Create an attitude of gratitude is one of the easiest steps we can take to improve our lives. Happiness we create for ourselves by showing our appreciation has important implications, both for ourselves and for those we come in contact with. The potential for appreciation to extend beyond these individuals also increases significantly – it can be very contagious. There are so many different ways that we can express an attitude of gratitude. Here are some:

Say “thank you”. This is the easiest way and well known to show appreciation for others. Say “thank you” is a great way to express your gratitude and can be done in several different forms. You can say it in person, by telephone, in a note or an email. Use of this when it is least expected can have significant results in raising the spirits of someone. For example, a small note to your child’s teacher and thanked for his hard work and patience could give him the energy boost it needs just when she most needed. You never know what effect it had on her, but she will have an effect.

Stop complaining from your life. Even as difficult as life can be sometimes to remember that there is always someone with worse things than you do. Constant complaining about what is wrong in your life will be to focus on that. The reverse is also true – focusing on what is right in your life will be to focus on that. Focus on the negative will bring you down while focusing on the positive lift you up.

Focus on what you have, not what you do not. This is very closely related to not complain about your life. Be grateful for what you have keeps you in a positive, while focusing on what you do not keeps you in a negative. By focusing on what you have, how little or how much it may be, is an expression of gratitude.

Model of your attitude. Modeling your attitude of gratitude is a great way to spread it to others. We’ve all heard the Golden Rule to “treat others as you want to be treated.” Showing your appreciation for other shows them that you like to be treated this way too. An attitude of gratitude can be very contagious!

Be happy with simple things and be aware of little things. Be grateful for small things in our lives is just as important (if not more) than to be thankful for great things. Our lives are filled with little things every day that we can be grateful. What about the parking place you found when you were late? Or the weather outside? How about the seller that came out of his way to help you? It may take a little practice, but there are many little things throughout the day we can be thankful for if we take the time to notice them.

Give someone else. This is the best way to show your gratitude attitude. There are so many different ways to give to someone else. You can offer your time to help the less fortunate or give you time to children in their mentoring. The possibilities are endless, but could make a huge difference in someone’s life without evening knowing it. If in turn give it to someone else, the cycle could continue endlessly.

Keep a gratitude journal. Let’s be honest: there are some days where it is difficult to find something to be grateful. Keep a gratitude journal can help it. There are preprinted journals so you can just fill in the blanks or you can make your own. The important thing is to find at least five things every day to be thankful for, no matter how big or small things are. A gratitude journal can serve two purposes: it will help you stop and remember what you are thankful for or it can serve as an inspiration on days when you find it difficult to find something to be thankful for reading in recent days.

Practice random acts of kindness. This may be one way the most fun and rewarding to live a life of gratitude, especially when it’s done anonymously. Surprise someone with something unexpected. You never know what it meant to them but it will probably make their day. Try putting a note in your child’s lunch or bring treats to the office to share. Even a small gesture can mean so much to someone.

Live a life of gratitude is one of the easiest ways to live a happier life. It takes very little effort to show someone that you appreciate them, but means so much to them. There are so many ways to make gratitude a part of our lives and to spread the attitude of others. Make this day you start living a life of gratitude and spread your light to the world!