“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” —William Arthur Ward

The struggle to feel content is something that many struggle with today. Especially with the advent of social media, and the immediate access that many of us have to what everyone else is up to. We can see what our friends (or even strangers) have, or are doing, and if we’re not careful, can begin to measure our own satisfaction in relation to what we see all around us. We may begin to focus on what we don’t have, or haven’t experienced.

But there’s a simple antidote to this: choosing to express gratitude.

When we’re grateful, the feelings of discontent begin to dissipate. It’s almost impossible to feel discontent and to express gratitude at the same time. Because when we’re thankful, we shift our focus from what we don’t have to what we do — from what we lack to what we’ve been given.

Giving Back

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” —William Arthur Ward

But feeling grateful and showing gratitude are not identical. Feelings of gratitude may help us feel better, but until we express gratitude to someone for what they’ve done, they’ll never never know how we feel.

Perhaps they’ve done things for us we could never repay. But one thing we can do is give them a heart-felt thank you. It lets them know we value them and what they’ve done — that they have not been overlooked or taken for granted.

Today, as we celebrate Thanksgiving, we have a great opportunity to reflect on who and what we have to be thankful for. But may we not stop at simply feeling grateful. May we also choose to express our thanks to those around us. Not only will it help cure the feelings of discontent of our own soul, but it can also brighten the lives of those around us.


Question: Who can you express gratitude to today?