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 the good parts of this life. So with November officially here and the holidays quickly approaching, I thought what a great time to start a daily gratitude challenge. It’s easy to get caught up in our own busy lives and it’s even easier to roll our eyes at #blessed, which should be retired immediately. I propose we all pick a few small acts of kindness to show others how much we care each day this month – something simple each day to encourage us to reflect on our blessings and remind ourselves of all the things we are thankful for.
Here is a working list of acts of gratitude – simple suggestions to inject a little kindness into our daily 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 some fall sweets for someone who has helped you recently
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
Call your parents and tell them you love them
Leave a kind note/treat for your postal worker
Gather canned goods and take them to a canned food drive
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
Leave a note for your roommate/spouse/child/parent to find later as a surprise
Make a list before bed of three things you’re thankful for from the day
Volunteer somewhere for the day
When you open your inbox in the morning, first send a colleague an email of thanks
Listen to someone having a tough day and offer encouragement
Host a small get-together of friends you want to thank
Write a letter to someone you look up to and let them know how grateful you are for them
Drop pretty flowers off at a friend’s house just because
Invite someone to lunch after church so you can get to know them
Clean up after yourself, both out and at home
Volunteer to do an unpleasant task for someone to make their day easier
Run an errand for somebody
Treat yourself to something you enjoy because you’re awesome
Open the door for everyone you come across
Send a text to your loved ones and let them know all the reasons you love them
Leave a larger tip than normal
Go out of your way to help a stranger, i.e. hold the door, help with the groceries
Smile
Send a letter of encouragement to someone who would never expect it
Verbally thank someone for something they’ve done
