Sometimes we get a reminder to practice gratitude when not expecting it.
Before the pandemic, I had lunch with my friend Alice about once a week. At a Chinese restaurant, she noticed a “Practice Gratitude” message written on the chalkboard in the bathroom.
What does it mean to Practice Gratitude?
Practice Gratitude means to be thankful often. We can share our gratitude with others by thanking them.
We can do something nice for them and write thank you notes. We can have gratitude even when things are not going as well as we would like. For example, I chose gratitude instead of complaining about my neighbor’s loud wind chimes.
Have you ever tried to go a day without complaining about anything? Complaining is the opposite of gratitude. This is an area where I struggle as it is so much easier to complain.
It will take time to replace a complaining habit with one of gratitude. Even if you are not expressing gratitude people will surely notice if your complaining stops.
A sign in the bathroom of Chinese restaurant can be the reminder and inspiration that we need. Something as simple as going for a walk provide the inspiration to make a gratitude list.