I’m a firm believer that the more we speak about gratitude, the kinder people become. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to cultivate and spread gratitude. Start with your family and folks. We often forget that Thanksgiving Day isn’t about food and drinks only. It’s the day when we all should say ‘Thank you’ without any reason. Being thankful for anything and anyone you have in life is the art that you should definitely master and teach your kids. Honestly, I have toxic parents who never stop bringing me down, but I’m still thankful for them because someone has no parents at all. Whether you are a loner or you have a large family, here are some gratitude activities you may want to enjoy on Thanksgiving Day:
1. Grateful drawing
Recently, I had a wonderful opportunity to visit the kids who can’t talk and hear. They are so cute and positive. I felt their gratitude and positive energy. They express it without words. They draw it. Right after that event, I went to a local bar where I met my friends. I spent at least two hours listening to their complaints. Financial problems. Boyfriend dramas. Family issues. Debts. Terrible bosses. It’s so overwhelming. I was guilty of moaning too. Luckily, I’ve almost got rid of this habit.
A few years ago, I was invited to a little Thanksgiving party where the guests were asked to express gratitude through art. It was a bit awkward because I’m not good at drawing, but surely I tried. I liked it. Now it’s my family tradition too. If you have no words to express your gratitude, grab some piece of paper and colored pencils or crayons and start drawing. Regardless of what you draw, you will feel proud of yourself and realize how thankful and happy you are. Why not draw the things or people you are grateful for in life?
Read also – 8 Wonderful Family-Friendly Thanksgiving Activities
2. Grateful quotes
Reading grateful quotes on Thanksgiving will inspire every one of you to rethink your lifestyle and re-evaluate the things you already have. If you have kids, ask them to do it for you. Just like positive and inspiring quotes, grateful quotes have their own power to change people’s minds. They teach us many precious lessons and boost our spirits. With all those to-do lists, you probably rarely have time to read something. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to start changing your life.
3. Thanksgiving scrapbook
With guests or alone, create a Thanksgiving scrapbook that you will be using during the hard times in the coming year. Ask your family or guests to write down the lists of the things they are thankful for in life and write your own list as well. Add all those lists along with some family pictures and grateful quotes to your Thanksgiving scrapbook and keep it handy. You can create a few scrapbooks for each family member or guest. This way, you will support them during difficult times without even talking to or seeing them.
4. Grateful words
Tell each other the reasons why you all are thankful for having one another. Grateful words might be much better than any beautiful compliments. Just right before the dinner, ask everyone to tell their grateful words to each guest. If you’re going to spend Thanksgiving alone, express your gratitude for yourself. Look in a mirror and say your grateful words. No regrets. No negative words. Only kind words. It’s crucially important to love yourself no matter what. As ridiculous and weird as it may sound, you deserve those words. Thanksgiving is a holiday for everyone.
Read also – 10 Grateful Things to Do between Sunrise and Sunset
5. Grateful actions
While most people are now talking about helping people in need, I want to ask every one of you to help animals in need. Don’t ignore them. Whether it’s a squirrel, a bird or a stray dog, feed them. Just like humans, animals want to eat and drink. Imagine yourself spending a few days without water and food or dying because of hunger. Stray animals need our help. Every day thousands, if not millions, of animals die because of hunger.
This Thanksgiving start a new habit of helping animals – at least every other day. Teach your children to love and respect animals. Many children torture animals to death and it’s a warning sign because today they kill an animal and tomorrow they will kill a human. Of course, it doesn’t mean you should ignore people in need. Bake some little pies and donate them to your local food bank. Or invite your neighbor who has no one to celebrate Thanksgiving with. Your grateful actions will be praised, trust me.
Thanksgiving is all about gratitude and grateful actions, not the food. Don’t be selfish. Think about others too. It’s never too late to change yourself and your habits. From my experience, kind and grateful people live better lives than those whose hearts are filled with anger, envy and selfishness. What are your favorite gratitude activities? What are you thankful for in life?