An Attitude of Gratitude

About a week ago my mum booked me flights to go home to Guernsey on Tuesday, until Sunday. I have pretty much a whole week off uni just because it's exam/deadline month and so I only have one timetabled session. I didn't want to sit in my uni room in Bournemouth for a week doing absolutely nothing - I wanted to make the most of it. So, although my mum is in Barbados (lucky thing!) until Sunday and I'll only end up seeing her for a few hours, I'm going to make the most of my week off and go home for some beautiful walks, drives, quality time with my granny and aunty, cuddles with my little sister and lunches with my friends. I'm so grateful that I'm able to get on a plane and go home at this time.

Therefore, I wanted to write today about gratitude. I've also recently booked a holiday with lovely friend Jaymee to Tenerife in five weeks time, which is another thing I'm hugely grateful to be able to do. This will be the third consecutive year that I've been on holiday to Tenerife around that time of year and I absolutely love it. I'm grateful for the beautiful sea views from that hotel, for the fact that the beach is on the doorstep, for the beautiful food there and of course the blazing sunshine!

I've even felt grateful for this weekend. I took a trip up to my best friends house and spent a cold but lovely day in St. Albans with her on Friday. I'm grateful for her company, for her letting me stay with her, for taking me to the cinema, for all the times she made me laugh this weekend. I really appreciate how much easier it now is to see her. We used to have to fly to see each other for two and a half years, seeing each other only every three or four months. Now I've seen her at least once every month since July, which is such a difference and so much better.

I urge you to take a moment every day to think about what you're grateful for. Show gratitude for the big things - your family members, your friends, the love that they show you, the fact that you have a roof over your head, your health, the health of those you love... but also notice what little things you're grateful for on each particular day - the nice weather, the fact that your bus was on time, someone making you laugh, a stranger picking up the change you dropped in a shop and handing it back to you... those kinds of things - the significant insignificant.


If you have an attitude of gratitude, I can guarantee you will be happier. You will feel blessed, you will be able to embrace the bad with the good, you will enjoy life so much more. And express that gratitude - say thank you, smile, tell someone how much you appreciate them. It's so, so important.