Gratitude is a special kind of attitude (It’s even in the name). It takes practice, commitment, and hard work. It’s not necessarily something that comes naturally to us. We have to really nurture our gratitude.

We don’t just spend every waking moment being gracious for all that we have. It’s a choice to be grateful for what we have. It’s not always on the tip of our tongue.

We want to be grateful people and so we say, “thank you” repeatedly, but that’s not the same thing as a persona of gratitude. A persona of gratitude is something that benefits both yourself and others. Gratitude is a constant state of mind.

Being grateful has many wondrous benefits for our lives. Gratitude gives us a positive look on life. We tend to see more of the good when we are in a mindset of gratefulness. The more you practice gratitude the more you can look at your day and pick out the littlest of things that you are unknowingly, extremely grateful for. Even the smallest of events in your day, can bring a smile to your face.

Maybe someone bought you a cup of coffee. That can seem like the biggest gesture of kindness when you are focused on gratitude. Maybe a silly picture made you laugh. Maybe the weather was awesome and beautiful. Maybe you got to sleep in an extra 20 minutes. All of these little things and so much more can add up to one amazing day when you are grateful for all that life gives you.

Our grateful look on life can also positively affect the people we interact with on a daily basis. When you express consistent gratitude towards all you are given, people notice. They notice how you enjoy life. They notice how kind you are when negativity isn’t weighing you down. It inspires others to get a new positive prospective on life. They want that glow of happiness you exude when you look at life with gratitude.

Now being grateful is not always the easiest thing to do. Like I said, it can take a lot of work and practice. It’s not natural to always look at everything with gratitude.

Something I’ve begun to use in order to work on my state of gratitude is a gratitude journal. Every night I sit down and write three random things I am grateful for from the day. It can be a person, and activity, a concept, or anything that I look back on with a smile. Even things that I was maybe not initially happy about, I can look back from a broader perspective and see how things have positively benefited or affected me.

Taking time at the end of every day to focus on the positive moments of my day have really helped my gratefulness for my life. There was a time when I looked at everything in my life with sadness but taking time to focus on the good has helped pull me out of that pit of self-pity. It has helped me realize how beautiful and wonderful life can really be if we let ourselves dwell on the good.

So, if you need a fresh look on life, try working gratitude into your daily routine. It will help you realize all the good there can be, and people will notice your positive behavior and attitude. You will feel happy and content knowing there’s so much to be grateful for.