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How to experience even more gratitude

Three years ago I was introduced to Thanksgiving by a dear friend (who is not with us anymore) and her husband. Holding my hands at the dinner table – yes, laden with turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie! – Kat and Mike gave a blessing on all we were grateful for.

It was a moment of great connection, of sharing, togetherness and deep gratitude.

Although I am not American (I do have beloved family and friends in the US), I’ve since made a promise to Kat to celebrate this tradition every year and to introduce gratitude as a way of being and seeing life.

Because how we talk to ourselves matters. It affects how we feel and drives our behaviour.

Fortunately, experiencing gratitude doesn’t have to be complicated. There are simple tools you can use to train your brain into a regular state of thankfulness.

To get you started, here are three tips to easily welcome even more gratitude into your life:

  1. The 10 finger rule

The first time I heard of this was in Arianna Huffington’s remarkable book, Thrive. It’s an easy one too: every night before you go to bed, count off 10 things that you are grateful for; e.g. having a great chat with a friend, getting a hug from someone you love, enjoying a delicious dinner, you name it.

You may wonder: “But what about those tough days, when I don’t feel I have much to be grateful for?”

Then I recommend you start with some basics: that you have food on the table, a roof over your head, for the people who love you… You’ll be surprised how this can open up the channel of blessings, especially when you most need them!

2. Just two words…

Each morning, think of the two words that are most important for that day.

Here’s an easy prompt: “Today I would like to feel [e.g. peaceful] and I will do this by [a specific action/goal/thought; e.g. breathing each time I start to feel off-centre].”

Too often we forget to give thanks for all we have accomplished! By being clear about what you want from the day and stating your parameters for achieving this, you’ll feel full of gratitude.

3. A nugget of wisdom

Author Shauna Niequist sums up the essence of  gratitude with these words:

“When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow.”

 

And with that, I send you all much love and gratitude…

 

What are you most grateful for? Let’s count our blessings together!

If you like this article, subscribe to our newsletter and share it with someone you are grateful to have in your life.

 

 

© Vivian Chiona

FEEL FREE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR BLOG OR NEWSLETTER. We ask only that you attribute Expat Nest and include the following: Expat Nest (www.expatnest.com) is a professional online counselling service for expats.

Photo: Gabrielle Henderson / Unsplash

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