5 simple ways to celebrate world gratitude day

Today, September 21, is World Gratitude Day. First celebrated in 1965, the purpose of this special day is to create an opportunity for us to step back and express our thankfulness and appreciation for all the things and people in our lives. 

To say that this year has been rough on all of us is an understatement. We’ve all been through a lot, either directly or indirectly. And this is the precise reason why we must make gratitude a priority in our lives. Rather than focusing on what went wrong, it’s much better to focus on things that went right. Rather than focusing on what or who we lost, it’s much better to focus on what or who we still have. 

We must rise above the despair and the darkness that surrounds us, and the best way to do that is by cultivating gratitude and appreciating the positive aspects of our lives and all the goodness around us.

Here are five simple ways to celebrate this special day:

1. Be grateful for your good health: Now is a perfect time to reflect on the past few months and all the troubles that you went through. And as you do that, be grateful for making it through those dark and challenging times with your health intact. Even if you fell victim to this pandemic, feel grateful that you battled it and won over it, successfully recovering from the disease.
2. Start a gratitude journal: Today is a great time to start your own gratitude journal. Commit to writing a few things that you’re thankful for every day. This will prime your brain to look for all the good things in your life. Simply being grateful for even the tiny things can help put everything in life into a proper perspective and make you realize how fortunate you truly are. 
3. Express your thankfulness to the essential workers and the Corona warriors: How about saying a heartfelt thank you to all the people who are fighting on the frontline and/or putting their lives in danger to serve all of us? These are extraordinary people, to say the least, and we must appreciate and acknowledge them. We must give thanks to the people who regularly perform duties that keep us safe and make our lives easier and streamlined. Also, we must show our gratitude to volunteers, community leaders, and countless others who are giving of themselves with no expectation of recognition or reward in return. Where would we be without their relentless service and contribution?  
4. Appreciate the positives of technology: The Internet has been a game-changer in our lives and communicating with each other online has been a huge blessing during this global health crisis. Whether it be holding work meetings, attending classes, and completing school projects and assignments, or simply interacting with friends and family, none of them would be possible without modern technology. So, it makes sense to cultivate gratitude towards technology and all its positives today.
5. Practice self-love and be grateful for who you are: It’s easy to fall in the trap of self-judgment and let our inner critic run the show, especially when things don’t go our way. This is why we must learn to love ourselves and our imperfections (as cliché as it sounds). It’s important that we embrace our strengths and our uniqueness. So today, stop beating yourself and practice self-love and be thankful for who you are. Take some time out and listen to positive affirmations or guided meditations that help you feel better about yourself and your life.

PS: Practicing gratitude is not only a great way to incorporate mindfulness and awareness into our daily routine, but it also acts as a form of self-care and reorients us back to our humanness.

I’ve set up the 21-Day Karma Yogi Gratitude Challenge to help you just do that. To bring back gratitude in your life. To help you embrace positivity and start looking at things from a whole new perspective. To help you become a better version of yourself.

This challenge comprises 21 original and all-new actionable exercises to be implemented at a pace of one per day. They have been designed to eliminate negativity, frustration, anxiety, and restlessness, and help you bring a sense of gratitude and appreciation to your life.

I invite you to join me on this journey. It will not only help you become a better version of yourself but also unlock the success and abundance that you desire in your life.