Gratitude

Do you have issues showing your gratitude to others? I know I do. I'm not sure if it is laziness or some deeper reason that limits me. I just took the time to make a list of all the things that I am grateful to my wife (of 38 years) for and then shared it with her. I really enjoyed the process. I spent a couple of weeks researching gratification. My favorite author on the subject is Seligman (2002). Once my head was around the topic I started making a list of all the things that I was grateful to my wife for. It ended up edited down to 13 items.
What I learned from this event was that I should do this a lot more. Formally I should make a list for each of my immediate family members, informally I should send more emails to people thanking them. I know I think about other people all the time regarding how helpful they have been to me, but I haven't been sharing these thoughts with them.
Who do you regard as the most important people in your life? When is the last time you shared your gratitude for them? What is stopping you doing that with at least one person today? Don't tell me that you are too busy, that just means it is not a high priority. We all have time for the things we really want to do each day.
I am in Atlanta Georgia this week, and I am grateful for all the people I will be spending time with. I am grateful for the glorious weather, the beauty of the city, and that my wife is with me. I need to show that gratification rather than just think about it.
Gratefulness is an element of what is known as positive psychology. I am currently studying positive psychology in my PhD, and I am also grateful for that opportunity. We are all so fortunate living in these times. We are surrounded by opportunities, and if we grasp them we will be drawn to even more opportunities. We should feel grateful for this and honor the opportunities by taking advantage of them. What are you grateful for today, and what could (or should) you be grateful for by the end of 2010?