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September 21 is World Gratitude Day: The Gratitude Attitude

Gratitude is one of the most powerful forces in the universe. It may not look as good as money, a fancy car or the latest makeover – in fact, you can’t see it at all – but gratitude has more power to change your life than all these material things put together.

The dictionary tells us that gratitude is “the expression of gratefulness and thanks,” but this doesn’t begin to convey its real effect. Listed below are simple ways to make the Gratitude Attitude an essential part of your life.

Create a “Thank Bank.” A Thank Bank is simply a place where you can jot down all the things that you are grateful for in your life. You can split the bank into different accounts such as Family, Surroundings, and Work, and then simply start writing out your thanks until you stop. Put your list somewhere safe, so you can reference it easily when you need something positive to uplift your mood.

Show gratitude quietly. Don’t turn gratitude into a promotional or motivational tool. Too much thanks is as ineffective as too little. Instead, express your thanks in quiet ways: a thought, a prayer, a one-on-one word, a note of appreciation. Give people gifts of thanks that aren’t bought at shops: a bit of your time, a sacrifice or something valuable to you.

Always replace the 3Cs with the 3As. If you work or manage others, and sometimes feel the need to use one of the 3Cs: complaining, condemning, and criticizing – replace them with the 3As of accepting, acknowledging, and appreciating. Accept people for who they are; acknowledge them for what they do; and appreciate them for just being around.

There’s nothing complicated about gratitude. It’s something we can all do. Unfortunately, more often than not, we tend to focus on negative things, and we take the wonderful things for granted.

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