- Where in your day to day life do you need to put more emphasis on gratitude? What part of your life have you been taking for granted or disregarding? Where do you want to show thankfulness in a deliberate way?
- It would do our heads and hearts well to rest our wallets regularly, recognizing what we already have. How can you simplify your spending this week, making use of what you’ve already purchased?
- Gratitude is a choice, not a feeling. Consider your work-life, work-place, and co-workers. If your brother/sister asked you to list five things you were most grateful for about your job, what would you say?
- Each of us has the ability to choose our response to a given situation. But just like a muscle takes time to strengthen, practice is required to develop the mindset and coordination to respond well. Consider one of the toughest seasons of your life. Write down one thing you are now thankful for in hindsight, as a result of that difficult time.
- We would do well never to take for granted the gifts in our lives, nor miss the opportunity to recognize them. List five of the resources you have access to that bring peace of mind to your life each day (i.e. grocery/farm store, running (warm!) water, church community, etc.).
- Healthy people choose to fill their hearts and minds with gratitude at every opportunity – like a traveler filling a canteen for a long journey. Consider and write down three ways you can encourage your family to express gratitude for the companions in their lives (i.e. begin a family gratitude journal; count gratitudes around the dinner table; articulate about the day’s moment they were most grateful for before going to bed…).
- It is infinitely valuable to role model gratitude, recognition, and appreciation in our relationships. List five of the most important people in your life, outside of your family members. Why are they so valuable? Take one minute for each of the five and write down what you appreciate about them.
