(I know I’ve shared portions of this before, but it bears repeating again…)

One of my all-time favorite performers is the iconic legend, Carol Burnett.  My family would eagerly gather around our TV every Saturday evening to marvel, laugh, and share memorable moments reveling in the sublime work of a talented group who weekly created the famous comedy hour known as The Carol Burnett Show.  She always did a thoughtful gesture at the end of each show in tribute to her beloved grandmother while she sang the closing song each week.  In several interviews, she remarked it was her unwritten, non-verbal way of sending love and a huge THANK YOU note each week to the one who never gave up on her.

Shakespeare famously noted:  “I can no other answer make but thanks, thanks, and ever thanks…”  In the spirit of my gratefulness for your part in my journey these past 30 days, please allow me a little poetic license to offer these two simple words:  THANK YOU.

A THANK YOU has the power to transform our health, happiness, performance, personal excellence, and ultimate success.  Researchers note how grateful people are happier and more likely to maintain strong friendships.  An attitude of gratitude is shown to improve the heart’s rhythmic functioning, which helps us to reduce stress, think more clearly under pressure, and heal faster physically.  My own cardiologist tells me it is actually physiologically impossible to be stressed and thankful at the same time!  When you are grateful you flood your body and brain with positive reactions (and those important endorphins) to uplift and energize rather than drain you.

Gratefulness is similar to a muscle in the body though—the more we use it, the stronger it gets.  In the spirit of our 30 Days of Gratefulness, here are 3 simple (but not always easy) suggestions to practice daily in order to assist us in strengthening gratefulness beyond today…

1. Keep a Gratefulness Journal:  Take a walk/talk/squawk opportunity to write down, say out loud, pray, meditate, and more exactly what you are grateful for that day; it’s a mindset for choosing to focus on gratefulness in a purposeful way.
2. Take a Gratefulness Tour:  Write and send a letter or card each week expressing your gratitude to others in your life – or – visit them to share your gratefulness in person.
3. Purposefully say “THANK YOU” to someone every single day: When we take time to sincerely and authentically express our appreciation to someone, we definitely help ourselves in the process.

While these work best for me, please do what works best for you!

So on Day #30:  What one thing will you commit to do in developing your own personal plan to practice gratefulness each day?

THANK YOU for walking this gratefulness journey with me these past 30 days.  THANK YOU for sharing your thoughts verbally and in writing, reflecting with me and each other, while sharing JOY in simply being grateful together!  Let’s find ways to continue encouraging and uplifting each other while keeping the importance of daily gratitude, gratefulness and grace alive and well each day, my friends! 🙂