn’t.
It surely feels surprising and good if we come to know that we touched somebody’s heart and lives by our words or deeds. We all like and appreciate that because it makes us realize our worth even if we think we’re not perfect. In fact, I think by coming to know that even our small and simple good acts make a difference, we are motivated to repeat them and make it a part of our nature. Isn’t gratitude all about making goodness go viral!
Thanks for stopping by. Nice to have you over. 🙂
Hi Harleena,
First of all, thank you very much for nominating my blog for this sweet award. I am really grateful.
Thank you for this great post. I loved it and loved the way you describe gratitude. In fact, I read many times that one must be grateful, and that its a good habit to start writing down every day things we are grateful for, and this seemed a little weird for me because if I am grateful for absolutely everything, and I am still bullied for that.
Even in an extremely bad situation, I feel grateful, because it could always be worse. When my mother had cancer, I was grateful she survived it almost 2 years, when I had brain damage, I was grateful because the doctor said I could have died, when an explosion destroyed my room and home, I was grateful no one at home was injured. That is how I am, and what I teach my children to be. It is not easy for some people to accept such a behavior. It is considered being stupid.
You are most welcome and I need to thank you as well Nikky!
You are absolutely right about some people who prefer writing down or keeping a journal at times about all that they are grateful for, though for most of us who are simply grateful for the smallest of things – it becomes tough to pen down everything!
I like your positive attitude about seeing the bright side of everything, even when you are surrounded by negative situations or people. That’s what gives you your inner strength to keep taking each day as it comes – isn’t it?
You surely seem to have gone through a lot and the fact that you feel grateful for simply passing through those tough phases of life shows the gratitude you feel towards the Almighty to value all that you have in your life. I guess when we value what we have more than what we don’t or what we could have had, we appreciate the smallest of things. And I don’t think such a behavior or habit is stupid at all. It’s wonderful if your kids are picking up ways to express gratitude just they way you do.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experiences with everyone. 🙂
Thanks Harleena! Touched and honored. 🙂
“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” ~ Meister Eckhart – one of my favorite quotes!
Pleasure to be here, as always!
Most welcome and deserving Vidya!
Ah..I love that quote too – guess it just says it all within that one line – isn’t it?
Thanks so much for being here – always a pleasure to have you over. 🙂
I love that quote! Thanks for reminding me about it Vidya! 🙂
That’s why I used it in the post Hajra – just to say thank-you to all of you. 🙂
(Just in-case Vidya doesn’t reply!)