Gratitude Rules

I have a few gratitude rules that I follow regularly. These are not written down anywhere, nor have I talked about them all together at the same time. I have a few simple rules that I follow day in and day out. They have become habits for me. Most people think of habits as nasty things that get in the way – for me these are good habits that I follow and have become part of my daily ritual.

As you probably know already from prior blog posts and my writings in the Gratitude Bursts, I wake up and think about things for which I am grateful. This is not a list that I go through, but whatever pops into my head. I start my day with this!

I also write down a certain number of things each day that bring me gratitude! I started a separate list of 1,001 things on this site. As you can see, I try not to repeat the same thing. This is also true for my morning list as well. The good thing about this is that when I get stuck, I am forced to see things differently and find something new for which I am grateful! Want proof? I wrote 10 things that bring me more gratitude specifically on toothpaste!

Each day I tell at least 2 people that I appreciate them. They key here is to tell them that you appreciate them, not something they did! Most people will say something like, “I appreciate that you helped me with this” as opposed to, “I appreciate you for helping me with this.” It is a subtle difference, but the second acknowledges the person instead of the action. People feel better then they are personally appreciated vs. something they did.

Try these 3 actions for a week. See how it goes. Look to see if you notice a difference at the end of the week! As always, I am grateful for any comments you may post here.

Be Well.
Paul.
The Gratitude Guru