3 Signs You Are Becoming a Truly Grateful Person

Do you mean it when you say thank you?

If the global health pandemic had struck 2 years ago, I can assure you, I wouldn’t have responded in this way.

Not too long ago, I was in the middle of a conversation with a former colleague who I hadn’t spoken to in months. They rang to find out how I was. After all, entering into a world of lockdown didn’t exactly feature on either of our ‘to-do’ lists for 2020.

Here’s what I said:

“I’m grateful my family is safe and well, and that I’ve been able to enjoy the sunshine.” (London isn’t exactly known for having good weather).

Yep, I actually said this. I was shocked. Since when did I start telling people how grateful I am?

Maybe I’ve matured as an individual. Maybe I’ve learnt to become more accepting of situations. Maybe this is the new me.

Either way, I like this version. It’s calming, friendlier, less agitated. By no means do I consider myself to be truly grateful about everything life has to offer. I still have a long way to go, but I’m getting there, slowly.

In one simple conversation, almost by fluke, I am reminded of the need to express a moment of gratitude every once in a while.

And with that, here are 3 signs to be on the lookout for when exploring the world of gratitude and the beauty it has to offer.

#1. Do You Mean It When They Say “Thank You”?

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” — John F. Kennedy

I know what you’re thinking. You say thank you all the time. Well, so do I.

But how many times do you actually mean it? How many times do you truly reflect on what you’re grateful for?

If like me, you find yourself trying to accomplish as much as possible within the space of 24 hours, the answer is probably a meagre “not many”.

It is easy to react with ‘thank you.’ It is much harder to respond with gratitude.

Try this for an experiment: the next time somebody does you a favour, or does something nice for you, resist the urge to immediately express your thanks. Let some time pass. Reflect on what just happened.

And after a while, after you’ve taken a moment to process the kindness in their gesture, wander over to them, return their call, drop them a text, and say to them, “Thank you for what you did earlier. It really meant a lot.”

I guarantee you’ll catch them off-guard and you’ll have made their day 10 times better than it once was. And by the way, you’ll feel pretty damn good about yourself too.

Find ways to say thank you by meaning it. That’s the first step towards becoming truly grateful.

#2. Finding Time to Self-Reflect

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” — Robert Brault

Truly grateful people will always find moments to press ‘pause’ throughout their day. Obvious methods of doing so include going for a walk, meditating, journaling, or simply sitting still for a few minutes.

They might even do all of the above.

Importantly, they make sure they give their minds a break. They gift themselves the chance to reconnect with how good their day’s been.

They remind themselves how fortunate and privileged they are to have had such a good week. Or if it’s been a challenging one, they acknowledge that there was something to learn from those difficulties encountered.

By giving yourself a daily moment of pause, you are taking the time to notice what’s great about every aspect of your life, not what’s missing from it.

#3. Appreciating What You Have Means Giving It Your Best

“Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.” — Brian Tracy

Those who are appreciative of their surroundings will almost always give their best efforts to whatever they do.

Such people know how blessed they are to have landed a job offer that turned down 100 other candidates. And even if it means they have to once again start at the bottom of the corporate ladder and work their way up, they tell them themselves: “Well, at least I have a job. Some people don’t right now. Hopefully this one takes me to where I want to go in my career.”

Grateful people know that life could have taken a very different turn, and they are grateful it didn’t. After all, they could have been among the other 99 applicants that were rejected.

By giving your best to everything you do, you are demonstrating how appreciative you are of the opportunity that has been handed to you.

Final Thought

“The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.” — Dalai Lama

Being grateful is about appreciating what you have, not stressing about what you don’t. It’s a mindset worth forming in order to reap the love that life has to offer.

If you want to become more grateful in life, start with the following:

1. Say ‘Thank you’ and mean it. Pause before you respond. The gratitude effect becomes stronger.

2. Take time to reflect on what’s good in your life.

3. Give your best efforts to everything you do.

And by the way, thank you for reading.