A Different Kind of Gratitude Challenge

Gratitude is incredibly powerful. A few weeks ago, I was encouraged to start a month of gratitude for November. I started practicing it a bit and was surprised at what a difference it made in not only my daily life but in the life of others. While it's easy to focus energy on Thanksgiving day, the preparations leading up to the day aren't often celebrated with gratitude. Let me take that back, some of you have taken to social media to type out daily gratitude. That's great! I think there is so much importance in recognizing daily gratitude, but this challenge is a bit different, and I think it has the potential to be really impactful. Read on.

A Different Kind of Gratitude Challenge

I have always been a letter writer. Long after summer camp was over when I was a kid, I was writing weekly letters to friends I had just met. I remember flipping through a book at the library called The Pen Pal book that had kids' bios from all over the world complete with their addresses {so much creepy potential there...let's not think about it!} and trying to carefully decide who would become my new best friend on pen and paper. In college, I had an office job and I used to create stationery for friends from photos we had together xeroxing them and writing sentiments on warm paper. I have a box of Hallmark cards my husband and I sent to each other during months of long-distance dating in the late 90s. 
Lately, though, I'll craft a text for a friend and forget to send it. I'll think of an e-mail I should write and I'll dictate it all in my head but I'll never type it out. I still write handwritten notes, but not as often as I used to. 
But those handwritten notes you get in the mail are still the first thing you open aren't they? A text from a friend who noticed something about you will bring a smile to your face. An email thanking you for doing something, even if it's your job, will instantly change your mood. A stranger complimenting you can change your whole perspective.

That's why I am challenging you to take this month of November and express gratitude. 
There are no real rules outside of just taking the time to express gratefulness to someone each day. You can do this through a text, an email, a note in the mail, or a compliment. 
While I think it's important to write what you are grateful for down, I think that the ripple effect of actually thanking someone can be so very powerful. 
Here are some ideas of people you can add to your list to thank for November:

25 People to Thank in November

1. A new friend2. A long-time friend3. A mom/dad at the store4. A teacher (past or present)5. Your partner6. Parent(s)7. Grandparent(s)8. A sibling or extended family member9. A caregiver (yours or someone else's)10. Your mail carrier 11. Your delivery driver12. A cashier13. A mentor14. Someone who has invested in your life or your child's life15. A trusted babysitter16. Your neighbor17. Grocery clerk18. Coffee shop barista19. The librarian20. A coworker21. A boss22. The trash collector23. A gardener24. Your local firefighter/police officer25. A front desk clerk
Several of these ideas can be used more than once. They really are here to get your mind to start thinking about the people who cross your path every single day. So who is on your list?
I really hope you'll join me in taking time every day to express gratitude to others in this way. Won't you join me?
I'll be sharing reminders on social media with graphics you can share too. Follow me on Instagram. And if you have a really cool interaction because of it {I know you will!}, share it with me! @msrachelteodoro!


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