How to Practice Gratitude and Pay It Forward
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Let’s be honest, with recent years being dominated by virtual meetings, virtual classrooms, and virtual townhalls, it can be all too easy to feel disconnected from the world around you - your people, your community. That’s why this post is focused on community and the huge impact we can have, even with small actions.
Focus on Gratitude
We talk a lot about gratitude here because committing to an ongoing gratitude practice begins to shift your mindset toward the good things in life. You automatically start looking for things to be grateful for, and see them more clearly and immediately. Practicing gratitude has been shown to improve mental and physical health across the board, including increasing satisfaction, happiness, and interconnectedness with loved ones and your community. Creating a gratitude practice costs nothing, and the rewards are limitless, but the benefits don’t stop there.
When practicing gratitude, mindfulness, or even focused prayer, it’s important to think outside of yourself, which is why we always like to include space to reflect on how you can pay it forward in our journals. This tiny detail can make all the difference, not just in your own life, but in the lives of others as well.
There’s no shortage of ways to pay forward your gratitude - get creative!
Paying It Forward
When we talk about “paying it forward”, what we’re really talking about is recognizing the simple beauty and abundance in life and finding ways to help others recognize it as well. It’s natural to feel thankful when someone goes out of their way to do something nice for you, but on the flipside, when you go out of your way to do something for someone else, you help kindle that fire in them. Your personal gratitude becomes the seed that allows positivity to flourish all around you.
When writing down something in your gratitude journal, ask yourself, “what would change in my community if I returned this favor today?” Maybe you’re feeling grateful for a long, peaceful walk through the park - how might you pay that thankfulness forward to create a positive change around you? One idea would be to look up your local park services organization and see if they allow volunteers - you can help keep the park beautiful while showing your support for the groundskeepers, landscapers, and gardeners that helped create such a wonderful experience for you in the first place. Or, you could simply call up a friend you haven’t seen in awhile and invite them to join you on your next walk - share the beauty in the hopes that it does for someone else what it’s done for you!
“Ask yourself: What would change in my community if I returned this favor today?”
Intentionality
Although practicing gratitude is an important part of self-care, it is by no means a selfish act.
Intentionality is one of the most important factors in creating an impact on a large or small scale. Making time in your busy day to focus for just a few minutes on how you can better the lives of the people around you is the first step. Once you’ve set your mind to a goal, achieving it almost becomes a matter of course.
“The root of the word ‘intentionality’,” according to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “reflects the notion that it expresses, deriving from the Latin intentio, meaning ‘directed at’.” So, in this context, we are aiming to direct our gratitude at something specific in order to effect a positive change. Sounds pretty simple, right? Well, it is!
By acknowledging what you are thankful for and immediately tying that feeling to an action, what you’re really doing is attempting to multiply that positivity! Whether it’s making a donation to an organization you support, creating opportunities for others, or simply letting someone know you care, you might be surprised just how much of an impact you can have just by setting your intentions toward it.
Have our journals helped you make a change in your community? Share the impact you’re having by tagging @paperpeonypress on Instagram and telling us a few of the things you’re doing to “pay it forward”. We’d love to hear from you!
Don’t have a gratitude journal of your own yet?
Check out our premium line of gratitude journals for men and women.
This advent reading plan starts with readings that focus our attention on the gospel—the good news that Jesus came to die and rise from the dead so that the sins of all who repent and believe could be reconciled to God. Read along and download a free printable reading plan !