Saying “Thank you” is Hard! Here are Some Ideas To Make It a Bit Easier.

By Abigail Lashmr

With Thanksgiving right around the corner the question “What are you grateful for?” will be thrown at you 100 times, inevitably. This is a question that I always struggled with personally Either I wouldn’t know what qualified as something I was grateful for or I would have something in mind and have not one clue how to express it. I want to remind you that is totally okay! First: How to recognize. This is a topic I struggled with a lot. Someone asks what you’re appreciative of and I would say “family” and “friends” and “food” or “clean water”. None of these things are wrong answers, in fact, they are significant things to show your appreciation towards!However, it’s sometimes fulfilling to think outside the box, something less common. I find personally it lets me connect with myself and the things I value more. For example: Instead of saying I value my friends, I name specific ones, and reach out to express such when I feel comfortable doing so. Instead of saying I am thankful for food, I’ll express (even just in my head) I’m appreciative of the meal I’m sitting down to enjoy. I find connecting more to specifics as opposed to a broad topic allows me to center myself and be appreciative of things within that very moment. In my opinion, it creates a deeper connection

Second: How to express.

This is a subject I feel most people struggle with. Please remember that’s okay! You don’t need to be a pro at this from the start. When I first started actively trying to show my gratefulness more frequently I started simply by acknowledging things in my head. Bringing my mind to pay attention to things I note as being important to me. This may be transferred into a journal if you like to write things down. Even taking pictures is a great way to document this! Going through your camera roll to find snapshots of memories is a great way to look back on the things that really impacted you. Another important aspect is expressing how you’re feeling to the public. My personal favourite way to do this is by sending messages to those people in my life that I value and actually telling them that I feel that way. This could be in person, through text, or any other way that you’re able to connect to people. You may prefer to express these feelings through the art of any kind. It’s not an obligation to share any feelings of gratitude you may have. However, consider how much closer it could bring you to other people and to yourself in general! I hope everyone has a good thanksgiving. I’m very grateful you took the time to read through this edition of the bolt, I appreciate you!