Gratitude is the parent of all virtues. Here are five specific, actionable ways to practice gratitude and increase thankfulness all year long.
It’s easy to look backward and feel gratitude—after all, hindsight gives way to insight. When I was a sophomore in college, I experienced consistent failures in my academic life, family life, social life, and dating life. At the time, I felt lost and hopeless. But five years later, I look back with gratitude and realize that these trials were the catalyst for my decision to serve an amazing 18-month mission in Spain.
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American author Melody Beattie said, “Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” While I feel that I’ve mastered the first part of Beattie’s statement—allowing gratitude to make sense of my past—I’ve often wondered how to better appreciate the present moment and look forward to the future with more hope.
In his BYU devotional titled “A Grateful Heart,” Dr. Ray L. Huntington provides five specific, actionable ideas to inspire more consistent and sincere gratitude.
- Keep a gratitude journal. Write down three to five blessings ranging from “the mundane to the magnificent” to recognize what we do have as opposed to what we don’t.
- Say “thank you” more. Voice positive feelings more frequently in day-to-day interactions to create connection and solidarity with others.
- Write letters and notes. Physically spell out words of thanks to consciously identify specific blessings and express feelings of love.
- Live in the moment and count small blessings. Look for meaningful moments, lessons, and blessings—even and especially during hard times—to stay grounded and find peace.
- Pray thoughtfully. Set aside time for expressing gratitude through prayer to create spiritual awareness and develop sacred relationships with our loving Heavenly Parents.
These simple methods can be applied on a daily basis—not just on Thanksgiving when we are compelled to be more grateful.
Dr. Huntington concludes his remarks by saying, “Gratitude is a heavenly, spiritual gift and a spiritual force in our lives.” As we learn to hone this spiritual gift, gratitude can become one of our most powerful tools to live fulfilling and meaningful lives—past, present, and future.
For more insight about gratitude, read Dr. Ray L. Huntington’s full BYU devotional “A Grateful Heart.”
Source: BYU Speeches
—Emma Rostrom, Latter-day Saint Insights
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Find more insights
Discover Latter-day Saint Insights author Skyler Garrett’s thoughts about gratitude in the article “Should We Think About Gratitude in a Different Way?”
Read Kimber Severance’s Latter-day Saint Insights article “You Are Allowed to Believe in the Magnificent” to learn about the power of recognizing miracles.