Tomorrow is World Gratitude Day, and Thanksgiving is not long after.  The month of September is the beginning of the season of being grateful. Whether it’s for the people in our lives, the jobs we have or the food on our tables, there's plenty to be thankful for everyday. Leading up to the holidays, people take a step back and reflect.  Reflection during this season feeds the soul, and we encourage you to reflect & be thankful everyday for the rest of the year. At times it can be difficult to stay positive amidst the stressors of life from work-life balance, family issues, and daily struggles.  Perhaps you will find a few ways to focus on the positives and keep a thankful mindset from the following 6 tips.

6 Tips to Keep Positive and Be Grateful Every Day

Stay Positive.

We often need to trick ourselves into thinking positive thoughts. These thoughts can make or break your mindset, mood and behaviour. If you catch yourself thinking negatively or feeling ungrateful, find a truth statement to help remind you to think about the truth, and to keep you thinking on positive things.

Say It.

Words have the power to create change. The negative words that we use create a thought pattern. Conversely, positive words will create positive thoughts. It is the same with thanksgiving. Consciously choosing to say "Thank You" will build gratitude in your thinking and language. Soon it will not be a conscious effort to say it but will be part of your communication and thinking patterns.

Look for it.

Look around you. What do you see? Find the good in everything around you to keep a grateful perspective. Are you sitting on a comfy chair right now? Are you warm in your home? Even the fact that you can read this blog post on a device right now. Find the positives in your life and be thankful to have them.

Keep at it.

Keep at it. You may have days where you slip, and you want give-up but keep going.  With any change, it can be hard to maintain new behaviours. There will be days that you forget or don't want to keep at it. However, you can. Give yourself the grace to have off days and try again tomorrow. Be persistent and keep at it.

Practice It.

There are three primary learning methods; seeing, hearing and doing. Perhaps you are learning the guitar, or you play sports. You practice your skill to become better. Being thankful everyday is a skill that you must practice. Practice finding things that bring you joy and make you grateful, repeat your mantra. Practice your skills and be grateful every day.

Fake it.

When all else fails, fake it till you make it. This means you keep going, keep learning and keep trying. There will be days where you just can't find something positive, you don't have time to practice, you have nothing positive to say, and you just want to give up. On that day, fake it and wait until the next day comes. Hopefully, you won't have to fake it too long. Don't be thankful for only one season. We all have seen times where it is hard to see the light in the sludge that we are going through. Life is messy, and we can't always have a sunny disposition. However, having a thankful heart all year long it will keep those days from getting darker. Practice your gratitude this holiday and get someone something that shows you are grateful. Check out our selection of Giving Thanks Gifts HERE.