[Money Mondays - 21 Ways to Express Gratitude in January] – The Next Six Ideas (#7-12)

Embracing gratitude to create more abundance and clarity in January will require creating new habits, commitment, and focus.

Here are the next six ideas for maximizing your efforts, to make your new lifestyle as joyful and stress-free as possible. 

7. Volunteer Your Time

Nothing helps us see our blessings more clearly than volunteering to help those who are in pain. Nothing helps us love others more than working with others for a common, positive goal.

You may already be donating money to do your part—and that’s wonderful. But volunteer your time too, and get out there in your community. When you help others, you quickly learn that you are the one blessed, with something to be grateful for, in the transaction.

8. Be Grateful for Your Business

What happened today in your business that made you happy or made you feel enriched? Which client had a breakthrough or made you feel appreciated? Which team member came through for you, or caught a potentially costly mistake?

Don’t be one of the millions who gush about their personal lives and treat their business, clients, and staff as part of the furniture. A little appreciation and gratitude go a long, long way to increasing our enjoyment of life in all its facets.

At the very least, finish with a message such as: “You’ve downloaded my nifty [XX ways to XX something”]. If you’ve found it useful, please share it with your peeps.” (Then include your SHARING BUTTONS.)

9. Reframe Your Conversation

Ever catch yourself complaining about someone or something? Ever berate yourself with negative self-talk?

Don’t. No matter how justified the former might be, you hurt yourself when you fall into negative thoughts. If something is wrong, tell the person directly and do your best to resolve it. Don’t complain in a forum or gossip with your best friend.

As for negative self-talk, if you don’t talk kindly to yourself, you’ll find it much harder to love others.

10. Forgive Yourself, as well as Others

Forgiveness is a wonderful healing tool, especially when you let go of old griefs and long-standing hurts. It often helps us more than it helps those we forgive. Forgiving does not mean forgetting. You can forgive someone, but not allow them to repeat hurtful behavior. You can forgive someone, recognizing they are stuck in a dark place, even when they are not sorry.

Forgiveness is liberating. It is an act; not a feeling … just as you are not your mistakes. You are a whole person who loves and evolves and grows. So, among all the other hurts and humiliations and mistakes you are forgiving, be sure to forgive yourself too.

11. Write Thank You Letters

Think of people in your life who make your life better. Write them thank-you letters … even if you never send them.

Putting in words what you appreciate about the people in your life (past or present) is a wonderful way of creating neural pathways of gratitude in your brain.

12. Say Your Own Grace

Even if you are not particularly religious, say a “Grace” when you put on a meal for family and friends. If you don’t want to say a prayer. Simply tell those at your table that you are grateful for each one of them.

Gratitude has a habit of spilling over into every aspect of your life—especially when you honor your body and mind with exercise, good food, rest and mindfulness. It’s like sunshine on a dark day, when it is genuine and really lived.

And pretty soon you will find that people are grateful for you!

Kae Wagner