Thanksgiving is the perfect time of year to reflect on what we’re grateful for and teach our kids the importance of gratitude. In a world where it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle, taking the time to show our children how to appreciate the little things can have lasting benefits. Studies have shown that practicing gratitude can lead to greater happiness, improved mental health, and stronger relationships—not just for adults, but for kids too!
Feeling gratitude for what you have is one thing, but having a little one in your life also provides that sweet opportunity to guide them on their own path of gratitude. And who better to do it than you?
November is known as the month of gratitude. This is the time of year to reflect, count our blessings, and appreciate the people who make our lives better. This is also the time of year we celebrate being kind to one another. World Kindness Day falls on November 13th of each year, reminding us of the need to be kind, considerate, and compassionate in our dealings with others.
But did you know that practicing kindness is also good for your health?
While it may seem obvious that January is a big month for sending out thank you cards, after all the holidays events and gifts the month before, January is also, officially, National Thank You Month. This is a great opportunity to incorporate gratitude and appreciation and also showcase some great ways to express your thanks. Especially, if you are parents, the benefits of becoming more intentional when saying ‘thank you’ include role modeling great behavior.
Here are some ways you can celebrate and give thanks this month:
Make a Gratitude List
First, begin by making a list of everyone and everything you are grateful for right now. This list will help you come up with ways to express your thanks to the people that matter the most.
Discover Their Love Language
To really give back in an impactful way, ask people about their love languages. This concept comes from a book called The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell.
The five languages are:
Physical Touch
Words of Affirmation
Gifts
Quality Time
Acts of Service
Once you identify the most effective way to show your love to someone, you can come up with some truly great ideas for expressing your thanks.
Make Cards in Batches
Spend some time filling out basic thank you cards that you can hand out in the moment to anyone who does you a good service or makes your day better.
Take Someone to Lunch
If there is someone especially deserving of thanks this month, consider taking them out to a meal, coffee or dessert this month.
Thank Every Day
Make it a point to be intentional about saying thank you to someone every day this month. If it helps, keep a journal to help you say on track. This could be the beginning of a new habit for you.
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Whether you’re buying, selling, refinancing, or building your dream home, I’m here to help you explore the many financing options available. Ensuring that you make the right choice for you and your family is my ultimate goal. I am committed to providing my customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations. Find out more by visiting my website.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner and that means millions of people will be sitting around dinner tables to share what they are thankful for this past year. Many will speak of friends, family, and co-workers who have positively impacted their lives in 2019.
But one area you should also be grateful for is your living space—be it a home, apartment, or wherever you hang your metaphorical hat. This Thanksgiving, take the time to show your gratitude for your home by treating it a little nicer. This will not only improve the feelings in your home but also help you feel more at rest and peaceful when you walk into it.
Choose one big project to complete — “Big” project in this case can be a relative term. Just choose one thing that you can do a deep cleaning of to help make your home feel like a better place. This can be something small like cleaning out the refrigerator and freezer or even just a shelf or two in the pantry. Or it can be a complete deep clean of the entire kitchen or bathroom. You can go out and do something that feels truly massive—like cleaning out the garage or attic storage or finally finishing that deck you’ve been wanting for years. Or it can be something as small as sweeping out the entryway, clearing away the cobwebs, and adding a new welcome mat.
Liven up the house — Another thing that you can do is appeal to two huge senses—that of sight and smell. Bring fresh flowers into your home to not only beautify the house visually, but also add some wonderful aromas to your living space. You can also add new air fresheners in each of your main rooms to help give the air a cleaner, fresher smell.
Add an accessory — Another way to liven up your house and show your gratitude towards it is to add one new accessory to your home. This can be a small piece of furniture like an end table—antique stores would be a great place to look for these. Or it can also be as simple as a new throw rug or runner in your entryway, a new lamp for the den, or even just a new tablecloth for the dining room table.
Rearrange and redecorate — Liven things up in your home by choosing one room to rearrange. This could be a small thing, like rearranging the layout of your den or bedroom by moving a few pieces of furniture. Or it can be a total redecoration with new paint and pictures to grace your walls. Whichever you choose, you will see an improvement in your home and your feelings toward it.
This Thanksgiving you should really take just a little bit of time to show your love and gratitude for your living space. By doing so, you can improve your feelings of happiness and joy each and every day.
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Whether you’re buying, selling, refinancing, or building your dream home, I’m here to help you explore the many financing options available. Ensuring that you make the right choice for you and your family is my ultimate goal. I am committed to providing my customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations. Find out more by visiting my website.
