It’s a fact that at any holiday-themed event I love going around the room and giving everyone the chance to share what they’re thankful for. Yep, I’m that cheesy, Hallmark movie-watching girl who oohs and aahs over friends showing gratitude for all the wonderful ways God has blessed us. So with the holiday season quickly approaching and November kicking into full gear, what better time to start getting in the mood to give thanks?! It’s easy to get caught up in our own busy lives and it’s even easier to find all the “30 days of thankfulness” challenges overrated – so I propose we all pick a few small acts of kindness to show others how much we care. You probably show gratitude on the daily without taking the time to recognize it, so how about for the month of November we all take the time to pause and reflect. #Gratitude, y’all. I came up with a working list of acts of gratitude – simple suggestions to inject a little kindness into our lives and make this world a little sweeter. You in?
Send a family member some good ole’ fashioned snail mail just to say you love them
Bake a big batch of cookies and bring them to the office for everyone to enjoy
Buy a coffee for the stranger behind you in line
Clean out your closet/kitchen/garage and make a donation to Goodwill/local homeless shelter
Give a stranger a genuine compliment
Is your best friend home sick? Drop by with their favorite soup and magazines
Set an alert on your phone to take a few minutes every day and pray for specific people in your life who are struggling with various issues
Treat your significant other to dinner at their favorite place
….or (if you’re feeling daring) cook them their favorite homemade meal
Write a letter to someone you look up to and let them know how grateful you are for them
Wrap grocery store flowers in pretty paper and drop them by a friend’s house just because
Send a text to your loved ones and let them know all the reasons you love them
Go out of your way to help a stranger, i.e. hold the door, help with the groceries
Make a list of everything you are thankful for this year
What else?
And this is why I love your blog. It’s the perfect uplifting dose of goodness in my inbox. Thanks for these tips! 🙂
~ another grateful Nashvillian