Celebrate the Act of Gratitude - Scrivenings Press LLC

As we enter a season that invites reflection and thankfulness, this guest post by author Denise M. Colby encourages us to slow down and notice the blessings woven into ordinary moments. In the midst of busy schedules, writing goals, and everyday life, choosing gratitude doesn’t have to be complicated — there are simple ways to practice gratitude that can shift our mindset and refresh our hearts in big ways.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this month, I wanted to share parts of a magazine article I wrote a few years back about the act of gratitude. I love reminders to be grateful in amongst the chaos of life. Including all the pieces that go with a writing career. I hope that it can be a source of encouragement to you.

Google defines gratitude as “the quality of being thankful; the readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” Wikipedia’s page takes it one step further and states; “Gratitude has been said to have one of the strongest links with mental health of any character trait. Grateful people are happier, less depressed, less stressed, and more satisfied with their lives and social relationships.”

I don’t know about you, but I would like to live a happier, less stressed life.

So how do we celebrate the act of gratitude?

We Can Show Gratitude With Words

Say ‘thank you’. It doesn’t matter how big or small the act is, saying these two words makes a difference. A quick email reply with the words thank you. If someone holds open the door, hands you something, pays you a compliment, or when the server delivers your food, just say thank you. It matters.

Write a note. Send a handwritten note to someone for whom you are grateful and tell them why. In my research I learned psychologists use this technique to help people with their overall mental health. Even just thinking about writing to someone you are grateful for can help.

Start a Gratitude Journal. I love to stop and think about what it is around me that I can be thankful for. It’s amazing the little things you will notice when you do this. Sometimes we’re so caught up in our to-do list, we don’t stop to appreciate what is going on around us. Like the baby birds chirping, or the sun shining so that the flowers will open and bloom. If writing in a journal seems a bit overwhelming, another option is to write out three things you are thankful for at the end of the each day in a plain journal, one page per day.

We Can Show Gratitude With Our Attitude

Change your perspective. Even in the mundane and ordinary parts of our life we can find ways to be grateful.

I have had to remind myself when the piles of Mount Clothesmore scream for attention, to say thanks for the clothes I have while I fold laundry. In the hurriedness of getting dinner on the table, I remind myself to say thanks for the options of what to put on the table, a table to sit at, and that it’s not the only meal for the day. When I get stopped at yet another red light, I stop and refocus my thoughts to be grateful for the vehicle I drive and the ability to be able to travel from one place to another.

These small things are what life is all about. Being grateful for even the stressful stuff will help us deal with it better.

We Can Show Gratitude With Our Actions

Be kind. Kindness is defined as the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Hold open the door, place flags on a cemetery grave, smile and say hi to a stranger. Celebrate someone else’s success, say a kind word, be encouraging in all your Facebook comments, offer to help, give compliments, and refuse to gossip. And don’t forget to be kind to yourself too.

Show grace. Grace means different things to people, but the dictionary’s definition is “goodwill”. Synonyms include the terms tenderness, compassion, generosity, and kindness. None of us are perfect and we will make mistakes. Forgiveness, patience, understanding, or even just a hug to let someone know you care, can go a long way.

This year, as we celebrate Thanksgiving, let us all show a little more gratitude toward others and ourselves.

And as a postscript note:

Since we are writers, I wanted to show my own acts of gratitude with saying thank you to my fellow authors and my publisher Scrivenings Press. The love and support from our writing family is something I’m truly thankful for. We don’t get to interact in person with one another much, but sharing social media posts, blog posts, emails, and everything in between has a huge impact in encouraging me to keep writing. So, thank you! Sending you all a big hug.

Passionate about all types of stories—whether they are from songs, theatre, movies, or novels—Denise M. Colby loves history and constantly finds herself contemplating how it was to live in the 1800’s. Combining her love of learning about history, and reading, Denise writes Christian historical romance novels. Her first novel, When Plans Go Awry, is the first novel in her Best-laid Plans series.

Born and raised in Northern California, Denise moved to Southern California for college and to dance in the parades at Disneyland, where she met her husband thirty years ago. A mother to three boys and soon to be daughter-in-love, Denise loves to read, watch movies with her family, sing 80’s and musical songs, tap dance, and spend date nights with her husband at ‘The Happiest Place on Earth’. She treasures the written word and the messages that can be conveyed when certain words are strung together. An avid journal writer, Denise usually can be found with a pen and notepad whenever she’s reading God’s word.

Every year Denise chooses a word to focus on. She shares her learnings about that word throughout the year on the two blogs she writes for. Sign up for her newsletter or you can follow Denise on her social media or visit those blogs by clicking on the links below: