Honestly, life doesn’t always give us reasons to stay thankful daily. As a matter of fact, some days only afford us enough air to survive to see the next day.
You’re either rushing through tasks, fighting tough battles, or left wondering what the essence of life truly is. In these times, gratitude can start to feel like a luxury that only people who have it easier can afford.
But what if I told you that gratitude isn’t just for the people who have everything figured out?
What if I told you gratitude is a posture every one of us must take, especially those of us who are still in the middle of waiting, praying, healing, and growing?
And absolutely not. Gratitude isn’t about pretending everything is perfect. It’s about learning to recognize that even in the chaos, we still have evidence of God’s goodness, only if we’re willing to look for it.
Gratitude doesn’t immediately erase your problems, but it shifts your posture. This posture change opens your eyes to the ways God is moving that you’ve been too stressed to notice.
And the best but most ignored part? Gratitude is not a feeling you have to wait for. It’s a discipline you can build.
And no, staying thankful isn’t just about writing things down. It’s about learning to live aware of heaven’s hand in every detail.
Let me show you how to do that. Let me show you how to stay thankful daily, intentionally and authentically.
Why Gratitude Is More Than a Feeling
Gratitude isn’t just a fleeting feeling you get when something good happens. That would make it a mere reaction and reactions don’t last in the long run.
Instead, gratitude is a posture. A posture we must deliberately cultivate and stay in every day. Gratitude looks directly at the broken pieces of life, the unanswered prayers, and the unmet expectations and still sees something that matters and is worth living for.
Better still, gratitude is a posture because it does not depend on outcomes but on your state of mind. You don’t need the promotion to be grateful. And you don’t even need to feel good to stay thankful. Instead, you choose to be that person who sees, notices, and names the good amidst the chaos.
Nevertheless, gratitude doesn’t mean pretending everything is okay. It means holding both the good and the bad, and at the same time appreciating the good without compromising on making the bad better.
The Enemies of Gratitude
Yes. Everyone who gets asked right now would surely love to stay thankful every day. But the reality is that not everyone is thankful. Not everyone has been able to make gratitude a daily practice.
Why’s that so?
There are concepts we call the enemies of gratitude. These are the thought patterns and behaviors that, whenever present in a person’s life, will prevent them from truly living from a posture of gratitude.
So, if you genuinely want to learn ways to stay thankful daily, you need to ensure that these things aren’t present in your life.
Comparison
It is pretty evident that when you’re stuck on weighing the happenings in your life against those of other people, you’re bound to only see what’s not working in your life.
And when you can only see the bad, you can’t possibly live a life of gratitude.
Entitlement
God has promised and made available to us all the things we need for life and godliness. But if you nurture a mindset of entitlement, you will fail to see the privileges you enjoy.
Forgetfulness and Distraction
Sometimes, it’s not that you cannot see the good you should be grateful for. It is that you are forgetful, or you live on autopilot and have not intentionally organized your life to take a posture of gratitude.
When there is no cultivated intention, it will be difficult to stay thankful daily.
Anxiety and Worry
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
Philippians 4:6
Flip that scripture (and be anxious), and you’ll see that thanksgiving cannot come out of you.
Why?
You’ll be too worried about what will and will not happen in the future to take note of what is happening in the present and stay thankful daily.
Negativity Bias
Our brain’s basic function is tied to the flight, fight, or freeze response. As a result, it is wired to focus more on problems and threats – so it can respond as needed.
However, when you leave this negativity bias unchecked, it can easily drown out the good things worth appreciating. When this happens, gratitude will be inconceivable.
Taking Things for Granted
Familiarity can make you lose sight of the value of something or someone. When you’re accustomed to something being present (think about good health and relationships), your appreciation for it can become dull.
Perfectionism
When you have an obsessive desire to have everything flawless and all figured out, you’ll be easily blinded to what is already good.
Perfectionism keeps you focused on what’s missing rather than what’s present. And when you cannot notice the good you currently have, you cannot live a life of gratitude.
Practical Ways to Practice Gratitude Daily
Integrate Gratitude Into Your Daily Routine
The truth is that no matter how grateful you want to be every day, if you do not find a way to set up a system for gratitude, it may never happen.
So, if you want to practice gratitude daily, integrate gratitude into your daily routine.
- Check for something you do every day, preferably the non-negotiables, such as taking a shower, brushing your teeth, or having breakfast.
- Start saying or writing at least three things you are grateful for each day whenever you do those non-negotiables.
- They must not be deep stuff. Just saying you are grateful that you can afford breakfast or even the toothpaste on your toothbrush is a good place to start.
- You can also set several gratitude alarms on your phone throughout the day. Let these alarms remind you to write or say what you are grateful for in those moments.
Including gratitude in your daily routine rewires your brain to notice the good in your life in a way that can eventually become a non-negotiable habit.
Turn Complaints into Thank You Statements
Each time you catch yourself complaining (or about to complain) about something, stop and reframe it. Instead of complaining about your spouse’s harmless vices, be grateful for their companionship and the other stuff they do well.
Reframing complaints as gratitude may not be easy to achieve on your own – especially when intense emotional reactions are involved.
You may need to bring in someone to help you stay accountable. Let them remind you to be grateful instead of complaining.
Please note that this complaint reframing is not a means to cover up something that needs to be addressed or changed. You cannot reframe the fact that your partner is abusive or violent.
Let Your Environment Remind You to Stay Grateful
You can place stickers, Bible verses, or your personal testimonies in different areas of your space to remind you of God’s faithfulness and the good happening in your life.
Keep a Gratitude Journal or Jar
Keeping a gratitude journal or jar is an ideal way to stay thankful daily. It is your resistance against apathy, hopelessness, and despair.
A gratitude journal also allows you to slow down, take a holistic view of your life, and notice what is really working. And by the time you’re writing down what you are grateful for, you let out those negative emotions that stop you from being thankful while embarrassing the positive ones.
PS: A gratitude jar is simply a glass jar (transparent) where you put in several writings of things you are grateful for. Whenever you feel hopeless or you need to activate gratitude in your life, simply pick out one item and read it to yourself over and over.
Have Frequent Retreats
Whether you want it weekly, monthly, or quarterly, embracing regular personal retreats is a great way to take stock of your life and see the things you should be grateful for.
Read this blog to learn how to have an impactful retreat.
Why You Should Practice Gratitude Daily
- Gratitude rewires your brain to focus on abundance, not lack.
- It strengthens your emotional resilience when life gets tough.
- Gratitude deepens your relationships by fostering appreciation and connection.
- It grounds you in the present moment and helps you escape anxiety and regret.
- Gratitude helps you make the most of your life because it shifts your mindset from “what’s missing” to “what’s already here.”
- It enhances your physical health by reducing stress and promoting better sleep.
- Gratitude makes you a joyful person because you’ll learn to savor life’s small, sacred details.
- It dissolves envy and comparison since it keeps you reminded of your own blessings.
- It transforms ordinary moments into sacred, memorable ones by teaching you to see the world with wonder.
Conclusion
Practicing gratitude daily should not become a mindless ritual. Ensure that you mean it each time you express gratitude for anything.
So, which practice will you be trying to make gratitude a part of your life?
