It’s so easy to resort to annoyance, irritation and even anger when we’re dealing with people we’ve known for years. Whether it be our partner, our parents, our siblings, our friends or our co workers. Irritation and annoyance are sometimes easier than understanding and patience. However on top of those feelings not being very fun feelings to feel, they also allow us to hide from our own extreme imperfections. You see, none of us are perfect, and we need to remember that fact more often. We get stuck in our own world and do things that are extremely irritating and annoying to others, yet we typically justify our own actions. While there are a lot of issues that arise from doing this, there is one in particular I’d like to explore today. The more we are irritated with others and the less we hold ourselves to the same standards, the more likely we are to fail to show gratitude. If we think we are typically in the right and everyone around us is an idiot, the more likely it is we are going to miss all the extremely wonderful, kind, thoughtful, intelligent and interesting things the people around us do.

Even if you don’t think everyone around you is an idiot, most people have a hard time showing gratitude for those around them. It could be because we don’t take the time to notice, or that we don’t know how to express it. Either way, we need to work on that. Showing appreciation and gratitude to others is extremely simple and has massive benefits. I encourage you to think of a time when someone gave you a genuine compliment, or unexpectedly thanked you for something. How did that make you feel? Probably pretty damn good. The thing with showing gratitude is that the more you do it, the easier it becomes and the more you tend to receive it back. Plus, because of it, you’ll be a happier person.

I want you to take a minute and honestly think about this next question. Can you off the top of your head, remember the names of the last five people you expressed gratitude towards? That question isn’t meant to shame anyone, but to highlight how showing gratitude isn’t typically part of most of our days. That changes today. From today moving forward let’s all try to be a little more appreciative. We’re quick to call foul on others lack of appreciation towards us, but we often don’t call foul on ourselves. If we all made a more conscious effort to praise, thank, appreciate, and show gratitude we’d all be a lot happier. My challenge to you is to complete the little tasks below. Feel free to comment and share with us how your gratitude challenge went. Did it make those around you happier? Did it make you happier?

Assuming someone knows you’re grateful for them is dangerous. It is important to recognize that being grateful, also means expressing that gratitude. So go out and spread the love, showing gratitude is good for everyone!

Gratitude Challenge:

1. Right now list out the names of five people who have positively impacted your life in the last few years. Write them a note, text, or give them a call thanking them for that impact.

2. For one week, every time you feel yourself getting annoyed or irritated with someone whether it be your partner, coworker, parent, friend etc., stop yourself and instead replace those feelings with feelings of gratitude for that person. Later on share what that grateful thought was with them.

3. For two minutes straight, write down everything that makes you feel grateful in life.

4. Reflect on the people in your life. Is there someone who deserves way more praise than they receive?  How can you start to give them that praise more often?

5. Who are the people who if they were to die tomorrow, you’d regret not telling them how thankful you were to have had them in your life?  Let them know how you feel today.