We often celebrate Thankful Thursday here at Camp Highlander. And, with today being Thursday once again, we found ourselves reflecting on what makes the practice of thankfulness so valuable. While there are many benefits of a thankful spirit, we’ve narrowed down three of our favorite.

Being thankful shifts your focus off yourself and onto others.

The very act of thankfulness requires an intentional focus on others. You can’t very well express your gratitude to or for someone else if you’re not actively thinking about them and the impact they’ve made in your life.

It’s hard to complain when you’re focused on giving thanks.

Dwelling on the negatives of life is difficult when you’re preoccupied with the positives. You can’t criticize the glass for being half empty when you’re too busy thanking the person who poured it for you.

Thankfulness is irresistably contagious!

Have you ever been around someone so grateful and so joyful that you found yourself joining in on their positivity? For better or worse, our attitudes and actions genuinely affect the attitudes and actions of those around us. And, as William Arther Ward once said, “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” No one grows less cheerful or less thankful after receiving a gift - even a gift as simple as a “thank you!”

So, pass on the gift! Take time today to share your gratitude with the people around you. We bet you’ll find yourself a little more focused on others and a little less inclined to complain. Not to mention, you might just receive a little more thankfulness in return!