The active experience of gratitude in your life enhances personal power. It increases your sense of empathy so know that you are on the right path and improving. When your guilt stems from empathy and compassion for others, change your mindset.
It is hard at times. There can be occasions when you feel guilty for spending on life’s luxuries. The feelings of compassion, empathy, and guilt for those who will never have the same.
Of all the ways there are to increase your personal power, gratitude tops them all. Being appreciative for everything you have and having the desire to help others to feel the same level of appreciation.
Visualize the look on others people faces when you do something for the greater good.
3 Ways to Feel Grateful Without Feeling Guilty
Return the Favor
When you feel compassion for others who have less than you, the best way to give is to be of service. Not by giving away money because you can’t buy happiness.
You can give away happiness, and that’s just by giving people something you know they will appreciate. Your time. If you then feel guilty about not having the time to be of service, an online search for a local charity is where to donate because there are voluntary organizations that need the cash to help provide for those in need. You can donate to registered charities in under ten minutes. You do have time.
Do Your Best to Stop Comparing
Comparisons are the pathway to negative emotions that eat away at your positive power. The instant you start comparing yourself, your feelings, attitude and what you have in comparison to others, you are opening yourself up for guilt.
From a young age, we are taught that we should be grateful for everything we get because others are worse off. So, guilt is ingrained us. That needs let go. Just be grateful without bringing a comparison into it.
Be There For Your Loved Ones
Being grateful for the people you have in your life – as support, mentors, friends, and shoulders to lean on – can bring about guilt too. How can I say (or write) I’m grateful for my family when I act like work’s my main priority? Decide to make the change and spend quality time with those you’re grateful to have in your life. Do a home visit, a video call or phone the person. Don’t just type things into private messages on social media.
Speaking to people instead of text messages strengthens relationships. Use your guilt to drive change for the better. Don’t let it deplete your energy.
5 Benefits of Gratitude
Showing your gratitude can be a great way to spread positive feelings in the world around you. When you think about it, reaching your goals starts with a single positive thought.
How do you feel when someone sincerely expresses his or her gratitude to you for something you did? Doesn’t it make you feel good about yourself? These positive feelings can lift you up, boost your enthusiasm, and motivate you to achieve even more.
Feeling grateful for what you have can produce the same good feelings and sustain your drive toward your goals.
This shows how gratitude can have some seriously positive snowball effects.
Here are some of the benefits you will reap:
- Reaching your goals. When you feel grateful, it tends to be a lasting and selfless feeling. It’s much more than just a momentary burst of positive energy; it has staying power that will provide a great boost for you to reach your goals.
- When you express your gratitude to others, ensure that you’re open and expressive. People don’t know what you’re thinking; hearing it can make all the difference.
- Strengthened relationships. There are many ways you can express your gratitude to your loved ones, including saying, “Thank you,” writing a letter, or giving them a thoughtful gift. When you learn to avoid taking your loved ones for granted, you’ll have a long lasting and loving relationship.
- Showing gratitude is a two way street. Learn how to effectively express your gratitude and, just as importantly, to receive it as well.
- Improved communication. Gratitude can mean better communication all around. By expressing your gratitude to strangers, they’ll be more likely to show an interest in helping you, too.
- Gratitude is such a powerful entity that it can even help you communicate with your pets! They should be appreciated too.
- More effective constructive criticism. No matter how we express constructive criticism, it often makes the recipient defensive or even angry. No one likes a blow to the ego. In this situation, a grateful attitude can take you a long way. You can express criticism quite effectively when you also emphasize what you appreciate about them.
- Preserving memories. You can preserve memories in a positive way when you keep a gratitude journal. You’ll be able to enjoy your memories again and again when you read about these happy times in the future.
Show Your Gratitude Every Day
Showing gratitude to others may seem like a selfless act, but it’s something that you also benefit from. When you show your gratitude every day, you change the way you think.
You’ll appreciate your good life when the majority of your thoughts remain positive. Negative thoughts can sometimes be overwhelming, and just because you have them doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. They happen to everyone, but you can strive to keep them to a minimum with the help of a grateful attitude.
One way to show your gratitude every day is to remind yourself of the big picture when a negative thought arises. If a petty argument with your spouse makes you feel angry and heated, take a deep breath and think for a moment. Remember that the argument is not permanent and, instead, feel grateful for the gift of this relationship.
Our days on this earth are numbered so we must cherish the time that we do have and enjoy the benefits of living each day as if it were our last.
13 Ways to Express Gratitude
One of the most powerful phrases in the English language is “thank you.”
With those two words, you can express appreciation for a kind gesture or service someone has done for you. These words have the power to make someone’s day. When you want to go the extra mile in expressing gratitude, try one of these 23 ways to say “thanks”.
Try these ideas to get you going:
- Express your gratitude with a smile and the other person will almost always smile back. If that person is having a bad day, a smile could be just the thing that turns their day around.
- Send a note. If you’re shy, you may find it easier to express yourself in writing. If writing intimidates you, simply write a short note expressing your gratitude. Your heartfelt words will mean more to the recipient than the most beautiful prose or poetry.
- Buy a unique gift. Look for a small item that you can give as a token of your appreciation. If you’re unsure of what to get, try buying them coffee or sending them chocolates. You can also ask their friends for ideas. Check out my post on gift ideas for the women in your life.
- Invite them out. Say “thank you” with a dinner or time together doing something fun that you both enjoy.
- Share your story. Brag to others about what someone has done for you. They’ll likely hear about how highly you’re speaking of them. Better yet, brag about them to others in front of them. This will improve their reputation and their confidence at the same time.
- Offer a favor. Let the person choose what kind of favor they’d like from you. A small favor can often help someone out in a big way.
- Buy them a ticket to an event. Find a local concert or show that they would enjoy and buy them tickets.
- Contribute to a charity. Find out what your recipient is passionate about and then make a donation to an appropriate charity in their name.
- Add a personal touch. Say “thank you” with a homemade gift. The person will recognize your thoughtfulness and appreciate the gesture. You can hand craft a card or make a photo slideshow. Create something sentimental that truly shows your appreciation. You might like my post on beading jewelry.
- Phone call. Sometimes a simple phone call is all you need to get your message across. In addition to a phone call to say “thank you,” call on a regular basis to see how they’re doing. Offer your friendship.
- Give them a “Gift of the Month.” For someone who’s always doing nice things for you, consider a gift subscription to their favorite magazine. You can also prepay for a subscription to a “book of the month” club that features books that interest them. Some friends of mine really love their UrthBox subscriptions. My kids love Groovy Lab in a Box – this one is a great idea for homeschooling families!
- Give a gift certificate. If you’re having trouble figuring out the perfect thank you gift, consider a gift certificate to a local mall or online store that sells a variety of different merchandise. That way, they’re sure to get something they like.
- Bake some cookies. If you love to bake, your talents can be a sweet way to show your gratitude. Everyone appreciate delicious, homemade desserts.
The only limit is your imagination. If you go the extra mile to show someone you’re genuinely grateful, the gesture will be remembered for a long time to come. Strengthen a significant relationship in your life today. Choose one of these ideas or come up with your own, and say “thank you” to someone special in a meaningful way.
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