Refreshing Ideas To Help You Move Forward With Gratitude

 By: Paula Short

"All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God."  2 Corinthians 4:15 NIV

There seems to be plenty of ways to show gratitude in our life. Acknowledging, embracing, and expressing gratitude are so important. 

But what about if you get stuck? I know sometimes I do.

I'd like to expand on that to give you a better look and helpful tips to help you move forward with gratitude. 

Take a Gratitude Walk

Going for a walk is a great way to relieve stress and gain a new aspect of things. It offers several advantages both for your mind and body.

You leave your usual environment, get out in the fresh air and move away from distractions. During this particular stroll, pay special attention to the things you encounter along the way. Take in the awesomeness of God's creations. It's a great way to focus on gratitude.

You'll uncover plenty to be thankful for during your walk. 

Make a Gratitude Collage

A neat way to appreciate your gratefulness visually is to create a gratitude collage. This is similar to a vision board.

You can cut out pictures from magazines or add photos or drawings. Think outside of the box, too; add some stickers, use washi tape, markers, and anything else that is visually appealing to you. 

Your collage can be laid out on a poster board. Be sure to place it where you can see it. The aim is to collect images that help you pause and reflect on how fortunate you are.

Have a Friendsgiving

Friendsgiving is like Thanksgiving, usually only with friends; you could invite neighbors and any other people who are special to you. You can do this near an actual holiday if you want to. A gratitude party or get-together can help you reflect on valuable people in your life and enrich existing bonds. 

Look for gratitude in life's hurdles

Let's mix things up a bit. You're probably familiar with how easy it is to focus on the bad stuff. 

Sometimes we get stuck in a negative, mundane rut and allow it to weigh us down. That's natural, but you can find gratitude in life's challenges. When faced with a hardship, I find myself asking, what Can I  learn from this? Look for the lessons or the silver linings.

Help Others

One of the most impactful ways to gain perspective and be grateful for what you have is to help others in need. This can be through volunteering or something as simple as helping a neighbor you see who could use a hand with his lawn. 

Give these ideas a try. and brainstorm some additional ones. It won't be long before you see just what a difference embracing a mindset of gratitude can have on your life as well as drawing you closer to God. Your thanksgiving will overflow to the glory of God.

Photo by Rich Dahlgren on Unsplash