The more you recognize and express gratitude for the things you have, the more things you will have to express gratitude for. ~Zig Ziglar

I’ve posted about gratitude too many times to count, and yet I keep finding more and more quotes about the importance of gratitude.  It’s not just enough to be grateful, you should express it too.  But what does an expression of gratitude look like?  I’ve actually given this a lot of thought lately, given my mood of late, and I’ve decided that like happiness, expressions of gratitude are personal and are different for each and every person.

I am not an overly effervescent person.  Don’t get me wrong, I can laugh up a storm, and I’m not afraid to cry, but I generally try very hard to keep my feelings to myself.  Side note, that doesn’t always work when you’re in a relationship.  The point is my expressions of gratitude are going to look entirely different than yours. It’s not right, it’s not wrong, it just is.

Given my generally cranky mood of the last few weeks, I’ve been doing a lot of self-reflection trying to figure out what’s up, and one of the things I have realized is that I haven’t been very grateful lately.  I may not have the dream house yet, but I have a place to live.  I don’t own my car free and clear, but I have a car and a way to make my car payment.  I may not be a size 5 (okay, I’m never going to be a size 5) but I’m fairly healthy, which so very important.  My children may not have become millionaires yet and aren’t supporting me in the manner to which I could very quickly become accustomed, but both my kids graduated college with honors and are gainfully employed.  When it comes right down to it, I have so many things to be grateful for.  I need to start focusing on that and expressing my gratitude.  I’m probably never going to be a stand up and shout to the heavens kind of person.  That’s okay because my expressions of gratitude are mine and mine alone.  I just have to remember to express them and so do you.  Honestly, it makes such a difference.  Try it.  What do you have to lose?

I’m always interested in hearing what you have to say, so please feel free to log in to the comments section and share your thoughts, opinions and suggestions.