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21 Things to be Thankful For Today (With Examples!)

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Being grateful is related to an increase in your happiness

Being thankful is linked to improved quality of sleep, 1. thankful for having a loving dog, 2. thankful for having a caring parent, 3. thankful for the good deeds that exist in this world, 4. thankful for enjoying time spent with my family, 5. thankful for a great show on netflix, 6. thankful for the beautiful sunlight, 7. thankful for the many good memories in my life, 8. thankful for having a roof above my head, 9. thankful for experiencing the struggles in life, 10. thankful for being able to go on walks, 11. thankful for spending time in nature, 12. thankful for getting to spend time with my girlfriend, 13. thankful for waking up each morning with the birds outside of my window, 14. thankful for appreciating music, 15. thankful for getting to be vulnerable, 16. thankful for seeing my strawberry plant grow, 17. thankful for the not-so-great stuff in life, 18. thankful for my life partner, 19. thankful for all the farmers and drivers who nourish us with fresh food, 20. thankful for technology, 21. thankful for the feeling of putting on a fresh pair of socks, wrapping up, why should you be thankful today.

As I mentioned in the intro, there are plenty of reasons to be thankful today.

Even when luck doesn’t seem to be on your side, it’s always good to try to consider some of the things that are still kind to you.

But why exactly should you be thankful? How exactly does a little gratitude improve your life? There have been multiple fascinating studies that prove multiple links between thankfulness and positive factors in life, but I want to highlight two of them here.

One of the most detailed studies on thankfulness was conducted in 2003 by Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough . They monitored the happiness of a group of people after having asked the following question:

“There are many things in our lives, both large and small, that we might be grateful about. Think back over the past week and write down on the lines below up to five things in your life that you are grateful or thankful for.”

The study showed that people were approximately 10% happier when encouraged to think of things they’re grateful for.

10 percent may sound inconsequential, but if you practice gratitude every day, these small improvements will compound and may improve your mental health in a significant way.

💡 By the way : Do you find it hard to be happy and in control of your life? It may not be your fault. To help you feel better, we’ve condensed the information of 100’s of articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet to help you be more in control. 👇

Don’t Miss Out On Happiness

Find happiness with this 10-step mental health cheat sheet.

In addition, another study reviewed the influence of gratitude on the quality of sleep.

This study tested whether individual differences in gratitude are related to sleep quality. Gratitude predicted greater subjective sleep quality and sleep duration, and less sleep latency and daytime dysfunction. These results were found after studying 400 people of all ages.

Long story short, thinking about things to be thankful for and grateful for before going to bed is linked to a better quality of sleep. This is also why it’s good to maintain a gratitude journal right before going to sleep!

What are you thankful for today?

Here are 21 examples of what you can be thankful for today. These examples are from real people, as I went online and asked around:

What is something that you are grateful for? For example, you can be grateful for someone smiling at you, for a beautiful sunset, or for some nice music that you recently listened to. Whatever comes to your mind is OK!

Who’s thankful: Suset Laboy

I am deeply grateful for my coffee-loving dog. Every morning, as soon as he smells the coffee my sister is making, he runs to the kitchen because he loves the smell. When she is done, he chases her to the couch and sit on her and tries to convince her to give him some coffee. It is both hilarious and heartwarming, and I have started looking forward to this little morning ritual that brings some much needed levity into our days.

Who’s thankful: Nancy Osoro

I always start my day with a little gratitude as soon as my feet hit the floor. But lately, I have been very grateful for my mom who is constantly reminding me to drink my fresh ginger tea to keep me healthy during these crazy and stressful times. Despite a 7-hour time difference, she makes it a point of calling every day. It makes me realize how lucky I am.

Who’s thankful: Leia Kalani

We live in a crazy world and it’s far too easy to only see the negative around us. I am so grateful every time I see someone do a good deed for someone else, even a small gesture can have a huge impact. Whether it’s helping a blind person cross the street, carrying groceries for the elderly, or even holding the door open for someone, these good deeds rekindle my belief in the good of humanity. It’s easy to get bogged down by society but opening your eyes and seeing the good can make you thankful that there are still good people in the world.

This list wouldn’t be complete without a specific mention of family.

The truth is, I love spending time with my family, mainly my parents, brother, and sister. I’m thankful for the time my brother, sister and I ran a marathon together. Or the many dinners at my parents’ with the entire family. Or when my father takes my brother and me to Austria for a couple of days of hiking in the mountains.

I am extremely thankful for having a loving family, and it’s something that I should always try to remember when I’m feeling down or unhappy.

Who’s thankful: Nancy Irwin

I’m grateful for the amazing cast, set designers, and costumes of The Crown. I am so grateful that I can curl up in a soft blanket on my sofa and binge this amazing educational, historical, fascinating show during my free time now.

Who’s thankful: Joy Rains

I’m grateful for sunlight! Yesterday afternoon, a sunbeam entered my home through the dining room window. Bright yellow circles of light landed on the legs of my dining room chairs. Each chair looked to be adorned with glistening jewels. I smiled, grateful to be a witness to nature’s magic.

This is something that I’m personally very grateful for in my life.

I keep an entire memory journal dedicated to remembering the many good memories of my life.

I find that remembering good memories helps me maintain a happy mind. Thinking back about that time that I laughed my ass off about something silly brings a smile to my face. This is something I try to do daily, whenever I find a moment to stand still and think about my life.

Who’s thankful: Tessa Hull

I’m grateful for knowing that I’m not “stuck” in the house but “safe” in the house while others out there cannot be so lucky, either not having a roof over their head or not feeling safe in their own home. Knowing how to reframe my thoughts when I’m feeling rubbish helps. I’m also super grateful for a steady supply of Italian cheese. Because not everything you’re grateful for needs to be so serious.

Who’s thankful: Noelle Creamer

Something that I am grateful for are struggles. To me, they are a gift. Rather than living a life of luxury and ease, my struggles over the years have taught me value, wisdom, and compassion. They have led me to spiritual growth. The greater the challenge I face, the more I learn, the more I progress, and the stronger I become. For that, I am grateful.

Who’s thankful: Emily Adams

I am grateful to have my health and the fact that I can still spend time in nature. On my walk today I was able to see four baby foxes and just soak it all in and I am grateful for that.

Who’s thankful: Nekeshia Hammond

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to spend time in nature. Whether it is taking the time to watch a sunset, spending time on a beach, or enjoying time in the mountains (if I’m visiting another place), nature offers such peace of mind. As we can all get so busy with the day-to-day, it’s nice to unwind, take some deep breaths, and focus on the beauty that nature has to offer.

This is one that I personally wanted to include in this list. I’m incredibly grateful for the fact that my girlfriend and I somehow found each other in this world with over 7 billion people.

My relationship is one of my biggest happiness factors . I love my girlfriend and she makes my life happier on a daily basis. It almost sounds cheesy to write it down, but I just don’t want to take this relationship for granted. I feel lucky to have her in my life and wouldn’t want to imagine what it’d be like if it was any different.

It’s one of the things I’m most thankful for in life.

Who’s thankful: Lynell Ross

Each morning, I am treated with a visit from these precious little birds, first flying back and forth, then hovering in front of the glass as if they are saying good morning before they sit to drink their nectar. I love seeing their tiny little hummingbird shape and color so close up, reminding me to be aware of nature, which is so comforting and peaceful.

This is another one that I personally wanted to add to the list.

If you still have your hearing, then you should be grateful for the beauty of sound. The fact that multiple sound waves combined form music that can carry emotion, tension, and excitement is something that we often take for granted.

Music has the power to move. I personally experience this every once in a while, when a song sucks me in and takes me on a journey. This journey always ends up putting a smile on my face, and sometimes even brings me to tears. Tears of happiness, that is.

The fact that we’re able to hear and appreciate sounds and music is definitely something to be thankful for.

Who’s thankful: Michelle Kuei

I am grateful for all the connections I am able to make when I let my guard down and become vulnerable. Being able to use my vulnerability as a superpower to share my story with others provides healing in the heart of others. It gives them strength and comfort knowing they are not alone. This brings me joy, fulfillment, and purpose in my heart. I am grateful for the connections I have made through being vulnerable and sharing my story.

Who’s thankful: Chris Kaiser

One small thing I’m super grateful for is seeing the flowers on the very first strawberry plant I ever planted. We planted it about 3 weeks ago on our balcony, and since then I’m diligently counting every single flower it produces (13 in total so far). Every tiny new flower puts a broad smile to my face.

Who’s thankful: Allen Klein

This may sound strange, but I’m grateful for the not-so-great stuff in my life. They are my greatest teachers. For example, I learned about living fully from those who have passed on. I’ve learned to appreciate my body more from the times things don’t function as they should. And now, I’m learning about being grateful for the parks in my neighborhood now that I have to shelter in place during this pandemic.

Who’s thankful: Saurabh Jindal

The biggest gift to me has been my wife, Rashmi Agarwal. She has been an unflinching pillar of support as I have gone through many difficult times while trying to build my start-up. She is one of the smartest persons I have met and has an uncanny ability to look at any situation from multiple angles. As an entrepreneur, I sometimes work on my own and with small teams – and with her help I am able to achieve much more than what I would otherwise.

Who’s thankful: Naz Beheshti

I’m grateful for tasty celery again for my daily celery and lemon juice. I was about to take a break from my morning ritual since I was getting really bitter tasting celery at the store. But I persisted and waited in line for it, and now it’s tasty again. I’m grateful for all the farmers and drivers who nourish us with fresh and tasty products!

Who’s thankful: Terrell Strayhorn

I’m really grateful for technology. Cell phones that keep me connected to my family, kids, colleagues, and students during the pandemic. Laptops and iPads that enable video connections via Zoom, provide “mental breaks” to play games or watch videos, and even apps for journaling and writing. Homepods and headphones that let me listen to music as a backdrop to serious activities like writing or analyzing data, but also music as a distraction to the crisis impacting us all. Today, I’m grateful for technology.

As a final item on this list, I wanted to finish with something silly and funny. But that doesn´t mean it’s less true.

Whenever I buy a new 5-pack of socks, I’m always surprised by how nice it feels to put them on for the first time. The feeling of smoothness that comes with putting on a pair of new socks is something I am truly grateful for.

Don’t you agree?

💡 By the way : If you want to start feeling better and more productive, I’ve condensed the information of 100’s of our articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet here. 👇

This Cheat Sheet Will Help You Be Happier and More Productive

Thrive under stress and crush your goals with these 10 unique tips for your mental health.

There you have it. If you still can’t think of things to be thankful for, then I give up! I hope you now have a good understanding of why you should always be able to remember something to be thankful for. And don’t forget, you can be thankful for silly things that seem insignificant (like putting on a pair of fresh socks!).

Did I miss something that you would have liked to see on this list? Do you want to have your favorite thing to be thankful for listed in this article? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below!

Founder of Tracking Happiness, with over 100 interviews and a focus on practical advice, our content extends beyond happiness tracking. Hailing from the Netherlands, I’m a skateboarding enthusiast, marathon runner, and a dedicated data junkie, tracking my happiness for over a decade.

Essays About Gratitude: Top 5 Examples and 7 Writing Prompts

Writing essays about gratitude is a way to show appreciation and recognize kindness. See our top examples and prompts you can use as a guide for your essay.

I’m not outspoken, and everyone close to me knows this. However, this one time, a family friend visited us and gave me a set of paintbrushes for my birthday. I thanked them, but that didn’t feel enough as they went out of their way to pick high-quality brushes and deliver them in person, even if we weren’t close. That kind lady wanted me to pursue my interest in painting, and I have felt grateful to her ever since.

For those like me who can’t fully express gratitude through words, it becomes an intimidating task to even write about it. After all, essays about gratitude require finesse and sincerity that are hard to prove through pen and paper.

5 Essay Examples

1. the expression of gratitude by writer rosalyn, 2. a good life is a gratitude, meaning, and love by anonymous on ivypanda.com, 3. the magical power of gratitude and saying ‘thank you’ by anonymous on gradesfixer.com, 4. essay on gratitude by anonymous on toppr.com , 5. meaning and importance of gratitude by anonymous on mystudentsessay.com, 1. the true meaning of gratitude, 2. expressing gratitude, 3. the benefits of practicing gratitude, 4. culture and gratitude expression, 5. values and gratitude, 6. the boundaries of gratitude, 7. practicing gratitude: a day in my life.

“… Participants who expressed gratitude in a close relationship would have greater relationship satisfaction than those who did not express gratitude.”

The essay contains a compilation of information from various studies to discuss the effect of expressing gratitude verbally. Rosalyn discovers that the rate of relationship satisfaction increases after expressing gratitude and leads to lasting relationships and reduced divorce rates.

Rosalyn notes how expressions of gratitude act as positive reinforcement, encouraging the recipient to be more inclined to agree to do favors. For instance, many sellers include gifts and discounts with purchases to express gratitude and cultivate repeat buyers.

“… A good life is a complex term with different meanings, but all the interpretations have a particular point in common – well-being is associated with gratitude, meaning, and love.”

The author defines the “good life” as spiritual contentment and shares their opinion and experiences as a clinical mental health counselor. They remark that gratefulness can signify healthy well-being since it means an individual is intent on what they have instead of what they don’t. Further, people filled with gratitude can find meaning in life in time and with practice.

The counselor also mentions the importance of having someone who truly loves and cares for us to remind us to be grateful even in the darkest times of our lives. In conclusion, the writer reiterates that it’s complicated to define what a good life entails, but all definitions directly connect to gratitude, meaning, and love.

“I discovered a secret about life, and as a result of my discovery, one of the things I began to do was practice gratitude each day, to say “thank you!” more. As a result of this, everything in my life changed, and the more I practiced gratitude, the more miraculous were the result.”

To demonstrate the positive benefits of feeling and expressing gratitude, the author narrates their experiences in this short essay. They talk about their financial, relationship, and health problems and how they were all resolved when they started to be grateful. The writer considers this magical, but a change in their perception helped them overcome their problems.

“… Gratitude is the most essential human expression which proves that humans are sensible and have emotions. Moreover, this emotion does not just limit to humans but also animals. Often, we see them express their gratitude and return the favour.”

In this essay, the author identifies gratitude as a beautiful way of enriching our existence. It’s a vital skill that every person should learn and practice to invite goodness and get various benefits, such as stronger relationships and a happier outlook. The writer believes it’s crucial to always express gratitude to inspire others and remember that humans are emotional beings.

“Gratitude leads to feelings of happiness and satisfaction as it increases awareness that others have done something nice for you. As a result, gratitude and happiness become mutually reinforcing and build upon each other. Science shows that gratitude is a particular emotion, since it consists of a feeling of appreciation that does not require specific objects or actions which instigate it.”

This essay focuses on the importance and benefits of practicing gratitude which the author refers to as “the greatest gift to humanity.” Gratitude is vital as it helps us recognize positive and negative things to assist us in finding meaning and purpose in life. The author states that practicing mindfulness and meditation brings about gratitude that will improve various aspects of one’s life.

7 Prompts for Essays About Gratitude

Essays About Gratitude: The true meaning of gratitude

Gratitude is one of the most salient topics to write about and discuss. It’s a positive emotion we feel whenever we receive something that demonstrates the giver’s sincerity. Use this prompt to discuss the meaning of gratitude with your readers in two ways. First, explain its definition according to dictionaries and experts. Then use your personal experiences to illustrate what gratitude means to you.

“Thank you!” is a simple but effective phrase to express appreciation to those who try to improve your day. For this prompt, list more ways to express gratitude through verbal communication or actions. Add tips on showing gratitude while considering important factors such as the event or context, relationship to the recipient, and suitability of the method.

Focus your essay on the advantages one can get from practicing gratitude; use this prompt to encourage your readers to acknowledge the good things happening to them. Provide relevant research and examples that show the benefits of demonstrating gratitude.

For help with this topic, read our guide explaining what is persuasive writing .

Essays About Gratitude: Culture and gratitude expression

The environment an individual grows up in plays a big part in how they express gratitude. Explore different cultures worldwide and discuss how beliefs, religion, and culture can affect how groups display gratefulness. Show your reader’s how different cultures communicate gratitude, including the common reasons they do so. Then, share how you were taught to convey gratitude in your culture.

Exercising gratitude trains us to establish positive values such as enthusiasm and optimism. Use this prompt to identify and discuss the values one can gain from learning about gratitude. Discuss the values you developed while practicing gratitude to make your essay relatable. You might also be interested in these essays about overcoming challenges .

Although gratitude is one of the most positive emotions we can experience, it should still be practiced within healthy boundaries. Such limitations should be applied when a person develops extreme beliefs involving gratitude. An example is over-optimism, where an individual becomes unrealistically optimistic to the point that they ignore the existence of their problems. In your essay, discuss how to practice gratitude in a way that positively influences your life.

In this essay, reflect on a typical day in your life and highlight the parts that make you feel thankful. This prompt will help you appreciate the trivial things in your life and teach your readers how to treasure even the minor things in their lives. For example, having the opportunity to wake up and live another day already deserves your gratitude. Discuss all the things that you are grateful for in this heartfelt essay.

Take your essay to the next level with the best essay checkers .

Maria Caballero is a freelance writer who has been writing since high school. She believes that to be a writer doesn't only refer to excellent syntax and semantics but also knowing how to weave words together to communicate to any reader effectively.

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Essay on Things I Am Grateful

Students are often asked to write an essay on Things I Am Grateful in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Things I Am Grateful

I am grateful for my family. They love and care for me. They are always there to support me in good and bad times. They teach me important things about life. I am thankful for the happy moments we share together.

Good health is a blessing. I am grateful for being healthy. It allows me to do all sorts of things like playing, studying, and helping others. It also saves me from pain and suffering.

I am grateful for the chance to learn. Education opens doors to a brighter future. It helps me understand the world better. It also equips me with skills for life.

I am thankful for my friends. They make my life fun and exciting. They support me when I am down. They are like a second family.

I am grateful for nature. It gives us food, clean air, and beautiful sights. It makes our world a wonderful place to live in. It also teaches us about life and its cycles.

250 Words Essay on Things I Am Grateful

Family love.

The first thing I am grateful for is my family. They are like a big tree that gives me shade on a sunny day. My parents, siblings, and grandparents always support me. They love me a lot and I love them too. Their love is like a warm blanket on a cold night.

Good Health

Another thing I am thankful for is my good health. It lets me run, play, and have fun. It helps me to learn new things at school. Good health is like a strong boat that keeps me safe in the sea of life.

I am also grateful for my education. It is like a key that opens the door to a bright future. My teachers help me to learn new things every day. They guide me like a lighthouse guides a ship in the dark.

I am thankful for my friends. They make my life fun and exciting. We share our joys and sorrows. They are like stars that light up my world.

The last thing I am grateful for is nature. It gives me fresh air, clean water, and beautiful scenery. It is like a big playground where I can enjoy and learn.

In conclusion, I am grateful for many things. They make my life happy and meaningful. I hope to cherish them and make the most of them.

500 Words Essay on Things I Am Grateful

Introduction.

Gratitude is a strong feeling of being thankful to someone or something for the good things they have given you. It’s like a magic key that opens up a world of positivity and happiness. Today, I want to share some of the things I am grateful for in my life.

First, I am grateful for my family. They are my support system, always there to help me when I need it. My parents, who work hard to provide for me, teach me important life lessons and guide me through tough times. My siblings, even though we sometimes fight, are my best friends. They make me laugh, share my joys and sorrows, and teach me the importance of sharing and caring.

Another thing I am grateful for is my health. Good health is a blessing that allows me to do everything I want. It lets me play, study, and enjoy life to the fullest. I am thankful for the food I eat that keeps me healthy, the clean water I drink, and the fresh air I breathe.

I am also grateful for the opportunity to go to school and learn. Education is a powerful tool that helps me understand the world around me. It gives me the skills to solve problems, make decisions, and become a better person. I am thankful for my teachers who guide me, my classmates who help me learn, and the books that open my mind to new ideas.

I am thankful for the beautiful world around me. The bright sun that gives me warmth, the cool breeze that refreshes me, the green trees that give me shade, and the colorful flowers that make me smile. I am grateful for the birds that sing, the rivers that flow, and the mountains that stand tall. Nature teaches me about the beauty of life and the importance of taking care of our planet.

Lastly, I am grateful for the challenges I face. They might be tough and sometimes make me feel sad, but they help me grow. Challenges teach me to be strong, to never give up, and to believe in myself. They make me realize that I can do anything if I try hard and stay positive.

In conclusion, there are many things I am grateful for. My family, health, education, nature, and the challenges I face. These things make me who I am and fill my life with joy and meaning. I believe that being grateful makes us happier and more positive. So, let’s always remember to be thankful for the good things in our life.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

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Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Gratitude Essay

500 words essay on gratitude.

Gratitude is a beautiful way of enriching our lives. It refers to the feeling and attitude of appreciation and thankfulness for the good which we receive in life. It has been proven scientifically that when we express our gratefulness to other people, we feel happier and calmer. Thus, it allows goodness to enter our lives. For instance, when a stranger holds the door for you or greets you, it makes you feel happy. Thus, a gratitude essay will teach us how advantageous gratitude is.

Advantages of Gratitude

Gratitude can have a lot of advantages to our personal as well as social life. First of all, it strengthens our relationship with others. When you have a thankful feeling, it will strengthen the bond with the other party and enhance the trust factor and feeling of respect and love .

Moreover, it also makes us happy. When we express gratitude or receive it, we feel happy either way. As a result, people who have gratitude do not stress out a lot. Similarly, being full of gratitude makes society sensible.

In other words, people become considerate and never leave a chance to say thank you to others. Thus, it helps society to progress in the right direction with the right tools needed for the development of it.

Most importantly, gratitude reduces comparisons and promotes acknowledgement. When we become thankful, we do not compare ourselves to others. Thus, it helps us acknowledge our own achievements and blessings and remain content.

How to Practice Gratitude

There are a lot of ways through which we can practice gratitude. Some of the most effective ones include making a note of every good thing which happens to us every day. Moreover, also note the people behind it.

This will help you to return the favour at an appropriate time. Never forget to return this favour as they deserve it too. Moreover, always make sure to appreciate everything in life ranging from nature to animals .

We are lucky enough to have animals, green plants, fresh air and much more. Thus, never stop acknowledging the importance of these essential things. Moreover, always remember to say thank you to different community helpers.

It can be anyone, whether your gardener or sweeper or even the police officers. Make sure you thank them for their service whenever it is possible for you. Remember that to wake up every day is no less than a blessing itself.

So, make sure to be grateful for a new day and thank the almighty for making you wiser and stronger with each passing day. Most importantly, try to avoid complaining about things when they don’t go your way. You don’t know about the blessing behind it.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Conclusion of Gratitude Essay

All in all, gratitude is the most essential human expression which proves that humans are sensible and have emotions. Moreover, this emotion does not just limit to humans but also animals. Often, we see then express their gratitude and return the favour. Thus, we must always express our gratitude.

FAQ of Gratitude Essay

Question 1: Why is gratitude important?

Answer 1: Gratitude is strongly and constantly connected with greater happiness. It is what helps people feel more positive emotions, appreciate good experiences, advance their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.

Question 2: How can gratitude change your life?

Answer 2: Gratitude can change your life as it makes you appreciate what you have rather than what you don’t have. It can change your life because it is the single most powerful source of inspiration that any individual can tap into if they simply stop and pay attention to the simplistic beauty and miracle of life.

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Gratitude Essay Examples

An essay on gratitude can be an excellent opportunity to reflect on the things in life that we often take for granted. It’s a chance to acknowledge the people, experiences, and things that have made a positive impact on our lives. If you’re struggling to get started, here are some gratitude essay examples and tips to help you craft a perfect essay on gratitude.

One way to approach an essay on gratitude is to reflect on specific instances where you’ve experienced gratitude in your life. For example, you might write about a time when someone went out of their way to help you or when you received unexpected kindness from a stranger. These examples can help you illustrate the power of gratitude in our lives and show how it can change our perspective on the world.

Another approach is to write about the benefits of gratitude. Research has shown that practicing gratitude can improve mental health, boost happiness, and even enhance physical health. You can explore these benefits in your essay and provide examples of how you’ve experienced them in your own life.

If you’re a college student, consider writing a gratitude college essay. In this essay, you can reflect on how college has shaped you and the opportunities it has provided. You might write about a professor who inspired you or a project that challenged you in new ways. By expressing gratitude for your college experience, you’ll be able to showcase your growth and appreciation for the opportunities you’ve had.

Overall, an essay on gratitude can be a powerful tool for personal growth and reflection. By exploring gratitude in your life, you’ll be able to recognize the good things that are often overlooked and find ways to cultivate more gratitude in your daily life. Use the gratitude essay examples and tips above to craft a perfect essay on gratitude and let your gratitude shine through your words.

The Power Of Gratitude In Our Lives

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2. Being Thankful And Expressing Gratitude

3. Gratitude: Knowledge of Giving Thanks in Life

4. Gratitude and the Act of Giving on Valentine’s Day

5. Thank You Day: Remembering the Feeling of Gratitude

6. How Can the Virtue of Gratitude Enchanse Your Career Growth

7. What Practicing Gratitude Taught Me

8. How the Power of Gratitude Can Change Your Life

9. Living with Gratitude: Opening the Door for Self-Improvement

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How Gratitude Makes You Happier

Barbara is a writer and speaker who is passionate about mental health, overall wellness, and women's issues.

Rachel Goldman, PhD FTOS, is a licensed psychologist, clinical assistant professor, speaker, wellness expert specializing in eating behaviors, stress management, and health behavior change.

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What Happens to Our Bodies When We're Grateful?

How to Practice Gratitude

Choosing to be thankful may well be an easy and accessible way to boost your happiness. There is a definite link between gratitude and happiness. First, what is happiness? When we think of happiness , we usually think of it as a subjective sense of well-being, a feeling of joy and satisfaction. What many people may not realize is that happiness isn’t just an emotion or fleeting feeling . It’s about how good you feel and also how satisfied you are with your life.

Positive psychology researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky, who has won grants for her research on the possibility of permanently increasing happiness, considered those feel-good emotions like joy and a sense of positive well-being in measuring happiness. Yet, she also found happiness to include a deep sense of meaning, worth and purpose in life.

Dr. Amy E. Keller, PsyD , a marriage and family therapist doesn’t leave out the purposeful aspect in building happiness. When you feel joyful, but also feel your life has meaning, you’re more appreciative of what you have.

She says, “When I talk about happiness with clients, I emphasize feeling purposeful and connected and cultivating satisfaction and self worth, as well as simply feeling pleasure—which of course is also a factor! Gratitude supports happiness in ways related to all of these.”

Let's take a look at the positive benefits of gratitude and how you can learn to cultivate gratitude in your daily life.

What Happens to Our Bodies When We're Grateful?

Much scientific evidence has shown that gratitude has far-reaching effects on our health. When people are thankful and are good with things as they are, their physical health reflects that. They’re more likely to exercise, eat better, and take care of their health.

Researchers over the years point to lower stress, reduced pain and improved immune systems as a result of being thankful. Even better blood pressure and positive effects on the heart have been linked to gratitude.

Gratitude has a strong positive impact on psychological well-being as well . It increases self-esteem, enhances positive emotions and makes us more optimistic.

When we feel deep happiness, our bodies are producing all sorts of wonderful chemicals. Keller explains more specifically how rewarding it is for our body.

Amy E. Keller, PsyD

Experiencing gratitude activates neurotransmitters like dopamine, which we associate with pleasure, and serotonin, which regulates our mood. It also causes the brain to release oxytocin, a hormone which induces feelings like trust and generosity which promotes social bonding, and feeling connected.

Just like a muscle, when you exercise your thankfulness more often, you’re more likely to see beneficial effects.

Learn From the Scandinavians

In 2018 and 2019, Finland ranked No. 1 in The United Nation’s (UN) World Happiness Report . It’s worth pausing to think about why Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland often rank at the top for the happiest people in the world. The UN report is a survey of global happiness that ranks 156 countries by respondent ratings of their own lives.

Therefore, Scandinavians themselves are determining their levels of happiness. It’s obviously pretty high. They are appreciative of a functioning society in which they have economic security and in which social institutions support everyone, not just a few. Yet, there is something else. The Swedes use the word “lagom,” to describe a kind of moderation, a just enough-ness they value.

They don’t chase happiness or work overtime for months at a time. By and large, they are accepting and content. They remain grateful for a healthy work-life balance, take breaks during the work day, and have a high standard of living. They also have low corruption and a high level of social trust.

As a result of this satisfaction and contentment, they feel their lives have value. They have less pressure, less stress, and more time for what they enjoy.

Activate Gratitude Regularly

The best way to make gratitude a habit is not to wait for special moments. Some people have been told by their therapists they can keep stress and anxiety at bay by keeping a gratitude journal . Journaling every day is also correlated with an increase in happiness.

But if you’re not ready for that kind of commitment, there’s an easy way to begin on your road to being grateful. Just pay attention. Start identifying things you might take for granted. Then, take a moment to be thankful for them.

Be sure to consider positive actions and events that might seem small, common-place or inconsequential. Here are some examples:

Be thankful for the warm cup of tea you are enjoying.
Look up and appreciate the roof over your head.
Notice the small acts of kindness that you forgot to pay attention to.
Be thankful someone waved your car through in the parking lot.
Be appreciative of the friendly customer in line at Starbucks who allowed you to go ahead of them.
Take a moment to be grateful that your best friend texted you to see how your headache was.
Stop to be thankful that your hard-working mother texted you to have a nice night.

This is, of course, not an exhaustive list as there are a variety of ways to cultivate gratitude . So, get creative and tailor them to your own life!

Do Gratitude Exercises

Your goal is to practice with intention and add this science-backed habit to increase your happiness . Do you feel that you’re too busy, especially with work? Keller encourages her clients to practice being thankful even at work.

She works with several “high-octane” business people and she encourages them to do gratitude exercises before big meetings. Keller says, “It not only reduces their anxiety, but it shifts their attitude toward one of cooperation (think of that oxytocin kicking in) resulting in more positive and productive interactions—which in turn gives them a sense of accomplishment ( dopamine !) improving their overall feelings of satisfaction and self-worth.”

During busy work days and even on the weekends, when we are pressed for time, there are doable ways to fit gratitude into your schedule.

While journaling every day about what you’re grateful for has proven to be and remains extremely beneficial, here are other possible activities to help you stay on track:

Take a walk and be thankful for each item you see: trees, flowers, the sky, birds.
Get a magazine or old photos and make a collage of everything you’re grateful for.
Make a Gratitude Jar or Box. Using slips of paper, write three things you’re thankful for daily. Put in the jar or box and take out periodically to read.
Call someone who did something kind and express your appreciation.
Write a letter to someone to express how thankful you are for something that person did for you.
Schedule a visit and tell this person how much their favor or generous act really meant to you.

According to a recent issue of a newsletter published by Harvard Health , gratitude is consistently associated with greater happiness based on positive psychology research. The newsletter suggests that gratitude helps people to “feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”

So, take some time to be thankful. It can impact your happiness and enhance many aspects of your life.

By Barbara Field Barbara is a writer and speaker who is passionate about mental health, overall wellness, and women's issues.

Common Application Essay Option 4—Gratitude

Tips and Strategies for the 2021-22 Common App

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One major change to the Common Application in the 2021-22 admissions cycle is the addition of a new essay prompt. Option #4 now reads, "Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?"

This new prompt replaces the earlier question about solving a problem : "Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma--anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution." Keep in mind that colleges and universities still want to learn about students interested in solving significant problems, and you still have the "Topic of Your Choice" option if you feel your essay would fit well under the former option #4.

According to Common App , the new prompt serves a couple purposes. First, it replaces a prompt that wasn't very popular among college applicants. More importantly, it gives applicants the opportunity to write about something positive at a difficult time in world history. Rather than write about significant problems, challenges, and anxieties, the new prompt #4 invites you to share something heartfelt and uplifting.

The Importance of Gratitude and Kindness

During the college application process, it's easy and tempting to focus entirely on your personal accomplishments: good grades, challenging AP courses, leadership experiences, athletic ability, musical talent, and so on. Even community service can sometimes come across as focused on your self—hours spent to bolster your application credentials.

Gratitude, however, is a largely selfless feeling. It's about your appreciation for someone else. It's recognizing that your growth and success wouldn't be possible without others. When you express gratitude, you aren't saying "look at me!" Rather, you are appreciating those who have helped you become you.

The folks at Common App have expressed that the new prompt allows students to write about something positive. This is true, but the prompt serves a bigger purpose in the admissions selection process. Highly selective schools end up rejecting thousands of well-qualified applicants, and those decisions will often come down to questions of character rather than GPA and SAT scores.

Think of it this way: when a college is choosing between two students who are academically strong and impressive on the extracurricular front, they will choose the student who seems to be the most kind and generous. Admissions officers are building a campus community with their admissions decisions, and they want to create a community filled with students who appreciate others, build each other up, and recognize the contributions of peers, staff, and professors. They want to admit students who will be kind roommates, collaborative lab partners, and supportive team members.

Chris Peterson, an assistant director of admissions at MIT, wrote a blog post in which he identified three essential qualities for getting into one of the world's most selective schools: do well in school, pursue your passion, and be nice. He notes that this last quality "cannot be overstated." MIT is not a Common Application member, but the point applies perfectly to the value of prompt #4. A winning essay doesn't say "me, me, me!" It shows that you are not only an accomplished person, but also someone who knows how to say "thank you."

Breaking Down the Essay Prompt

Before crafting your essay on prompt #4, it's essential to understand everything that the prompt is asking you to do as well as what it is not asking. The prompt is just 28 words long:

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

The prompt has several important elements to consider.

"Reflect"

The very first word in the prompt is one of the most significant. "Reflect" means much more than "write about" or "describe." When you reflect on something, you look inward and reveal self-awareness. You employ critical thinking skills to explain why something is important. Reflection is an act of self-discovery as you examine what you have learned and why it was meaningful.

Here's a quick example:

Unreflective writing: Coach Strauss always taught the team the value of hard work. We practiced hours every day regardless of the weather. The coach's strategy paid off when we won the state championship. The effort we put in wasn't always enjoyable, but the team's success showed that the path to success requires sacrifices.

Reflective writing: I used to resent those miserable and seemingly endless soccer practices in the rain or even snow. Looking back, I now recognize the value of what Coach Strauss was teaching the team. To succeed, we need to work through small obstacles. We need to persevere even when motivation is hard to find. We need to recognize that we always have room for improvement, and we need to support each other as we work towards that goal. I can now see that her lessons were about much more than soccer, and thanks to her I am not just a better athlete, but a better student, peer, sister, and community member.

The first example describes the writer's soccer experience. Nothing in the passage looks inward to analyze the importance of Coach Strauss to the writer's personal awareness and development. The second passage succeeds on this front—it expresses gratitude for Coach Strauss and the way that her lessons helped the writer grow.

"Something" and "Someone"

A nice feature of the Common Application is that all of the essay prompts are designed to give you a lot of latitude in how you respond. The words "something" and "someone" in the new prompt #4 are deliberately vague. You can write about anyone and anything. Possible choices for the person you focus on include

A teacher who helped you realize your potential or see the world in a new way.
A coach who taught you valuable skills.
A family member whose support, love, or guidance helped you become the person you are today.
A peer who was always there for you in challenging times.
A student you mentored or tutored who ended up teaching you something valuable in the process.
A member of your church or community who had a meaningful and positive impact on your life.

The wording of the prompt implies that the "someone" is a living person, so you'll want to avoid writing about an author, God, a pet, or a historical figure (but feel free to use prompt #7 for these topics).

As you think about the "something" that the person did for you, make sure it is meaningful. It needs to be something that has changed you in a positive way.

"Surprising"

When the prompt states that you should write about something that has made you "happy or thankful in a surprising way," don't get too hung up on that word "surprising." This doesn't mean that you need to be shocked or overwhelmed by whatever it is that a person did for you. Don't think of the term "surprising" as something that made you speechless and caused an adrenalin rush. It does not need to be something earth-shattering or even unusual. Rather, the "surprise" can simply be something that expanded your world view, made you think about something you hadn't considered before, or caused you to appreciate something new. Some of the best essays focus on something small or subtle that changed you in a meaningful way.

"Gratitude"

The essay's focus on "gratitude" and thankfulness means that you absolutely must show appreciation for someone other than yourself. One main purpose of this essay, in fact, is to show that you recognize the contributions that others have made to your personal journey. Be generous. Be kind. Show that you value the people who have made you into the person you are.

"Affected" and "Motivated"

Here's the tricky part. Essay #4 is all about recognizing someone else and showing gratitude for the way in which that person has enriched your life. That said, every college application essay needs to be about you. The admissions folks aren't really interested in learning about someone else. They are interested in learning about the student they are considering for admission.

This means you have a careful balancing act to perform with essay option #4. You need to write about the person who contributed to your life in a meaningful and surprising way, but you also need to be introspective and present why that person was so important to you. What did you learn from the person? How did you grow? How did that person change your world view, strengthen your convictions, help you overcome an obstacle, or give you a new sense of direction?

When you answer questions like these, you are writing about yourself. The true goal of this essay is to show that you are a grateful, kind, thoughtful, introspective, and generous person. The focus isn't so much on the person you are writing about, but your ability to cherish that person.

Avoid These Mistakes

You can write about anyone who was important to you, and your gratitude can be for something large or small as long as it affected you in a meaningful way. There are, however, several mistakes you want to avoid when responding to the prompt:

Don't display ego . Prompt #4 is about acknowledging the important contributions others have made to your life, so a boastful or egotistical tone will be entirely out of place. If at its heart your essay says "Coach Strauss helped make me into the award-winning national champion I am today," you've missed the mark.

Do more than describe . Make sure you "reflect" and explore how the person "affected" and "motivated" you. A winning essay needs to be thoughtful and introspective. If you spend the entire essay describing the person who has made you grateful, the admissions folks won't get to know you better and your essay won't have done its job.

Don't be clever with the "someone." Write about a real living human being who has enriched your life in a direct way. Don't write about yourself, God, Abe Lincoln, or Harry Potter. You also don't want to write about a sports idol or musician—while they may have influenced you, they didn't actually do something specifically "for you."

Attend to the Writing

Never forget that your Common Application serves not just to help the admissions folks get to know you, but also to show that you are a capable writer. No matter what your major is, a significant part of your college GPA is going to stem from writing. Successful college students can write clear, engaging, error-free prose. You'll want to pay careful attention to your essay's style , tone, and mechanics. At a highly selective university with more qualified applicants than can be admitted, the difference between an acceptance and rejection can come down to some glaring grammatical errors in the essay.

If you aren't confident in your writing ability, seek help. Have multiple people read your essay. Get feedback from parents and peers, Even more valuable will probably be feedback from your high school counselor and English teacher, for they have more experience with personal essays.

A Final Note for Common Application Option #4

This essay prompt can be approached is so many different ways, but at its heart, the essay needs to accomplish one thing: it needs to show that you are the type of person the college wants to join their campus community. Make sure you come across as someone who is kind, generous, and thoughtful. Show that you care about good writing by crafting an engaging essay that is free of any significant errors. Finally, don't be afraid to let your personality shine. Don't hold back (within reason) if you are a quirky or humorous person. The essay needs to sound like you.

The 2021-22 Common Application Essay Prompts
Tips for Writing an Essay on an Event That Led to Personal Growth
2020-21 Common Application Essay Option 4—Solving a Problem
Common Application Essay Option 6: Losing Track of Time
Common Application Essay Option 3 Tips: Challenging a Belief
Common Application Essay on a Meaningful Place
Common Application Essay Option 2 Tips: Learning from Failure
"Grandpa's Rubik's Cube"—Sample Common Application Essay, Option #4
Common Application Essay, Option 1: Share Your Story
Topic of Your Choice: Common Application Essay Tips
Tips for an Admissions Essay on an Influential Person
How to Ace Your University of Wisconsin Personal Statements
Ideal College Application Essay Length
5 Tips for a College Admissions Essay on an Important Issue
A Sample Essay for Common Application Option #7: Topic of Your Choice
Tips for the Pre-2013 Personal Essay Options on the Common Application

Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

How Gratitude Can Help You Through Hard Times

A decade’s worth of research on gratitude has shown me that when life is going well, gratitude allows us to celebrate and magnify the goodness. But what about when life goes badly? In the midst of the economic maelstrom that has gripped our country, I have often been asked if people can—or even should—feel grateful under such dire circumstances.

My response is that not only will a grateful attitude help—it is essential . In fact, it is precisely under crisis conditions when we have the most to gain by a grateful perspective on life. In the face of demoralization, gratitude has the power to energize. In the face of brokenness, gratitude has the power to heal. In the face of despair, gratitude has the power to bring hope. In other words, gratitude can help us cope with hard times.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not suggesting that gratitude will come easily or naturally in a crisis. It’s easy to feel grateful for the good things. No one “feels” grateful that they have lost a job or a home or good health or has taken a devastating hit on their retirement portfolio.

But it is vital to make a distinction between feeling grateful and being grateful. We don’t have total control over our emotions. We cannot easily will ourselves to feel grateful, less depressed, or happy. Feelings follow from the way we look at the world, thoughts we have about the way things are, the way things should be, and the distance between these two points.

But being grateful is a choice, a prevailing attitude that endures and is relatively immune to the gains and losses that flow in and out of our lives. When disaster strikes, gratitude provides a perspective from which we can view life in its entirety and not be overwhelmed by temporary circumstances. Yes, this perspective is hard to achieve—but my research says it is worth the effort.

Remember the bad

Trials and suffering can actually refine and deepen gratefulness if we allow them to show us not to take things for granted. Our national holiday of gratitude, Thanksgiving, was born and grew out of hard times. The first Thanksgiving took place after nearly half the pilgrims died from a rough winter and year. It became a national holiday in 1863 in the middle of the Civil War and was moved to its current date in the 1930s following the Depression.

Why? Well, when times are good, people take prosperity for granted and begin to believe that they are invulnerable. In times of uncertainty, though, people realize how powerless they are to control their own destiny. If you begin to see that everything you have, everything you have counted on, may be taken away, it becomes much harder to take it for granted.

The Gratitude Project

What if we didn't take good things for granted? Learn how gratitude can lead to a better life—and a better world—in this new GGSC book.

So crisis can make us more grateful—but research says gratitude also helps us cope with crisis. Consciously cultivating an attitude of gratitude builds up a sort of psychological immune system that can cushion us when we fall. There is scientific evidence that grateful people are more resilient to stress, whether minor everyday hassles or major personal upheavals. The contrast between suffering and redemption serves as the basis for one of my tips for practicing gratitude: remember the bad.

It works this way: Think of the worst times in your life, your sorrows, your losses, your sadness—and then remember that here you are, able to remember them, that you made it through the worst times of your life, you got through the trauma, you got through the trial, you endured the temptation, you survived the bad relationship, you’re making your way out of the dark. Remember the bad things, then look to see where you are now.

This process of remembering how difficult life used to be and how far we have come sets up an explicit contrast that is fertile ground for gratefulness. Our minds think in terms of counterfactuals—mental comparisons we make between the way things are and how things might have been different. Contrasting the present with negative times in the past can make us feel happier (or at least less unhappy) and enhance our overall sense of well-being. This opens the door to coping gratefully.

Try this little exercise. First, think about one of the unhappiest events you have experienced. How often do you find yourself thinking about this event today? Does the contrast with the present make you feel grateful and pleased? Do you realize your current life situation is not as bad as it could be? Try to realize and appreciate just how much better your life is now. The point is not to ignore or forget the past but to develop a fruitful frame of reference in the present from which to view experiences and events.

There’s another way to foster gratitude: confront your own mortality. In a recent study, researchers asked participants to imagine a scenario where they are trapped in a burning high rise, overcome by smoke, and killed. This resulted in a substantial increase in gratitude levels, as researchers discovered when they compared this group to two control conditions who were not compelled to imagine their own deaths.

In these ways, remembering the bad can help us to appreciate the good. As the German theologian and Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “Gratitude changes the pangs of memory into a tranquil joy.” We know that gratitude enhances happiness, but why? Gratitude maximizes happiness in multiple ways, and one reason is that it helps us reframe memories of unpleasant events in a way that decreases their unpleasant emotional impact. This implies that grateful coping entails looking for positive consequences of negative events. For example, grateful coping might involve seeing how a stressful event has shaped who we are today and has prompted us to reevaluate what is really important in life.

Reframing disaster

To say that gratitude is a helpful strategy to handle hurt feelings does not mean that we should try to ignore or deny suffering and pain.

The field of positive psychology has at times been criticized for failing to acknowledge the value of negative emotions. Barbara Held of Bowdoin College in Maine, for example, contends that positive psychology has been too negative about negativity and too positive about positivity. To deny that life has its share of disappointments, frustrations, losses, hurts, setbacks, and sadness would be unrealistic and untenable. Life is suffering. No amount of positive thinking exercises will change this truth.

So telling people simply to buck up, count their blessings, and remember how much they still have to be grateful for can certainly do much harm. Processing a life experience through a grateful lens does not mean denying negativity. It is not a form of superficial happiology. Instead, it means realizing the power you have to transform an obstacle into an opportunity. It means reframing a loss into a potential gain, recasting negativity into positive channels for gratitude.

A growing body of research has examined how grateful recasting works. In a study conducted at Eastern Washington University, participants were randomly assigned to one of three writing groups that would recall and report on an unpleasant open memory—a loss, a betrayal, victimization, or some other personally upsetting experience. The first group wrote for 20 minutes on issues that were irrelevant to their open memory. The second wrote about their experience pertaining to their open memory.

Researchers asked the third group to focus on the positive aspects of a difficult experience—and discover what about it might now make them feel grateful. Results showed that they demonstrated more closure and less unpleasant emotional impact than participants who just wrote about the experience without being prompted to see ways it might be redeemed with gratitude. Participants were never told not to think about the negative aspects of the experience or to deny or ignore the pain. Moreover, participants who found reasons to be grateful demonstrated fewer intrusive memories, such as wondering why it happened, whether it could have been prevented, or if they believed they caused it to happen. Thinking gratefully, this study showed, can help heal troubling memories and in a sense redeem them—a result echoed in many other studies.

Some years ago, I asked people with debilitating physical illnesses to compose a narrative concerning a time when they felt a deep sense of gratitude to someone or for something. I asked them to let themselves re-create that experience in their minds so that they could feel the emotions as if they had transported themselves back in time to the event itself. I also had them reflect on what they felt in that situation and how they expressed those feelings. In the face of progressive diseases, people often find life extremely challenging, painful, and frustrating. I wondered whether it would even be possible for them to find anything to be grateful about. For many of them, life revolved around visits to the pain clinic and pharmacy. I would not have been at all surprised if resentment overshadowed gratefulness.

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As it turned out, most respondents had trouble settling on a specific instance—they simply had so much in their lives that they were grateful for. I was struck by the profound depth of feeling that they conveyed in their essays, and by the apparent life-transforming power of gratitude in many of their lives.

It was evident from reading these narrative accounts that (1) gratitude can be an overwhelmingly intense feeling, (2) gratitude for gifts that others easily overlook most can be the most powerful and frequent form of thankfulness, and (3) gratitude can be chosen in spite of one’s situation or circumstances. I was also struck by the redemptive twist that occurred in nearly half of these narratives: out of something bad (suffering, adversity, affliction) came something good (new life or new opportunities) for which the person felt profoundly grateful.

If you are troubled by an open memory or a past unpleasant experience, you might consider trying to reframe how you think about it using the language of thankfulness. The unpleasant experiences in our lives don’t have to be of the traumatic variety in order for us to gratefully benefit from them. Whether it is a large or small event, here are some additional questions to ask yourself:

What lessons did the experience teach me?
Can I find ways to be thankful for what happened to me now even though I was not at the time it happened?
What ability did the experience draw out of me that surprised me?
How am I now more the person I want to be because of it? Have my negative feelings about the experience limited or prevented my ability to feel gratitude in the time since it occurred?
Has the experience removed a personal obstacle that previously prevented me from feeling grateful?

Remember, your goal is not to relive the experience but rather to get a new perspective on it. Simply rehearsing an upsetting event makes us feel worse about it. That is why catharsis has rarely been effective. Emotional venting without accompanying insight does not produce change. No amount of writing about the event will help unless you are able to take a fresh, redemptive perspective on it. This is an advantage that grateful people have—and it is a skill that anyone can learn.

About the Author

Robert Emmons

University of california, davis.

Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D. , is the world's leading scientific expert on gratitude. He is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis, and the founding editor-in-chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology . He is the author of the books Gratitude Works!: A 21-Day Program for Creating Emotional Prosperity and Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier .

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Emotions & Feelings — Gratitude

Gratitude Essay Examples

What makes a good gratitude essay topics.

When it comes to writing an essay about gratitude, choosing the right topic is crucial. A good gratitude essay topic should be thought-provoking, engaging, and unique. It should inspire the writer to delve into their personal experiences and perspective on gratitude, while also sparking interest in the reader. Here are some recommendations on how to brainstorm and choose a gratitude essay topic:

Consider your personal experiences: Think about moments in your life where you felt grateful or experienced gratitude. Reflect on these experiences and consider how they could be turned into a compelling essay topic.
Think about what interests you: Consider topics related to gratitude that genuinely interest you. This could be anything from the impact of gratitude on mental health to the role of gratitude in different cultures.
Consider the audience: When choosing a gratitude essay topic, it's important to consider the audience's interests and what will resonate with them. Think about what topics might be relevant and meaningful to a wide audience.

A good gratitude essay topic is one that is unique, thought-provoking, and allows for personal reflection. It should inspire the writer to explore their perspective on gratitude and engage the reader in a meaningful way.

Best Gratitude Essay Topics

When it comes to writing about gratitude, there are countless unique and creative essay topics to explore. Here are some of the best gratitude essay topics to consider:

The Power of Gratitude: How expressing gratitude can transform your mindset
Gratitude in the Face of Adversity: How to find gratitude in difficult times
Cultivating a Grateful Heart: Practices for fostering gratitude in daily life
The Role of Gratitude in Mental Health: How gratitude can impact mental well-being
Gratitude and Relationships: The importance of expressing gratitude in personal and professional relationships
Gratitude Across Cultures: Exploring different cultural perspectives on gratitude
Gratitude and Resilience: How gratitude can foster resilience in challenging times
The Science of Gratitude: Research on the psychological and physiological effects of gratitude
Gratitude and Generosity: How gratitude can inspire acts of kindness and generosity
The Art of Thankfulness: Exploring the role of gratitude in art and creativity
Gratitude and Mindfulness: How gratitude practices intersect with mindfulness and meditation
Gratitude in Literature: Examining how gratitude is portrayed in literary works
Gratitude in the Workplace: The impact of expressing gratitude in professional settings
Gratitude and Social Justice: How gratitude intersects with issues of equity and justice
Gratitude and Health: The link between gratitude and physical well-being
Gratitude and Nature: Exploring the connection between gratitude and the natural world
Gratitude and Forgiveness: How gratitude can facilitate the process of forgiveness
Cultivating Gratitude in Children: The importance of teaching gratitude from a young age
Gratitude and Aging: The role of gratitude in healthy aging and well-being
Gratitude and Faith: Exploring the relationship between gratitude and spirituality

Gratitude essay topics Prompts

If you're looking for inspiration to kickstart your gratitude essay, here are five creative prompts to get you started:

"Think about a time when you felt immense gratitude. What were the circumstances, and how did it impact you?"
"Explore the concept of gratitude in a cultural context that is different from your own. How do different cultures express and cultivate gratitude?"
"Consider the role of gratitude in your daily life. How does it shape your perspective and interactions with others?"
"Reflect on a challenging experience in your life and explore how gratitude played a role in helping you navigate through it."
"Imagine a world where gratitude was at the forefront of all interactions. How might society be different?"

These prompts are designed to spark creativity and personal reflection, encouraging writers to delve into their own experiences and perspectives on gratitude in a meaningful way.

Reasons and Ways to Be More Thankful in Life

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Gratitude to Nature in Ross Gay's Poems

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15 Fabulous Gratitude Writing Prompts

by Suzanne Davis | Jan 16, 2019 | Writing Prompts

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings…

turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings” –William Arthur Ward.

Gratitude lets you see wonders in life— even when you think life is horrible . On days when you think “what else can wrong?” writing about what you’re thankful for helps you heal. And when life is wonderful a gratitude journal reminds you who helped you, supported you, and encouraged you.

I want to express my thoughts of thankfulness on paper. Writing makes things more permanent than speaking them. Yet, I can’t always come up with what I am thankful for each day. I rely on gratitude writing prompts to inspire me. Here are 15 excellent journal topics to help you write what you are thankful for.

So, grab a notebook or journal, and select one to get you started!

#1 Describe your favorite moment of the day.

What was it and why is it your favorite moment? When we focus on small moments, we recognize the importance of each day. Think about the day you are having now. What was special to you?

#2 Describe your favorite person and list all of that person’s good qualities.

Write about one or more of those qualities. You can write one journal entry for each quality you like about that person. This writing prompt pushes you to not take people for granted. It helps you appreciate those around you even more.

#3 Write about a random act of kindness from another person.

These could be acts of kindness from a friend, family member, or even a stranger. Don’t just consider grand actions, but these might be small things too, such as a person letting you go ahead of them in a waiting line . Bonus points: Don’t just write about it, but do an act of kindness.

#4 Write about something that cheers you up when you feel down.

Is there a person, animal, thing or something you do that cheers you up on a bad day? Describe it in your journal, and write about why or how it makes you feel better.

#5 List 5 things you are grateful for today.

It doesn’t matter if these are small things. List them. I learned about this idea from an old episode of Oprah and used it to help me at the lowest part of my life. This prompt made me recognize all that is positive. Of course, my pets Cuddles and Dylan were always on that list, but I found a lot of other things to add too. Bonus points: Write 6 or more things you are grateful for today.

#6 Remember a success you had and write a thank-you speech describing who helped you reach it.

Imagine you received an award, who would you say helped you reach that goal ? How did it come about, and what contributed to your success? Bonus points: After writing your speech, share it with the people who helped you succeed.

#7 Write about a favorite hobby.

Why do you love it? How does it make you feel? Describe your hobby and what makes it wonderful and how it is possible that you can do it. Bonus points: Go and enjoy your hobby.

#8 Write about something you are grateful for with your work or personal life.

I like this prompt because it helps you realize something that is good about work even if you don’t like your job. Or, it helps you see something you can be thankful for in your personal life even if you feel like you are struggling.

#9 Write about something you accomplished today, and how you feel now .

Do you have a lot of things on your to-do list? Well, how do feel when you cross those items off? Write about that and be thankful for anyone or anything that helped you finish what you wanted to do.

#10 Write about something someone else did to make you happy.

It doesn’t have to be a huge thing someone else did. It can be something small. You begin to see the impact of little things. For example, it might be that someone else lent you a pencil for class. It seems a tiny favor, but think of its effect. What if you didn’t have anything to write with it? How would you take notes in class?

#11 Write about something you did to make someone happy today.

This prompt asks you to see what good you do (and if you can’t come up with something you need to work on caring for others). Describe how what you did made another person feel, laugh or smile. Be thankful that you could reach out and make someone else feel joy for a moment, a day, a week, or longer.

#12 Write about a pet and what makes him/her special.

This may seem strange, and if you don’t have a pet forget this prompt. However, animals keep us company, comfort us, and adore us no matter what. They don’t judge you by grades, work, income, style, or appearance. Pets love us unconditionally. They also have distinct personalities and traits. What makes your pet special? How does your pet make you feel?

#13 One of the best experiences of my life was… I am grateful for that experience because…

What is something wonderful that happened to you and why do you feel that way about it? I discovered this writing prompt in a blog post called, “Writing Prompts for Giving Thanks” on the website Writing Forward https://www.writingforward.com/writing-prompts/journal-prompts/gratitude-journal-prompts .

#14 List at least 10 things you like about yourself. Write a journal entry for each of those things.

Describe 10 things you love about you, and how you are grateful for each of those things. For instance, if you like that you’re confident, be thankful that you have that gift. Also, who or what helped you become confident? Another great aspect of this prompt is that you have ten days of ideas for your journal.

#15 Write about something good you saw in your community.

Look at what is happening in your local area. Are there volunteers who help out in a city, town, school, or college? Is there a new program that helps people? Are people doing something that makes a difference? Write about it and the impact it has on you. Does it make you feel grateful or inspire you? Bonus points: Volunteer.

Keep a Gratitude Journal

Why do I keep a gratitude journal? It calms me when I’m frazzled, stressed, and confused. It can do the same for you too. Write and reflect on all the things you are thankful for each day and you’ll experience more peace in life. Create space and time to keep a journal and try one of these gratitude writing prompts.

Comment below with what you are grateful for this year.

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5 Strong UPenn “Thank You” Essay Examples

What’s covered, essay example 1 – the power of the arts, essay example 2 – turning a flaw into a talent, essay example 3 – girl dad, essay example 4 – thank you for the music, essay example 5 – middle school english.

Where to Get Feedback on your UPenn Essays

Founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin, the University of Pennsylvania is one of the eight Ivy League institutions. Its beautiful campus features unique red-and-green-brick buildings, gorgeous tree-lined paths, and lots of tributes to Ben Franklin. In addition to its elite academics, UPenn is also known for its thriving student life–it’s even nicknamed “the social Ivy.” UPenn also enjoys the benefits of being situated in the heart of Philadelphia, just a stone’s throw from myriad museums, gardens, cathedrals, and historic sites, including Independence Hall.

Between its superb academics, vibrant social scene, and prime location, UPenn is one of the most competitive schools in the country. As a result, your essays need to shine, to set you apart from other smart, talented applicants. In this post, we’ll break down five responses to UPenn’s “Thank You” supplemental prompt, which was just added during the 2022-2023 applications cycle. We’ll lay out what each essay did well, and any areas for improvement.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized.

Read our UPenn essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

UPenn “Thank You” Prompt

The following essays respond to this prompt:

Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!) (150 – 200 words)

Since this prompt is a recent addition to UPenn’s list of supplements, and doesn’t fit neatly into one of the classic supplemental essay boxes (like “Why School?” or “Why Major?” , you may not be quite sure where to start. To help you out, we’ve compiled five responses real students wrote to this prompt. You can read the essays below, and get our breakdowns of each one’s strengths and weaknesses.

Dear Mrs. Peterson,

After finishing my drawing of Timothée Chalamet this semester, I was stunned by its beauty—it was one of the first pieces that I was proud of. Because of the debacle with the charcoal drawing of my sister last year, I avoided drawing another human. Yet, you persisted in encouraging me to tackle this challenge; from achieving Timothée’s chiseled cheekbones to highlighting his curls, you always stood by my side—even when I wanted to quit.

Honing my artistic abilities was only a portion of what you taught me. You always encouraged me to be vulnerable, and I am gratified by our insightful conversations. From consoling me through the stress of finals to supporting my aspirations of becoming a lawyer, you never wavered in listening to my stories. You weren’t just my art teacher, but my shoulder.

I am inspired by how you lead your life with compassion and authenticity. Watching you build a community through dialogue furthered my own love of interaction as an instrument to foster connection. Thank you for being my guidepost. You made a home for me in your class, and it saddens me that I will be leaving it soon.

Gratefully,

Future Empathetic Lawyer

What the Essay Did Well

A strong hook is an essential part of any essay, to really draw a reader into the story. This writer does an excellent job immediately grabbing our attention by describing a tangible object that represents why they are thankful to their art teacher, which is a far more powerful technique than just saying something general like “You have made me a much better artist.”

The drawing of Timothée Chalamet also serves as an anchor for the traits the writer wants to highlight about themselves, such as risk-taking (taking on the challenge of drawing “his chiseled cheekbones…[and] curls” ) and perseverance ( “you always stood by my side” ). Remember that showing your reader something about yourself, through a tangible example like an art project, makes your points far more convincing than just telling them you are a certain way, as then you’re just leaving them to take your word for it.

The writer also seamlessly transitions from talking about their drawing to talking about how their art teacher has helped them in general, with the line “Honing my artistic abilities was only a portion of what you taught me.” This line provides the perfect jumping-off point for the writer to show us how their teacher has supported them in non-art contexts as well.

Finally, in a big-picture sense, the writer strikes a great balance between highlighting their art teacher’s virtues, and how those virtues have helped them grow and develop their own personality. With this prompt, there’s a risk that you end up talking too much about the person you’re thanking, and not enough about yourself–remember, you’re the one admissions officers are trying to make a decision about! But this writer avoids that pitfall by always connecting the things they admire in their art teacher to qualities they have developed themselves.

What Could Be Improved

There is not much room for improvement in this essay. The author directly connects the values they have learned from their art teacher to tangible experiences, which ensures their essay will stand out even from other essays written about teachers.

The only point in the essay that reads a little strangely is the inclusion of the word “empathetic” in the student’s signature. Although we can read between the lines that they learned empathy from their teacher, that actually isn’t a value they name outright. They do highlight vulnerability, compassion, authenticity, and connection, so to make the end of the essay feel more cohesive, they could either replace “empathetic” with something like “compassionate,” or just make sure they do explicitly include empathy in the body of the essay.

Dear Mr. Gonzalez,

I want to take a moment to thank you for the encouragement and support you have given me throughout my high school career. You have been a great teacher and mentor, and I am lucky to have you in my life.

However, I would especially like to thank you for helping me discover my gifts and turning them into abilities. All my life, I have been told that my love of talking with anyone and everyone was an annoyance at best and a flaw at worst. You decided to turn this “flaw” into one of my greatest joys. You taught me how to meticulously craft words and introduced me to rhetoric. Before, I never noticed how perfectly my skill for speaking and writing played into my other skills and talents.

You helped me learn that I grow best when thrust into high-pressure situations. The speeches and the competitions you signed me up for made me incredibly nervous but also incredibly proud.

You taught me that anything you love can be used to bring you happiness, and, more importantly, to help others.

Much appreciative,

This student uses this letter to say a touching, genuine thank you to a teacher who has helped them “turn [a] ‘flaw’ into one of [their] greatest joys.” Rather than highlighting a more generic trait like work ethic, the writer chooses a core value that shows they are able to deeply reflect on how they became the person they are, and how this teacher helped them with that development.

The writer’s impressive ability for introspection is also shown by their description of how their loquaciousness has always been a part of them (which we understand from the line “All my life” ), but their teacher was the first person to help that quality blossom. Rather than framing the essay around a quality that someone else taught them directly, they show that they understand growth can happen in a variety of ways, which in turn shows that they are a mature, emotionally intelligent person.

The author begins their essay very generically, by thanking their teacher for “encouragement and support” and saying that he is a “great teacher and mentor.” Remember, the point of any college essay is to help distinguish yourself from other applicants, and these lines could have been plucked from just about anybody’s “Thank You” essay.

Especially given the low word count, the student should use each sentence purposefully, rather than wasting space on general pleasantries. They would be better off starting the letter with the line “I would like to thank you for helping me discover my gifts and turning them into abilities.” As noted above, this personal, specific reason they are grateful to their teacher is really the heart of the essay, and thus should be given as much attention as possible.

Along the same lines, cutting the general introductions at the beginning would also give the writer more space to explain how their teacher helped them become more confident in their gifts. Rather than just saying that he “taught [them] how to meticulously craft words and introduced [them] to rhetoric,” the writer should provide us with an anecdote that shows what their teacher did specifically to improve their speaking and writing skills. This might look something like:

“I will never forget breaking down some of history’s most famous speeches with you, from the Gettysburg Address to ‘I Have a Dream,’ and slowly starting to understand how I could use these great orators’ techniques myself.”

Likewise, in the third paragraph, the student should provide context for how they reacted to high-pressure situations before their teacher started signing them up for speeches and competitions. They could include something along the lines of “In the past, I always shied away from the spotlight and never felt confident enough to pursue my passion for public speaking, but your faith in my talents pushed me to break past my mental boundaries.” By telling us what the student was like before meeting Mr. Gonzalez, this line emphasizes the importance of the lesson they learned from him.

Finally, in the last sentence of the letter, the student says that their teacher has taught them “to help others.” However, the essay never discussed helping others, so this lesson comes out of nowhere. Especially in the conclusion, you want to be sure that the points you make are supported by the rest of the essay. In the case of this student, that means they would be better off just sticking with the line “You taught me that anything you love can be used to bring you happiness,” as that is a quality they have discussed in detail.

I’ll always remember the times you corrected our Arabic-speaking friends when they greeted you with Abu Jack [Jack’s father] instead of Abu Julia [Julia’s father], proudly breaking the patriarchal tradition of referring to parents by the name of their eldest son, even when their first child is a daughter. Despite our disagreements on everything from economics to foreign policy, your simultaneous open-mindedness and commitment to your values remind me to appreciate intellectual plurality grounded in respect.

Thank you for motivating me to constantly learn more with your encyclopedia-like knowledge of the world. For inspiring me to see beauty in language, history, literature, and science. For strengthening my empathy through every late-night dinner debate. For spending hours discussing each book we share, from Sapiens to Sophie’s World.

Please never stop asking me for advice on your poetry to gauge whether your metaphors translate to English. Never lose the softness in your heart that makes you cry while we watch Coco for the third time because it reminds you of your family. Keep reminding me to “demand evidence and think critically,” even though I tease you for buying a sweatshirt plastered with the phrase.

Your mini-you

Although many other applicants are likely to write letters to parents or other family members, this writer ensures her essay will still stand out by structuring her essay around stories and anecdotes that are personal to her relationship with her dad. Her father’s rejection of a “patriarchal tradition,” two specific examples of books they have read together, and her description of one of his favorite sweatshirts all show what makes their connection different from any other between a father and daughter.

More broadly, these personal anecdotes help readers understand this writer’s background as a whole, not just her relationship with her dad. The essays are admissions officers’ number one resource for understanding how you’ll fit into their campus community as a person, not just a student, and this essay gives us a clear sense of the intellect and compassion this writer would contribute to late night conversations with her roommate, interactions with the dining hall staff, and all the other “little moments” that truly define a college experience.

Unfortunately, this essay falls into the trap outlined in our breakdown of Essay Example 1: we learn more about the author’s dad than we do about her. We know he breaks patriarchal tradition, has encyclopedia-like knowledge, loves poetry, and gets emotional when watching the movie Coco, but we don’t learn anything concrete about this student’s values, only that she admires these qualities in him.

To improve this, the author can reframe some of her ideas to be more focused on herself. For example, take the paragraph:

“Thank you for motivating me to constantly learn more with your encyclopedia-like knowledge of the world. For inspiring me to see beauty in language, history, literature, and science. For strengthening my empathy through every late-night dinner debate. For spending hours discussing each book we share, from Sapiens to Sophie’s World.”

Instead of spending most of the space highlighting her father’s virtues, she should rephrase this paragraph to be grounded in actions she has taken as a result of feeling inspired by her father. This could look something like:

“Your encyclopedia-like knowledge of the world has motivated me to linger by paintings in museums for a few seconds longer, to make sure I fully grasp the artist’s intentions, give Moby Dick a second chance even though I couldn’t get past the third chapter on my first attempt, and start self-studying Italian.”

As you can see, fleshing out her ideas in this way will take up space, and right now the essay covers too much ground for her to do this for each point she makes: she touches on Arabic culture, disagreements they have had, films and books they’ve enjoyed together, and general values she has learned from her father like empathy.

Narrowing her focus will give her the space she needs to make the essay more personal, and also communicate in a more cohesive way what her dad has taught her, as right now readers might leave feeling confused about what the most important lesson she has learned from him is. Choosing just one or two things to focus on will make the essay feel more unified.

Dear Mrs. Charles,

Entering your classroom, it was the lively music that drew me in, yet it would be your energetic voice that would hook me into the countless lessons about history for the next nine months. There was no dull moment, only excitement and the curiosity to learn more. You have instilled beyond knowledge, but more importantly, the inquisitive admiration for education and especially America, an impression so deeply indented in an immigrant like me. You looked out for me even when I was too insecure about my residential status to ask for help. With my first ever letter of recommendation, you have since advocated for my academic career. Amidst overwhelming college applications, I sobbed reading your note, “Good Luck My Perfect young woman – You deserve the world!” You continuously believe in my potential, and that faith has emboldened me to be the resilient woman I am today. Thank you, Mrs. Charles, for encouraging me when things seemed impossible, mentoring me when I was lost, and strengthening my confidence when no one was there. It has been an honor to be your student, and I cannot wish for any other teachers to have changed my life this way.

This student’s genuine gratitude towards her teacher comes across in her strong personal voice, which is reflected in engaging lines like “there was no dull moment” and “the inquisitive admiration for education and especially America, an impression so deeply indented in an immigrant like me.” We can tell that the student’s appreciation for her teacher comes from moments that were truly formative for her, and that authenticity wins us over by pulling at our heartstrings with strong word choices and phrasings.

Although this essay does a great job of expressing the emotional depth of this student’s relationship with her teacher, it lacks the specific details to evidence how this relationship has grown over time. For example, the student writes:

“You have instilled beyond knowledge, but more importantly, the inquisitive admiration for education and especially America, an impression so deeply indented in an immigrant like me. You looked out for me even when I was too insecure about my residential status to ask for help.”

While these lines are compelling, and speak to how the teacher looks out for the writer as an individual, not just a student, we don’t get any details about how she “instilled beyond knowledge” or “looked out for” the student. An anecdote that provides some of those details would give us a clearer sense of why this relationship is so meaningful to this student. That might look something like:

“You went out of your way to meet with me every week as I prepared for my mock debate on the pros and cons of the American public education system, a system that, as an immigrant, I had always admired. I had been too nervous about my residential status to ask you for help understanding the points my peers knew instinctively, and so it meant the world to me when you asked me to join you for a snack at your desk after class one day. This discrete support made me feel simultaneously looked out for and empowered.”

Finally, this essay would look better on the page if it were split into two or even three paragraphs. A huge block of text on the page can be daunting, and you don’t want to turn off your readers before they even start. Plus, breaking up your ideas into smaller paragraphs can also make your essay easier to understand, as your reader can focus on one point at a time, rather than trying to keep everything in mind simultaneously as they’re reading.

Also on a structural level, the writer should have a signature of some kind. If you were writing a note to someone in a non-college essay context, you wouldn’t leave it unsigned. So, while it’s a small detail, to be true to what the prompt is asking, this student should include a signature.

Dear Mrs. King,

Even though it has been five years since I’ve stepped into your English classroom at Harrison Middle, I remember the sound of your enthusiastic voice and genuine smile like it was yesterday.

Your energy was contagious and your quick wittedness unmatched. The way you effortlessly enthralled the entire class with your love for writing is something I will never forget. When you organized a classwide debate based on our argumentative essay topics, you captivated everyone to the point where enthusiastic shouts bounced off the walls of the room.

You made us feel warm and comfortable. As a rigorous teacher and thinker, your lessons impacted me in and out of the classroom. The door to your classroom was always open if I needed advice, helping me navigate everything from friendships to high school applications. In your presence, I felt like a friend instead of a student, because that was just your comforting nature. Thank you for the moments with you in middle school that will stay with me for a lifetime.

Warm regards,

This essay’s greatest strength is the author’s use of vibrant, playful language, which helps readers vicariously feel Mrs. King’s enthusiasm and energy. For example, the “enthusiastic shouts bouncing off walls” and feeling “like a friend instead of a student, because that was just your comforting nature” drop us right into Mrs. King’s classroom, and allow us to vicariously understand why this student respects her so much.

This essay’s biggest issue is that most of the writer’s points are very generic, and could have been written by anyone, about any teacher. The point of this prompt is to highlight certain aspects of your personality by describing values you have learned from someone else, but the details we get about Mrs. King are very surface-level, like the sound of her voice, smile, and love for writing. As a result, we don’t learn much about either the teacher’s personality or how she has impacted the writer.

The author should instead include stories that show us specific values and lessons they have learned from this teacher. For example, the line “As a rigorous teacher and thinker, your lessons impacted me in and out of the classroom,” could be about nearly anything. To make this line more informative, the writer needs to get much more specific about what their point is, along the lines of:

“When you took us on a field trip to see a production of Hamlet which had recast Ophelia as a man, you challenged me to reconsider how societal standards, which I like to think I’m able to transcend, unavoidably impact my interpretation of literature.”

This version both identifies a particular aspect of the writer’s personality (their ability to push back on preconceived ideas) and something specific Mrs. King did to help them develop that aspect. As a result, admissions officers now get what they really care about: information about who this student is, and how they would fit in at their school.

Where to Get Feedback on Your Essay

Want feedback on your UPenn “Thank You” essay before you submit? That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Things to Be Thankful For

Not sure what to be grateful for here are some ideas..

Posted May 31, 2021 | Reviewed by Davia Sills

Gratitude can improve our relationships and make us feel good too.
Noticing things that we're thankful for in our daily lives—from a beautiful sunrise to good health and a loving family—can boost our well-being.
Other strategies for being more thankful include writing gratitude notes or starting a gratitude journal.

Do you want to express thankfulness for the people, things, and experiences in your life? That's great! Gratitude can not only help us form closer, more satisfying bonds with others, but it feels good too. So in this article, we'll give you a list of things to be thankful for in different areas of your life.

What is thankfulness?

Gratitude—or thankfulness—is often considered to be a positive emotion (Chipperfield, Perry, & Weiner, 2003). Expressing and experiencing thankfulness is strongly linked with happiness and well-being (Bono, Emmons, & McCullough, 2004). In short, being thankful feels good and is good for us.

But it's not always easy to think of things to be thankful for. So here's a list of ideas to get you started.

Things to be thankful for today

Having air to breathe
The feeling of the sun
The smell of flowers, fresh-cut grass, or trees
The people we have in our lives
That our parents gave us this life
To be alive
For a beautiful sunrise
For the beach
For each new day
For opportunities
For the opportunity to learn from mistakes
That today is probably not the worst day
For a hot cup of tea or coffee
For the hard times, because they will help us appreciate the good times
For failure, because it makes us stronger
To be able to think our own thoughts
For the body—it carries us through this life
To be able to learn new things
To have a place to sleep at night
For time to experience life
For simply existing
That I will get to live today and hopefully tomorrow, too
For health, even though it may not be perfect

More tools to help you with thankfulness

In one study, participants were asked to write down three good things each day (and note down their causes). They did this for just one week. The results showed that this strategy made them happier after that week and even 6 months later (Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005). This suggests that noting the good things—and perhaps being thankful for them—has long-term, positive impacts on our happiness. Other strategies can be to write gratitude notes or start a gratitude journal .

Taking a few minutes each day to practice thankfulness can be a cool and fun way to boost happiness. Hopefully, you got some ideas here that will help you think of even more things to be thankful for.

This post was adapted from an article published at The Berkeley Well-Being Institute .

Chipperfield, J. G., Perry, R. P., & Weiner, B. (2003). Discrete emotions in later life. The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 58(1), P23-P34.

Bono, G., Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2004). Gratitude in practice and the practice of gratitude. Positive psychology in practice, 464-481.

Seligman, M. E., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60(5), 410.

Tchiki Davis, Ph.D. , is a consultant, writer, and expert on well-being technology.

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How to Express Gratitude to Others: 19 Examples & Ideas

How did that moment make you and that person feel?

Or maybe you can remember a time someone gave you something, something you didn’t buy or ask for – just a token of their appreciation? It felt pretty good, didn’t it?

This article will look at the ways we can best express our gratitude, the benefits of expressing the gratitude we feel towards others, and how you can practice the act of gratitude whilst learning to appreciate the positive emotions that accompany it.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Gratitude Exercises for free . These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients connect to more positive emotions and enjoy the benefits of gratitude.

This Article Contains:

How can we best express gratitude towards others, the benefits of expressing gratitude for life and others, 7 ways to express thanks and gratitude to friends, teachers, and parents, what are gratitude gifts (incl. ideas), what is a gratitude challenge, 7 tips for setting a gratitude challenge, letter of gratitude ideas for thanking parents, more ideas for gratitude emails and posts, 5 gratitude stories, inspiring reflections for gratitude, 5 ideas for expressing everyday gratitude, designing a gratitude bulletin board at work, make a gratitude visit, when is gratitude day (it’s not just thanksgiving), about gratitude month.

A Take Home Message

“We cannot do great things on this earth, only small things with great love.”

Mother Teresa

‘Gratitude’ is a multi-layered, complex concept with multiple definitions . It can be regarded at many levels of analysis ranging from momentary affect to long-term dispositions (McCullough, 2004), as a general state of thankfulness and/or appreciation (Sansone & Sansone, 2010), and as the recognition and appreciation of an altruistic gift (Emmons, 2004).

There is a wealth of evidence reflecting on the benefits we derive from expressing gratitude and appreciation; such expressions evoke an array of psychological, social, and physical benefits that promote our psychological, social and physiological health (Wood, Froh, & Geraghty, 2010).

“There is no duty more indispensable than that of returning a kindness”

Gratitude can have a lasting positive impact if we work towards incorporating it into our daily lives.

The expression of gratitude is a self-promoting exercise, grateful people are found to be more likely to respond with gratitude to a wider range of scenarios and recognize the beneficence on the part of others.

This leads to a positive, self-renewing, feedback loop – the more gratitude we display, the more our subjective wellbeing and resistance to negativity increases, and the more grateful we are likely to be (Emmons & Stern, 2013).

Actions that display gratitude are more valuable than solely feeling gratitude towards others (Lambert, Clark, Durtschi, Fincham, & Graham, 2010). For this very reason, it’s important to recognize the methods by which we can express gratitude effectively and exercise them as and when the situation warrants.

How we choose to express gratitude can depend significantly on the social context – taking a partner to their favorite restaurant to thank them for their support may be a completely suitable practice, but would not be a measured expression of gratitude towards, say, a stranger who held open a door.

Below are just a few ways in which you can express gratitude to others – the list is by no means definitive but is a starting point for finding methods of expressing your thanks.

Random acts of kindness. Random acts of kindness can yield substantial reward in terms of subjective wellbeing (Rowland & Curry, 2019). If you see a stranger struggling under a heavy load of shopping, offer a hand. Donate unwanted clothes to charity. Help someone lost with directions. The list is nigh inexhaustible!
Be respectful. Maintain standards of etiquette in your day-to-day interactions with strangers. Just because you don’t know them, it doesn’t mean you should withhold the common courtesy you expect yourself. Hold the door open, respect their space, and be mindful of how your actions impact them.
Tip your server. Going to the effort to make your experience a positive one, service-industry employees are often unsung heroes. In a fast-paced service environment, stopping a server to read them a gratitude letter isn’t likely to be received well but dropping a tip in the jar (if you can afford to) lets the staff know you’re thankful for their efforts.
Volunteer in your community. Volunteering is not only a great way to connect with others and gain experience, it has also been found to increase subjective wellbeing and pose significant health benefits. Thoits and Hewitt (2001) found volunteer work to have a positive impact on elements of personal wellbeing. Those who undertook volunteering opportunities reported increased levels of happiness, life satisfaction , self-esteem, sense of control over life, physical health and lower levels of depression.

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”

William Arthur Ward

Expressing gratitude can lead to significant increases in subjective, psychological, spiritual, and physical wellbeing; the benefits of expressing gratitude are many.

Hill, Allemand, and Roberts (2013) postulated that grateful individuals are better able to form social bonds, utilize coping skills to defer stress, maintain positive affect, and are more creative in problem solving. Bartlett, Condon, Cruz, Baumann, and Desteno (2012) suggested gratitude is related to increases in relationship satisfaction, social affiliation, and facilitates socially inclusive behaviors, even when those actions come at a personal cost to oneself.

Social benefits

The expression of gratitude plays a pivotal role in building and maintaining social relationships. Research into the role of gratitude in real, ongoing, relationships looked at naturally occurring gratitude in college sororities during a week of anonymous gift-giving from existing members to new members (Little Sisters).

Little Sisters’ gratitude was found to be a predictor of their feelings of integration within the sorority and indicated gratitude is about more than repaying benefits; it is about building relationships and aiding the integration and cooperation of group members.

Gratitude serves the social function of promoting relationships with others who are responsive to our likes and dislikes, our needs and preferences, helping us get through difficult times and flourish in good times (Algoe, Haidt & Gable, 2008).

Additionally, expressions of gratitude also increase prosocial behavior (behaviors that are intended to benefit others) by enabling individuals to feel social worth and support while simultaneously reducing their feelings of uncertainty about whether they can help effectively (Grant & Gino, 2010).

Experiencing gratitude is one component that contributes to the fostering of positive feelings, contributing to one’s overall sense of wellbeing. Emmons and McCullough (2003) examined the emotional benefits of gratitude and the link to wellbeing. Participant groups kept a daily or weekly journal under three experimental conditions: ‘negative life events’, ‘things I am grateful for’ and ‘neutral life events’.

Across the study conditions, the gratitude sub-sample consistently showed higher self-reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, attentiveness, determination and energy in comparison with the other two study groups.

Additionally, gratitude is connected to our self-esteem – Kong, Ding, and Zhao (2015) revealed a significant path from gratitude to overall life satisfaction through social support and self-esteem among undergraduate students.

Gratitude expression is uniquely important to psychological wellbeing and linked to enhanced positive emotions, resilience, better coping skills, and an improved ability to manage stress, and an increase in happiness (Sansone & Sansone, 2010. Wood, Joseph, & Maltby, 2009).

Happiness is subjective; the essence of what it means to be happy will almost certainly differ depending on who you ask. What is more absolute is that we all want to be happy regardless of what our own definitions may be.

Peterson, Park, and Seligman (2005) suggested the tendency to pursue happiness via the route of gratitude is a way to live ‘the good life’. This was compounded by Lashani, Shaeiri, Asghari-Moghadam, & Golzari, (2012) who concluded that gratitude can increase positive affectivity, happiness and optimism.

Physical health benefits

Gratitude expression correlates positively with self-reported physical health and, through the mediation of psychological health, increases healthy activities and willingness to seek help for health concerns (Hill, Allemand, & Roberts, 2013).

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When you think about expressing gratitude and thanks, how does it make you feel? Embarrassed? Awkward? You are not alone. For some, expressing gratitude does not come easily, even to those people who mean the most to us. Whether it’s a friend, teacher, or parent, the positive impact a little bit of gratitude can have is immense for both parties.

It is often the simplest of gestures that speak volumes in showing your gratitude. We all have people in our lives who inspire us and generally just make life better by being in it; here we will look at ways to express gratitude to those who should really hear it.

1. Say the words!

Words are powerful and the simplest, most direct, way to express gratitude to the people we may take for granted. Given proximity, a verbal expression of your appreciation in person is effective – if you can’t do it in person, make the phone call and brighten somebody’s day.

2. Write a gratitude letter or note

Spend some time thinking about what you appreciate most about your friends, teacher, or parents and draft a letter by hand, expressing your sentiments. While recognizing your gratitude is important – just writing it down is enough to make you feel warm inside – actually reading the letter out loud is worth so much more.

Maybe jumping in with a full gratitude letter is too big a first step for you to make, that’s OK! Why not try a thank you note in a thoughtfully selected or handmade card? While writing thank you notes is a bit of a lost art; it takes almost no time at all but is a sincere expression of gratitude.

3. Show gratitude through creative expression

We can’t all be talented artists, but it really is the thought and effort put in that counts. Often homemade gifts mean the most, a little bit of creativity goes a long way.

4. Give a gratitude gift

When choosing a gift aimed specifically at expressing gratitude, opt for meaningful over monetary value. Gratitude in itself is a gift but giving a thoughtful, personal gift that can be kept, displayed and treasured is something really special.

5. Express your appreciation face to face with a gratitude visit

While expressing gratitude in person might be a big step for some, the gesture of going out of your way to tell someone how much you appreciate them is enough for everyone to feel the benefits. If you can’t make the visit in person, send a personalized video message.

6. Ask how they are (and listen to their response!)

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed; the simple act of actively listening to your loved ones can be an effective way to show you value them. Put down your phone, remain attentive and let them steer the conversation.

7. Make a gratitude scrapbook

If you are thinking of how to show appreciation for a teacher, try making your own scrapbook or even better, ask your entire class to get involved, each student can add a page of gratitude then put it all together in a book. Make one for your friend or parents and fill it with photographs of special moments over the years.

Friend, teachers and parents are probably the people we’re most grateful for but show least gratitude towards. Expressing gratitude is personal to you – you know the person best, think about what would have the most value to them.

Gift-giving can be viewed as a reciprocal practice, whereby responding with gratitude after receiving some ‘benefit’ is a moral obligation (Watkins, Scheer, Ovnicek, & Kolts, 2006).

However, we shouldn’t think of it as a ‘debt of gratitude’, rather as a meaningful way to cultivate social support, which is beneficial for both individuals and society as a whole.

A gratitude gift might be something of material value but it does not need to be, a thoughtful and personal show of gratitude can be worth its weight in gold.

Here we will look at some ideas for gratitude gifts that will beautifully express just how thankful you are.

A gift that can be kept and treasured will always remind them of the positive emotions they experienced when it was received.

Handmade gifts:

Frame a picture – find a meaningful photograph that evokes positive memories for you and more importantly the person who is the focus of your gratitude.
Gift a packet of seeds, flowers from your garden, or a plant and every time they tend to them they will remember you for this simple act of gratitude – you don’t have to spend a lot of money to show someone how much you appreciate them.
Bring over lunch – preparing meals, especially if you’re stressed and overworked, can be a chore. Don’t you know someone who’d be delighted if you’d surprise them with a tasty lunch?
A journal – a journal can be a beautiful gift, the recipient can either fill it with their own feeling of gratitude and continue the gratitude cycle or as a normal journal for their thoughts and musings. Each time they pick it up they will know that you are grateful to have them in your life.
A little jar full of thanks – fill jar with gratitude notes and that special person can read one a day (or whenever they feel like they need a boost) – imagine starting each day knowing you are appreciated.
A gift of encouragement – maybe the object of your appreciation has started a new hobby or enjoys painting, why not gift them that brush they’ve had their eye on or another related item that they’ll really appreciate.
A playlist of their favorite songs or music that means something to both of you and evokes the very best memories you have together.
52 gratitude cards – this one might take some time and effort, but it really is the gift that keeps giving – even when you aren’t there in person. They can open up a card each week for an entire year!

Gifts to buy:

Gift a book – if that person is an avid reader, buy a copy of their favorite book, you can take this a step further and write a note of appreciation on one of the pages, or tuck your gratitude letter between the pages. (See this list of best gratitude books for ideas!)
Find out their favorite restaurant or place to shop and get them a gift card to indulge.
Give them tickets to see the latest movie , their favorite sports team, or a ballet/opera/musical.
A scented candle with their favorite fragrance, whether it’s a neighbor, a coworker, a friend or loved one who could use a lift, this is a wonderful way to show your gratitude for all this person means to you.
A board game or jigsaw you can complete/play together – knowing that you want to spend time with them is a great way to make someone feel appreciated.

People who cultivate and consciously participate in gratitude are more patient, make better decisions, develop better relationships and generally feel more positive and optimistic about their lives than those who do not (Emmons & Stern, 2013).

If you are thinking about ways you can gain more enjoyment from life, a good starting point to propel you into a grateful way of life is a 21 day gratitude challenge (or longer if you so choose!).

The gratitude challenge helps cultivate gratitude by encouraging us to actively seek out all the things that are good in life and practice the expression of appreciation.

A Meaningful Challenge For You

There are countless versions of the gratitude challenge, meaning there is something to suit everyone – some are more structured, giving you specific exercises to follow each day , others are far less so. While each version is different from the next, they all share the same idea; every day for three weeks, focus on the things or people you are grateful to have in your life, and then express your gratitude for them.

If the idea of practicing gratitude is completely new to you, a more structured challenge can help you to negotiate the initial uncertain stage and prompt you to start really paying attention to the world around you. The gratitude challenge helps cultivate a state of mindfulness and appreciation for the simple things and to recognize the positive aspects of even the most difficult and challenging situations.

Your challenge could include gratitude meditation and yoga, both have been found to promote a tendency towards gratitude as a quality of mindfulness and have been found to produce elevated experiences of love and thankfulness (Shapiro, Schwartz, & Santerre, 2002).

Taking It Further

Why stop at 21 days? Once you have experienced the positive emotions that go hand in hand with the challenge don’t be surprised if you want to continue long after the 3 weeks are up.

The ultimate goal of the gratitude challenge is to make people happier and to gain more enjoyment from life by consciously developing gratitude. Really, there is no right or wrong way to take part in a gratitude challenge, simply begin and discover what comes naturally to you.

We are all guilty of letting the stresses of daily life get in the way of recognizing and expressing gratitude, we often forget to stop and think about the things we are most grateful for. While the journey to gratefulness may not happen overnight, these tips will help focus your attention on setting your own personal gratitude challenge.

The first moments of the day are often when we feel most focused before the tasks of the day take their toll. Try introducing a morning gratitude ritual that allows you to start the day grounded in gratitude. This could be as simple as taking a few moments to focus on the positive, ask yourself, ‘what am I grateful for today?’
Appreciate the small things; it’s not just about the big stuff. Write a list that is unique to you and where you are in your life right now. This can include family, friends, health, your community – even the weather!
Develop your own mindfulness session and practice ‘being in the moment’, focus your attention on the ways that life is good right now rather than thinking too much about the future. The trick is to picture it in your mind and immerse yourself in the feeling of gratitude.
Appreciate the good and the bad – while much of the gratitude challenge is about positive experiences, thinking about difficult situations can really help you to appreciate the good.
Have a daily recap – spend some time writing down the things you are grateful for before going to bed. Writing down all those thoughts is a good way to keep track of the positives in your life and you can look back on them at any time.
Download an app – there are multiple gratitude challenge apps available that help focus your attention, record your appreciation and send friendly reminders to encourage your gratitude development.
Use a gratitude challenge calendar – many of these have daily prompts to help focus your mind on all the things you might not even consider.

How often do we thank our parents for everything they’ve done for us? It can be easy to take the guidance, support and love of parents for granted. Why not take the time to brainstorm the things you are grateful for and why you value them so much, then put pen to paper.

To help you get started, here are some letter of gratitude ideas for thanking parents.

Remember specifics – recalling a specific memory that fills you with appreciation is much more effective than a general ‘Thank You’. Think of the little things, from teaching you to tie your laces to reading bedtime stories – the fact that you remember these small moments will mean so much.
Include inspirational quotes that reflect your feelings of gratitude.
Think of some prompts to help guide your writing, like ‘I always remember when you…’, ‘I am so thankful for…’ and ‘I am inspired by your…’
Think of the life lessons they’ve taught you – how have these impacted you?
Thanking your parents for their time – did your parents drive you to practice every weekend? Or stand at the sidelines cheering you on? Tell them how much it meant and still means to you.
The way they make you feel, both now and as a child, it may seem obvious but relaying just how special your parents make you feel is something they have likely never heard before.
Finish off by reiterating just how grateful you are.

The important thing is to be sincere and make it personal, only you know what your parents will value hearing the most.

An experiment in gratitude – Participant

In today’s modern world, technology allows us to take our expressions of gratitude to the global stage by way of email or even social media posts. These avenues may be preferred if you aren’t sure when you will see the individual or if you wish to express gratitude to a group, wherein writing individual letters or emails may not be a practical or timely approach.

It’s tempting to ramble on when writing an email, especially when the subject matter may prompt some self-consciousness – we have a tendency to dance around the subject of import. A gratitude email doesn’t need to be long, focus on succinct sincerity and always proofread before hitting ‘send’ as typos can diminish the sentiment behind the gesture.

The sample below is just to give you an example of a short gratitude email – every situation will vary. Remember to be specific and avoid generalized statements, ‘Thanks for all your help putting together the [Client name] project’ , is better than ‘Thanks for all your help’ .

Include how their actions helped you, or in the case of a workplace, how their actions impacted positively on a business deliverable.

Subject: Thank you! Dear Tommy I just wanted to write you a quick email to say thank you very much for all your help putting together last week’s client proposal I really appreciate the hard work you put into getting the graphics just right and the clients seemed equally impressed when we pitched this morning. Keep up the great work and I look forward to working closely with you on future projects. Many thanks, John

You may choose to opt for a social media post if want to express gratitude to a large group. Connecting via social media removes any geographical restrictions while also allowing you to address a wider audience. The private message function found on most social media platforms also provides an avenue to connect directly if you’d rather not post publicly.

If it’s a friend, remember to drop the formality you may feel compelled to include in workplace expressions.

The examples below can be used to get you thinking about how to express gratitude on social media either directly or via a public post.

Direct message: You’re the best! Thanks so much for giving me a lift yesterday; I don’t know what I’d have done without you! Post: So thankful to all my wonderful friends who helped me moving house. I really couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Social media also represents a novel arena in which to record daily gratitude posts. Remember, the expression itself will promote subjective wellbeing; your expressions need not be individual or even group-directed.

An example could be ‘Today I’m grateful for caffeine, bringer of life, and for my parents who looked after the kids last night so I could get a decent night’s sleep!’

You can even include a prompt such as ‘Let me know what you’re grateful for’ to encourage those that see your post to engage with it positively – every time you get a notification of a like or comment you’re revisiting and reinforcing the positivity that expressing gratitude yields.

Related: The 34 Best TED Talks And Videos on The Power of Gratitude

The following links can help you access stories about gratitude… enjoy.

In this story on Forbes.com, Homayun relays how reading John Krilak’s book called ‘A Simple Act of Gratitude’ helped him to cope with his life following the sudden death of his father. The book inspired him to think about the people he should thank, and subsequently, he wrote thank-you notes to these people.
This website gives some background information about gratitude, which is interesting. It also contains links to three stories about gratitude – Aesop’s “ Androcles and the Lion ”, a folktale from Japan called “ The Grateful Crane” and “ King Midas and the Golden Touch”.
This article , appearing in the Reader’s Digest, is an inspiring story about a teacher’s experience of setting her class a task in which they reflected upon what they had to be thankful for.
This is essentially a children’s story, however reading “ An Octopus in Trouble ” is a heart-warming way to capture the power of gratitude in just a few minutes.

In an ideal world the things we are most grateful for would always be at the front of our minds, unfortunately that isn’t always the case. But all is not lost! Sometimes all we need are some gentle reminders to guide our thoughts in the right direction.

If this sounds like you, the following inspiring reflections for gratitude will help focus your attention on your own feelings and encourage you to think about some of the insights others have had on the concept.

Inspiring Reflections On Gratitude:

Think of a time when someone was kind to you, what emotions did you experience? Take 60 seconds to feel your gratitude.
Ask 3 other people what they are grateful for.
Take a walk and use the time to clear your mind, take some deep breaths and think about the things around you that make your feel grateful. What are you grateful for in nature?
What memory are you grateful for? Why are you grateful for that experience?
What challenge in your life are you grateful for?
What small thing that happened today are you grateful for?
Take a moment to consider the people around you, what makes you feel grateful to have them in your life?
Think about why you want to experience and express gratitude, what benefits mean the most to you?
Think about how expressing more gratitude has positively impacted you.

Inspiring quotes on gratitude:

“It is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.”

David Steindl-Rast

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”

Robert Brault

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

Melody Beattie

“At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”

Albert Schweitzer

Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.”

Henri Frederic Amiel

The expression of gratitude is an exercise in positive psychology and like all exercises, repetition and practice make perfect. Ingratitude is the “essence of vileness,” wrote the philosopher Immanuel Kant while David Hume opined that ingratitude is:

“the most horrible and unnatural crime that a person is capable of committing.”

By exercising methods of expressing everyday gratitude you not only reap the rewards in terms of promoting a positive mental state while reducing negativity, but also get into the habit of focusing on the positive – in time it can become second nature.

The following are five simple ways that we can embed the expression of gratitude into our daily routines:

Keep a gratitude journal. Amid the humdrum and bustle of modern life, it’s easy to forget the small acts of kindness we receive. By mentally revisiting and recording these events, we reinforce the positive impact and can revisit it to remind ourselves of how much we have to be thankful for and, in turn, find expressing gratitude a more natural response.
Remember to express your gratitude in person. This may seem an obvious one but it’s easy to forget to verbalize or otherwise show your appreciation to friends, colleagues or clients in the day-to-day. Expressions don’t have to be extravagant, simply stopping for a moment to let someone know you are grateful helps foster an environment of gratitude and is another simple way to get into the habit of expressing everyday gratitude.
Be respectful and treat others with the level of courtesy you would like to receive. As children we’re taught to treat those around us how we would like to be treated. This mantra can serve you well in your day to day expressions of gratitude. While we can express gratitude through directly telling someone we are thankful, how we conduct ourselves and our actions provide another avenue for the expression of gratitude.
Remember to smile, be patient, listen and express kindness whenever possible. Next time you’re heading on the coffee run, offer to bring back drinks for your colleagues – this lets them know you value them and chances are next time they’re on the coffee dash they’ll return the favor and you can be on the receiving end of some gratitude.
Try not to complain. We have a tendency to focus on the negative; we’re evolutionarily hardwired to focus on the events which yielded negative outcomes so we can avoid them in future (Seligman, 2012). Every time we complain we’re reinforcing a negative state of mind, making it more difficult to feel and express gratitude. Remember some things are out with your control and focus on something positive instead.

Gratitude is one of the primary elements of positive psychology… and for a very good reason.

Research has shown time and time again that gratitude, or even just saying ‘thank you,’ has several mental and physical benefits (Wong & Brown, 2017).

Specifically, showing gratitude allows individuals to strengthen social ties, experience an increase in self-worth, block toxic emotions (Froh et al. 2010), and be seen as kind and helpful by others (Bartlett & DeSteno, 2006). Contrary to popular belief, practicing gratitude does not just entail one simple step of saying thank you.

Practicing genuine gratitude consists of:

1. Noticing the things you are grateful for 2. Thinking about why you are grateful for this and why this happened to you 3. Feeling all the emotions that come with experiencing gratitude 4. Doing something in return to make someone else feel grateful

Notably, experiencing gratitude does not just stem from another person simply doing something nice for you. You can also practice gratitude about your different life circumstances, for example, being grateful for your opportunity to get an education.

The next time you practice gratitude, make sure you are paying attention to each of these four components.

The workplace can be a significant source of negative emotions which in turn can lead to stress, malaise and general dissatisfaction (Ganster & Schaubroeck, 1991). While your work activities may be constrained to the ‘four walls’ of your work environment, your emotional state is unbounded by the physical. You can leave your work at work, but your emotions persist regardless of your spatial placement.

Fostering a positive emotional environment doesn’t have to blow the departmental budget, one simplistic gratitude technique gaining in popularity is to display a gratitude bulletin board in the workplace. To set this up all you need is a physical board, a bit of wall-space and (depending on the type of board) pens, post-it notes or pins.

Getting Started

When setting up your gratitude board, remember to place it somewhere prominent to help achieve maximum visual impact.

Many people struggle expressing gratitude – especially in formal environments such as a place of work where professionalism may inhibit such expressions (Frohman, 2009) – so it’s a good idea to kick-start the process by adding as many gratification notices as you can, being as inclusive as possible, to encourage colleagues to follow suit.

How many times have you found yourself utterly drained and emotionally defeated on the homeward bound commute? Or been in your place of work, feeling under-appreciated and trying to muster the motivation to maintain cordiality and carry out your tasks?

By providing a medium through which to express gratitude, you and your colleagues can take the opportunity to post a note on the board to say what it is that you’re grateful for.

Gratitude Boards 2.0

What can you do if your team isn’t centralized? Perhaps your work takes you on the road for extended periods. Perhaps you are part of a virtual team (VT). Well, modern problems call for modern solutions. While it lacks the visual impact of a physical gratitude board, creating an additional ‘gratitude’ group chat with your colleagues can achieve a very similar outcome.

Work is a huge part of our lives! That’s why it’s as, if-not-more, important to try to promote a positive emotional environment for yourself and those around you. By applying techniques which encourage the expression of gratitude, everyone can feel appreciated and positive, turning the daily grind into the daily grin.

The gratitude visit represents one of the most well researched and validated examples of the positive outcomes that gratitude can have yield for an individual’s wellbeing.

Thrust into the spotlight by one of the founding fathers of positive psychology and former president of the American Psychological Association, Dr. Martin Seligman (2012), the gratitude visit combines both introspective reflection and the outward expression of gratitude in an exercise that will increase your happiness and reduce levels of depression in as little as a month.

Furthermore, studies show that for a full month after a gratitude visit, happiness levels tend to go up, while boredom and other negative feelings go down.

In fact, the gratitude visit is more effective than any other exercise in positive psychology (Tomasulo, 2011).

Simply put, the gratitude visit consists of writing and delivering a letter to a person whom you appreciate.

To start, take a moment to reflect on the positive impact others have had on your life. Focus on a time when perhaps you weren’t able to thank the individual properly or until now had let the good deed go unrecognized.

Your next task involves writing a letter of gratitude to the individual emphasizing how you recognize the positive impact that their actions had on you, how it helped you and how you still recall what they did.

Not to be remiss, give the individual a call and check if and when they would be available for a face-to-face visit. While an out-of-the-blue contact may raise questions, try not to get into specifics about why you would like to visit, the gratitude visit has the greatest oomph when it comes as a surprise to the recipient.

Next, the visit! While you may feel self-conscious, the positive psychological outcome for both yourself and the individual to whom you’re expressing gratitude will outweigh any temporary feelings of embarrassment.

Take your time and personally read the letter you’ve written – giving them the physical letter is a nice touch as it allows them to revisit the moment as an when they wish.

Findings by Seligman (2012) indicated that the positive outcomes of a gratitude visit are myriad and include; increasing our sense of wellbeing, enhancing our relationship with the gratitude recipient, helping us alter the way we think about past events – with a focus on the positive rather than negative, prompting an immediate sense of wellbeing and encouraging us to think about the future in a more positive manner.

Of course there are occasions when expressing gratitude is more of a focus than others, Christmas and Thanksgiving for example, are times of the of year that resonate with an abundance of messages relaying gratitude. Family, friends, and even complete strangers convey their appreciation towards one another, and while this collective expression of gratitude is heartwarming, why should it be confined to just a few times a year?

With this in mind let’s explore Gratitude Day, a day to encourage the celebration of gratitude for all things great and small, in a whole host of ways.

World Gratitude Day was first conceived in 1965; it was later adopted by the United Nations Meditation Group and has been celebrated by a growing number of people on the 21st September every year since.

How To Take Part

How you choose to celebrate World Gratitude Day is entirely up to you, and that’s part of the beauty. Simply taking some time to positively reflect on the people and things we are grateful for can impact us in a multitude of ways, most importantly by improving our wellbeing and making us happier people.

Whether you choose to take a moment to think about the blessings you are grateful for, or verbally express your gratitude to others, immersing yourself in the practice of gratitude helps you be aware of the positives in your life and encourages regular practice (Allen, 2018).

Living a grateful life takes time and practice, but with commitment and participating in days such as this, you can cultivate the attitude of gratitude into your daily life.

Put it in your diary! World Gratitude Day – Saturday 21st September, 2019.

17 Exercises To Nurture Gratitude & Appreciation

Empower others with more hope, satisfaction, and fulfilling relationships with these 17 Gratitude & Appreciation Exercises [PDF] that harness the powerful benefits of gratitude.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

After your taste of expressing gratitude on Gratitude Day, you may find Gratitude Month helps cement your gratitude practices. Running through the month of November, Gratitude Month is an exercise that encourages the daily practice of gratitude, encouraging the reciprocal cycle of appreciation.

Focusing on gratitude is a great way to spend a month and creates a habit of positive thinking – a means to help navigate the stresses and chaos of daily life.

During Gratitude Month, people are encouraged to journal their gratitude, participate in charity work, and give back to their community. At first you might struggle to think of what you are truly grateful for but that’s why it’s so important – through practice the act of gratitude becomes easier.

The important thing is to keep your mind focused on your feelings of gratitude, practice expressing your gratitude and in time you will develop a tendency towards a grateful life.

A Take-Home Message

Based on the advice we are given as children when learning to cross the road, Steindl-Rast (2013) offers practical advice for living gratefully, moment by moment.

STOP: We rush through life and miss opportunities because we don’t stop to recognize and act on them.
LOOK: We must use all our senses to enjoy the richness that life has given to us.
GO: We should do whatever life offers to us in that present moment. Sometimes that might be difficult, but we should go with it and do our best to enjoy every moment.

The positive impacts of expressing gratitude are long-lasting, grateful people and those who receive gratitude are likely to experience greater psychological, spiritual, and physical wellbeing.

If we fail to appreciate the things we take for granted and continue the search for more ‘stuff’ that might make us happy in the future, will that search ever really end?

I hope you’ve enjoyed discovering more about how best to express gratitude and the benefits of doing so! Let us know in the comments how you express gratitude to the people in your life.

For further reading:

The Neuroscience of Gratitude and How It Affects Anxiety & Grief
The Gratitude Tree for Kids

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Gratitude Exercises for free .

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Allen, S. (2018, May). The science of gratitude. Retrieved from https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/images/uploads/GGSC-JTF_White_Paper-Gratitude-FINAL.pdf
Bartlett, M. Y., Condon, P., Cruz, J., Baumann, J., & Desteno, D. (2012). Gratitude: Prompting behaviours that build relationships. Cognition and Emotion, 26 (1), 2-13.
Bartlett, M. Y., & DeSteno, D. (2006). Gratitude and prosocial behavior: Helping when it costs you. Psychological Science, 17(4) , 319-325.
Cullis, L. (2015, November 1). YJ Gratitude challenge: Build a simple daily practice. Yoga Journal . Retrieved from https://www.yogajournal.com/meditation/2015-yj-gratitude-challenge
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Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: Experimental studies of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 377-389.
Emmons, R. A., & Stern, R. (2013). Gratitude as a psychotherapeutic intervention. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69 (8), 846-855.
Froh, J. J., Bono, G., & Emmons, R. (2010). Being grateful is beyond good manners: Gratitude and motivation to contribute to society among early adolescents. Motivation and Emotion, 34 , 144-157.
Ganster, D. C., & Schaubroeck, J. (1991). Work stress and employee health. Journal of Management, 17 (2), 235-271.
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Hill, P. L., Allemand, M., & Roberts, B. W. (2013). Examining the pathways between gratitude and self-rated physical health across adulthood. Personality and Individual Differences, 54 (1), 92-96.
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Thoits, P. A., & Hewitt, L. N. (2001). Volunteer work and well-being. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 42 (2), 115-131.
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Wong, J., & Brown, J. (2017, June 6). How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain. Retrieved Feb 23, 2023, from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain
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How To Answer Essay Prompt 4 In The Common App: Gratitude

Understanding the essay prompt: the importance of reflection and gratitude.

Before delving into crafting our essay, it is essential to fully understand the essay prompt and recognize the significance of reflection and gratitude in our lives.

The essay prompt encourages us to reflect on a specific instance where someone's actions have made us unexpectedly happy or grateful. This prompt provides us with an opportunity to explore the profound impact that gratitude can have on our well-being and personal growth.

Reflection plays a crucial role in this process as it allows us to examine the emotions and thoughts that arise from the experience. By reflecting on the actions of others and our own reactions, we gain a deeper understanding of the power of gratitude and its effects on our lives.

Gratitude is not just a fleeting emotion but a mindset that can transform our outlook and motivate us to strive for better. It is a powerful force that can inspire and fuel our actions, leading to personal and professional growth.

In this section, we will explore the importance of reflection and gratitude, and how they intertwine to shape our responses to the essay prompt. By understanding the significance of these concepts, we can approach our essay with a deeper appreciation for the journey of gratitude and its impact on our lives.

Identifying Your Gratitude Story

In order to answer the essay prompt effectively, it is crucial to identify a gratitude story that resonates deeply with you. This section will guide you through the process of recalling and selecting the most impactful story from your own experiences.

Recalling Moments of Unexpected Happiness or Gratitude

Take a moment to reflect on your life and think about instances where someone's actions have genuinely surprised you and filled you with happiness or gratitude. These moments can range from small gestures to significant acts of kindness. Consider both personal and professional contexts, as acts of gratitude can occur in various aspects of our lives.

Selecting the Most Impactful Story

Once you have generated a list of potential gratitude stories, narrow it down to the one that has had the most profound impact on you. Look for a story that not only made you happy or thankful but also left a lasting impression on your life. Consider the emotions, lessons, or insights that the story evoked within you.

Capturing the Essence of the Experience

To effectively convey the essence of your gratitude story, it is crucial to identify and articulate the key elements that made it significant. Reflect on the details, such as who was involved, where it took place, and what actions were taken. Consider the underlying reasons behind the surprise and the impact it had on your emotions and perspective.

By identifying your gratitude story, you lay the foundation for a compelling essay that showcases your ability to reflect on meaningful experiences and their influence on your life. So take your time, explore your memories, and select the gratitude story that speaks to you the most.

Expressing the Surprise Element

Once you have identified your gratitude story, it is essential to effectively express the surprise element that made the experience so impactful. In this section, we will explore how to set the scene, describe your initial reactions, and explain why the action was surprising.

Setting the Scene for the Surprise Moment

Begin by painting a vivid picture of the setting in which the surprise moment took place. Describe the location, the atmosphere, and any relevant details that will help the reader visualize the situation. Providing this context will enhance the impact of the surprise and create a more immersive reading experience.

Describing Your Initial Reactions

Next, delve into your personal reactions when the surprise occurred. Express your emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations that arose in that moment. Did you feel a rush of joy, disbelief, or gratitude? Did your heart skip a beat? By sharing your genuine reactions, you can convey the intensity of the surprise and its immediate effect on you.

Explaining Why the Action Was Surprising

After describing your initial reactions, it is important to explain why the action taken by the person in your gratitude story was surprising. Was it unexpected because it went above and beyond what you would typically expect from that person? Did it defy societal norms or your own preconceived notions? By explaining the element of surprise, you provide insight into the significance of the action and its impact on you.

Effectively expressing the surprise element in your gratitude story will captivate your readers and allow them to share in the emotions you experienced. By setting the scene, describing your reactions, and explaining the surprising nature of the action, you will create a powerful narrative that draws the reader in.

Discussing the Impact and Motivation

Once you have expressed the surprise element of your gratitude story, it is important to delve into the impact it had on you and how it served as a motivation for personal growth or change. In this section, we will explore how gratitude transformed into motivation, the changes it brought to your personal or professional life, and the importance of continuing the cycle of gratitude.

How the Gratitude Transformed into Motivation

Reflect on how the experience of gratitude transformed into a driving force for you. Did it inspire you to take action, pursue a new goal, or make a positive change in your life? Explore the emotions and thoughts that arose from the gratitude, and how they motivated you to move forward.

The Changes in Your Personal or Professional Life

Discuss the specific changes that occurred as a result of the gratitude and motivation you experienced. Did it lead to personal growth, a shift in mindset, or improvement in your relationships? Did it have any impact on your professional aspirations or achievements? Share the tangible and intangible transformations that took place in your life.

Continuing the Cycle of Gratitude

Highlight the importance of continuing the cycle of gratitude by expressing appreciation to others and recognizing the positive impact they have had on your life. Discuss how this experience of gratitude has shaped your perspective and how you actively incorporate gratitude into your daily life. Share any specific actions or practices you have adopted to ensure that the cycle of gratitude continues.

By discussing the impact and motivation that stemmed from your gratitude story, you demonstrate the profound influence that gratitude can have on shaping your life. Exploring the transformations, both personal and professional, and emphasizing the importance of continuing the cycle of gratitude, you showcase how this experience has motivated you to strive for greater fulfillment and success.

Crafting Your Essay

Crafting your essay is a crucial step in effectively conveying your gratitude story and its impact on your life. In this section, we will explore how to create an engaging introduction, build the body of the essay, and conclude with a reflection on the overall experience.

Creating an Engaging Introduction

Begin your essay with a captivating introduction that grabs the reader's attention and sets the tone for your gratitude story. Consider starting with a compelling anecdote, a thought-provoking quote, or a vivid description of the surprise moment. The introduction should provide a glimpse into your gratitude story and create intrigue, enticing the reader to continue reading.

Building the Body of the Essay

In the body of your essay, expand on your gratitude story and its impact. Use descriptive language to bring the reader into the scene and share your emotions and reactions. Explain why the action was surprising and how it affected you. Discuss the transformation and motivation that stemmed from the gratitude, and the specific changes it brought to your personal or professional life. Support your claims with relevant examples and evidence, and ensure a logical flow between paragraphs.

Concluding with a Reflection on the Overall Experience

Wrap up your essay with a reflective conclusion that ties together the main points and emphasizes the significance of the gratitude story. Reflect on the overall experience and its lasting impact on you. Consider discussing the lessons learned, the growth you have experienced, and how this gratitude story has shaped your perspective on life. End the essay on a positive note, leaving the reader with a sense of inspiration and reflection.

Crafting your essay requires careful attention to detail, thoughtful storytelling, and a clear structure. By creating an engaging introduction, building a coherent body, and concluding with a reflective ending, you will create a powerful essay that effectively communicates the impact of gratitude on your life.

Final Thoughts

Gratitude, often a fleeting emotion, holds the power to reshape our perspectives, fuel our motivations, and transform our lives. The ability to recognize and reflect upon such moments not only nurtures personal growth but also strengthens our emotional intelligence. Crafting an essay on gratitude challenges us to delve deep, revisit cherished memories, and articulate the profound impact of simple acts of kindness. As you embark on this journey of reflection, remember that it's not just about recounting a story, but about sharing the transformative essence of gratitude. Whether it's a significant life-changing act or a simple gesture, the ripple effects of gratitude are vast, influencing our personal and professional paths. Embrace this opportunity to not only share your story but to inspire others to recognize and cherish their own moments of gratitude.

I hope you found this guide useful. Navigating campus life can be daunting, but you don’t have to do it alone. Once you're accepted into college, hop onto MeetYourClass – your go-to platform to find roommates, friends, and your community. Connect with like-minded students, find your perfect roommate, and immerse yourself in campus culture. As you embark on your application journey, remember: your next chapter of friendships and experiences is just a click away. Best of luck, and we hope to see you soon on MeetYourClass!

Find Your College Roommate!

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This cover image released by Dial Press shows "First Love" by Lilly Dancyger. (Dial Press via AP)

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85 Heartfelt "Thank You" Messages and Words of Appreciation

A handwritten note is so much more meaningful than a generic store-bought card.

compilation of thank you notes and envelopes

Thank you messages for gifts

Thank you messages for wedding presents, birthday thank you messages, graduation thank you messages, thank you messages for help given.

Saying "thank you" in person is a great way to show your appreciation, but taking the time to sit down and write a thoughtful handwritten "thank you" note can express your gratitude in a more meaningful way.

While the etiquette is clear on the necessity of thank you cards, what goes inside can be a bit trickier. Sure, you can always buy a pre-written card at any store, with the sentiment still being very sweet, but a personalized "thank you" message really goes the extra mile to show someone you cherish their effort, time and ultimately, their sweet gesture.

What is the best thank you message?

While the best message to write in any kind of card is always a personalized one, we all need a little inspiration sometimes. Start with some of these sentiments, and then add an element that makes it your own.

Maybe that's a memory you share from the party where you received a gift, an inside joke from a vacation you went on together, or how you plan to use a monetary gift. Whatever it is, don't forget to seal it with love. And while it's best to send thank-you cards as soon as you can after a birthday, wedding, special event or meaningful favor, there's no expiration date on gratitude. Whenever you get to it, they'll appreciate the thought.

thank you message thank you messages for gifts you're the best gift i could ask for but this one is pretty great too

I couldn't have picked out a better gift for myself if I tried.
I am touched you remembered me.
Your gift really made me smile.
I'll think of you every time I use your gift.
Every time I look at your gift, I'll think of our friendship.
You didn't have to, but I'm sure glad you did!
Your presence is my present, but I love this one too. Thank you!
Thank you for the meaningful present.
How did you know your gift was just what I needed?
Receiving your thoughtful present really made my day.
You know me so well! Thanks for the gift.
You're the best gift I could ask for, but this one is pretty great too.
I'll cherish your present always, just like I will our relationship.
You hit it out of the park again, slugger!
Finding your present in my mailbox meant so much. Thanks!
Grateful AF.
You're so sweet, and so is this gift.

thank you message thank you messages for wedding presents our wedding was so special, and your presence made it even better

Thank you for celebrating this milestone with us.
We're so appreciative to have friends/family like you!
We can't wait to use [insert gift] in our lives together.
We appreciate the miles traveled to attend our celebration, and can't thank you enough for being here. It means the world to us.
We appreciate you coming to celebrate with us.
Thank you for being a part of our special day.
Our wedding was so special, and your presence made it even better.
Thank you for helping us start our life together.
Your generosity is only outdone by your kindness. Thank you.
We are so touched by your generous gift.
We're blessed to have friends like you who are really family.
We knew you were a great friend, but we didn't realize you were a dancing queen!
Thank you for making the trip to celebrate our wedding. We appreciate it.
It means so much that you welcomed me into the family with open arms. Thank you.
Your marriage is truly #goals for us! Thanks for being such a great example.
We appreciate all of the time and effort you put in to make our wedding such a success.
Thank you for being a bridesmaid — hope I wasn't too much of a bridezilla!
I'd have been lost up there without you. Thanks for being my groomsman.
Thanks for being you so we could be us.

thank you message birthday thank you messages another year older, another year wiser, another year i'm so grateful for you

Thank you for thinking of me on my special day.
Another year older, another year wiser, another year I'm so grateful for you.
Thank you for making my birthday so special!
Thank you for making me feel so loved on my birthday!
Getting older is a pleasure with you by my side.
I'm overwhelmed with love and gratitude for all the birthday wishes. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
You really bring the party! Thanks for dancing the night away.
Thanks for the best birthday gift ever — of always being older than me.
Waking up to your birthday text made my whole day.
Your birthday messages made me feel like royalty. Thanks!
People like you make every year special.
I'm so blessed we could spend my special day together. Thanks for being there.
It means the world that you took the time out of your busy schedule to spend some time with me. Thank you!
Thanks for being one of the people who knew me when (and for sticking around all these years!)
You made what can be a tough day so much lighter. Thank you.
If I have to get older, at least I can spend more time with people like you.

thank you message graduation thank you messages you've always been one of my biggest cheerleaders thank you for your support

I'm thankful to have you in my corner as I take this next step.
I wouldn't be where I am without your help along the way.
Thank you for being such a great friend and mentor to me. It means a lot.
Thanks for the thoughtful gift to help start me on my next phase of life.
I wouldn't have made it this far without you. Thank you for your support.
It means so much that you were there to celebrate my graduation.
Seeing you in the crowd made graduating that much sweeter. Thanks for being there!
You've always been one of my biggest cheerleaders. Thank you for your support.
I believe in myself because you believed in me first. Thank you.
Thanks for celebrating this achievement with me.
Thank you for being the teacher who made me want to come to class.
I never thought I'd like math/science/English/gym, but you made it fun. Thanks for all you do!
It's teachers like you who make school a blast. Thanks for all of your hard work for students like me!
Thank you for being there as I start my next chapter.
Going off to college is a big step, but you helped me feel ready.
Thanks for always believing in me.
It's such a gift that you've always been there for my milestones, and especially this one.

thank you message thank you messages for help given you showed up just when i needed a shoulder to lean on, and it means so much to me

I am so grateful for your generosity and willingness to lend a hand. You've made a positive impact on my life.
I don't know where we'd be without you. Thank you for your help.
Thank you for being my rock.
You're my port in a storm. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Thanks for always putting up with me. It means more than you know.
You showed up just when I needed a shoulder to lean on, and it means so much to me.
There aren't enough words to express what your support means.
Thank you for always being the person I can count on.
I am so blessed to have you in my life!
Thank you for always being the first to show up and the last to leave.
You're the peanut butter to my jelly.
You always lift me up when I'm down.
Thank you for coming through on such short notice. You're a lifesaver.
I love you and am so thankful for you.
How can I ever thank you enough? This is a start.
Everything turned out perfectly, thanks to your help.

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Book Review: Memoirist Lilly Dancyger’s penetrating essays explore the power of female friendships

In 2021 Lilly Dancyger’s first book, “Negative Space,” was praised for its unflinching portrait of her father’s heroin addiction

Who means more to you — your friends or your lovers? In a vivid, thoughtful and nuanced collection of essays, Lilly Dancyger explores the powerful role that female friendships played in her chaotic upbringing marked by her parents’ heroin use and her father’s untimely death when she was only 12.

“First Love: Essays on Friendship” begins with a beautiful paean to her cousin Sabina, who was raped and murdered at age 20 on her way home from a club. As little kids, their older relatives used to call them Snow White and Rose Red after the Grimm’s fairy tale, “two sisters who are not rivals or foils, but simply love each other.”

That simple, uncomplicated love would become the template for a series of subsequent relationships with girls and women that helped her survive her self-destructive adolescence and provided unconditional support as she scrambled to create a new identity as a “hypercompetent” writer, teacher and editor. “It’s true that I’ve never been satisfied with friendships that stay on the surface. That my friends are my family, my truest beloveds, each relationship a world of its own,” she writes in the title essay “First Love.”

The collection stands out not just for its elegant, unadorned writing but also for the way she effortlessly pivots between personal history and spot-on cultural criticism that both comments on and critiques the way that girls and women have been portrayed — and have portrayed themselves — in the media, including on online platforms like Tumblr and Instagram.

For instance, she examines the 1994 Peter Jackson film, “Heavenly Creatures,” based on the true story of two teenage girls who bludgeoned to death one of their mothers. And in the essay “Sad Girls,” about the suicide of a close friend, she analyzes the allure of self-destructive figures like Sylvia Plath and Janis Joplin to a certain type of teen, including herself, who wallows in sadness and wants to make sure “the world knew we were in pain.”

In the last essay, “On Murder Memoirs,” Dancyger considers the runaway popularity of true crime stories as she tries to explain her decision not to attend the trial of the man charged with killing her cousin — even though she was trained as a journalist and wrote a well-regarded book about her late father that relied on investigative reporting. “When I finally sat down to write about Sabina, the story that came out was not about murder at all,” she says. “It was a love story.”

Readers can be thankful that it did.

AP book reviews: https://apnews.com/hub/book-reviews

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Can I get a little more eco-friendly every day? Four tips for a greener mindset

Developing a daily practice of sustainability can help ease your anxiety about the future – so I tried it out for a week

When it comes to climate change, I, like many others, often wonder: does it matter if we adjust our individual behaviors to be more sustainable, or are these efforts insignificant?

Many experts argue that focusing too granularly on individual responsibility can shift the burden from destructive industry and policy on to regular folk. Eventually, we can burn out on the endless micro-responsibilities and not have juice for the big stuff.

Yet, according to career environmentalist Heather White, author of the recent 60 Days to a Greener Life: Ease Eco-anxiety Through Joyful Daily Action , “Individual action drives culture change, and without culture change, global policies and market solutions will not work.”

Political actions like voting are crucial, but developing a daily practice of sustainability can help ease your anxiety about the future, says White on a call from her home in Montana.

The book comprises 60 short essays on ways to make life greener, each with activities and journaling prompts designed to help us think about our personal legacy and visualize a good future despite feelings of climate dread.

White dedicates some of 60 Days to practical tips, like how to choose greener cleaning products . But overall, it’s more of an introspective guide to getting into the conservationist mindset. It’s about exercising agency, figuring out how we can best contribute to the climate fight and learning new things.

I decided to test out some of the advice White provides in her book. “Living a greener, more sustainable life is fun,” she says. “A lot of people think that being sustainable means that everything’s going to be taken away from you. If you live your life more intentionally, sure, you’re going to have to make some decisions, maybe not have as much stuff. But it can actually lead to a more joyful, more fulfilling life.”

Here’s how it went.

Find your climate ‘why’

White encourages readers to find their “climate ‘why’” – as in the reason they want to live more sustainably. For her, it’s the notion of “being a good ancestor”. White reflects on how women like her grandmother and historical activists were agents of enduring change, securing the right to vote and creating educational opportunities that had never previously existed for women. She finds optimism in how effectively one generation can change our perception of what is a human right, and what it means to live ethically – in this case, prioritizing justice and environmental stewardship for future generations.

My climate “why” is that I believe it’s immoral to denude our planet in pursuit of growth and profit. The former is a finite, precious life source that we are already unsustainably over-exploiting and the latter are concepts invented to organize society, and they can be shifted.

Visualize 2030

White’s next thought experiment is: try envisioning your ideal 2030. (Should you feel that time has run out for us already, White’s Day 11 prompt is reassuring in tone: “Know That We Can Fix it & It’s Not Too Late.”)

My ideal 2030 would look like this: rich countries cut back on resource extraction and de-emphasize GDP as the most significant metric of success in favor of goals like reducing poverty and greenhouse gas emissions, and raising the population’s satisfaction, education and health. Renewable energy sources are more common than coal, oil and natural gas. Governments increase protective limits on land and water use, while corporations cap executive pay, regulate supply chains, adopt cooperative business models and adhere to the eco-values that research constantly reaffirms shoppers want.

Meanwhile, regular people work less and shop less, spending more time doing meaningful things like learning skills, relaxing and contributing to our communities.

View nature as a climate solution

We often think of nature as the beneficiary of climate action. But one of White’s prompts introduces the concept of nature as a climate solution, also known as “climate resilience”. Healthy, species-diverse habitats like forests, grasslands and wetlands absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than they release, so protecting them can have a global impact as well as helping local biodiversity.

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Last month, I attended a talk by the conservationist Kristine Tompkins at the annual Ted conference. She advocated for “rewilding on a continental scale ”, referring to the restoration of damaged ecosystems to their original state, enabling them to support the same levels of biodiversity as they did before human intervention. Over the last three decades, Tompkins and her colleagues have accomplished large-scale rewilding projects in South America, focusing on restoring keystone species in almost 15m acres of parkland spanning Argentina and Chile. And she’s not the only one thinking big: the organization Nature Needs Half is campaigning for 50% of our planet to be preserved for wildlife by 2030, while globally, Indigenous peoples are responsible for protecting 80% of the Earth’s biodiversity.

Searching for an accessible way to participate in rewilding a few days after the talk, I took a trip to a local native plant nursery with my mom, who has a garden. We picked out some indigenous plants that should grow well in her landscape, including Western trillium, Pacific anemone and Kinnikinnick shrubs. I only have a tiny balcony for gardening space, but I picked up herbs – especially the bee-beloved oregano – to plant densely for the benefit of urban pollinators.

Go outside and find awe

White acknowledges that trying to save the planet is an overwhelming endeavor, rife with eco-anxiety – even the deceptively complex question “Where do I start?” “Going outside is a great way to reduce feelings of stress and anger,” she notes.

Being in nature has always been my favorite way to decompress. Spring has arrived where I live, on the west coast of Canada; the native salmonberries and elderflowers are out in force, as are the decorative cherries and prehistoric pink magnolias. I take a walk by the ocean just after sunset and notice eagles circling overhead and a seal hunting in the water.

“Appreciate the planet and the feeling of awe that nature provides,” writes White.

I’m thankful that my surroundings offer an abundance of natural beauty, yet I remember experiencing moments of the sublime even in more dense urban settings, like watching red-tailed hawks flying over Central Park.

As I walk through the forest, I get angry thinking about how its ancient trees are being logged and the fact that my province permits cruise ships to dump toxic wastewater along our coast. But spending time outdoors has galvanized many a conservationist. And, thanks to some compartmentalization, I do feel refreshed and appreciative after my stroll.

White’s eco-friendly suggestions may be small steps toward a safer and more resilient world, but “it’s about progress, not perfection”, she tells me. It’s invigorating to be reminded that every day, a small action can contribute to a larger wave of change.

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“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings…

#1 Describe your favorite moment of the day.

#2 Describe your favorite person and list all of that person’s good qualities.

#3 Write about a random act of kindness from another person.

#4 Write about something that cheers you up when you feel down.

#5 List 5 things you are grateful for today.

#6 Remember a success you had and write a thank-you speech describing who helped you reach it.

#7 Write about a favorite hobby.

#8 Write about something you are grateful for with your work or personal life.