What if we told you that there was a simple way to change your life for the better?

What if we said that all you had to do was be grateful every day?

Believe it or not, gratitude can significantly impact your happiness and well-being!

In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of gratitude and how you can use the idea of Thankful Thursday to improve your life.

What Is Thankful Thursday?

image with different ways to say, "thank you"

Thankful Thursday is a popular way to cultivate gratitude. The idea is simple: each Thursday, take some time to reflect on things you’re grateful for.

There are so many reasons to be happy and grateful. These reasons can be anything from your health to your family to your job. They can be small things like a sunny day or a delicious meal. They can also be bigger things, like the progress you’ve made in your career or a meaningful relationship.

Writing down what you’re thankful for has some amazing benefits. For one, it can help shift your focus from negative to positive. It can also help you see the good in your life, even on tough days. Feeling thankful increases your satisfaction with life and can make you happier and more optimistic.

Why Should You Be Grateful?

a definition for gratitude: "the positive state of being grateful; an overwhelming feeling of appreciation and thankfulness, and the desire to return kindness to others"

The benefits of gratitude are well-documented. Gratitude has been shown to improve mental and physical health, increase resilience, and boost overall happiness. When you practice gratitude, you can reduce stress and anxiety and sleep better at night.

Grateful people are also more likely to spread kindness and contribute positively to their community. By being grateful, you truly make the world a better place for yourself and others.

How Do You Celebrate Thankful Thursday?

It’s easy! Set aside time each Thursday to reflect on the positive moments in your life and all the things you are grateful for. You can write them down in a journal or share them with friends and family. Thankful Thursdays are a great way to appreciate the good things in life and end each week on a positive note.

an image with the words, "I appreciate you"

Here’s an idea for starting your own Thankful Thursday tradition: on the fourth (or first, second, or third – you choose!) Thursday of every month, write a Thank You card or letter to someone who has positively impacted your life. Thank them for their kindness, support, or simply for being there. You’ll enjoy how good it makes them and you feel!

a thank you card that says, "Your kindness made a difference"

Thankful Thursday Quotes

Here are some motivational quotes to help inspire you to start your own Thankful Thursday tradition:

1. “Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.” ― Brian Tracy

2. “Thursday is one day closer to my expectation that everything I have done through the week culminates in progress.” ― Byron Pulsifer

3. “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” ― Marcus Aurelius

4. “There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.” ― Bernard Williams

5. “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” ― Willie Nelson

6. “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” ― Melody Beattie

7. “No one who achieves success does so without acknowledging the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.” ― Alfred North

8. “The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” ― Zig Ziglar

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

10. “You live and learn. At any rate, you live.” ― Douglas Adams

11. “By Thursday morning, we’d gotten over the worst of it.” ― William Scranton

12. “I’m from Canada, so Thanksgiving to me is just Thursday with more food. And I’m thankful for that.” ― Howie Mandel

13. “A positive attitude is a person’s passport to a better tomorrow.” ― Jeff Keller

14. “I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks, and ever thanks.” ― William Shakespeare

15. “Don’t count the days. Make the days count.” ― Muhammad Ali

16. “Gratitude and attitude are not challenges; they are choices.” ― Robert Braathe

17. “Keep a positive outlook even when faced with life’s challenges.” ― Catherine Pulsifer

18. “Be positive. Your mind is more powerful than you think. What is down in the well comes up in the bucket. Fill yourself with positive things.” ― Tony Dungy

19. “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” ― Oprah Winfrey

20. “It’s Thursday and it really feels like a Thursday. Sometimes things just work out.” ― Demetri Martin

21. “This is a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.” ― Maya Angelou

22. “Make it a habit to tell people, ‘thank you.’ To express your appreciation sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it.” ― Ralph Marston

23. “If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.” ― Rabbi Harold Kushner

Final Thoughts

A key to how to be happy is to practice gratitude, and with Thankful Thursdays, you can start to see the benefits of that right away. By taking time each week to think about the things you are grateful for, you will notice a difference in your mental and physical health. You will think more positively, feel better emotionally, and see the good in everyday situations.

So, give Thankful Thursdays a try! Read over our Thankful Thursday quotes when you need inspiration, or add them to your reflections each week. As you start to experience the power of gratitude, share your journey with your friends and family and encourage them to join in on the practice. You can enjoy the incredible benefits of Thankful Thursdays together and make every day a bit brighter.

Do Happy: Daily Happier Habits App

If you’re looking for an easy way to start incorporating Thankful Thursdays into your life, look no further than the Do Happy: Daily Happier Habits App!

The app’s Do Happy Journal highlights appreciation as one of the key elements of happiness to focus on daily. You can use the journal as a gratitude journal to write about and add photos to show the things you are grateful for every day. Later, when you want to remember all the good things in your life, look at your journal, and it will remind you of all you have to appreciate!

Do Happy Daily Happier Habits App screens showcasing how to journal about gratitude for Thankful Thursday in the Do Happy Journal

The app also reminds you to reach out to friends and loved ones and to perform random acts of kindness for others regularly. Make your loved ones feel appreciated with thoughtful messages and do good deeds with a grateful heart. With the app, it’s easy to add positivity to your life while making a difference in the lives of those around you!

Download the Do Happy App to start practicing gratitude today. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much your life changes for the better!