To Be Thankful & To Be Grateful

Is Thankful and Grateful the same thing?

Last week, over Thanksgiving, many were expressing that which they were thankful for. This week, during Chanukah, I wonder what people are grateful for.

Being grateful is defined in Merriam Webster as being “appreciative of benefits received.” Meanwhile, in the same source, being thankful is defined as being “conscious of benefits received” and also “well pleased.”

Gratefulness can be the result of many small, positive actions that come together to shape a mindset of appreciation. You start living a life of gratitude the minute you become fully aware of goodness and are able to appreciate that goodness without thinking in terms of the recipient or the giver.

Thankfulness, on the other hand, is a conscious act you engage in after you receive some sort of benefit. Thankfulness differs from gratitude in many ways, one of which is that it is commonly associated with materialism, which is not a characteristic of people who practice gratitude.

Thankfulness is the moment we think of who the giver is, what the gift is, and who receives the gift. We then recognize ourselves as the recipient and offer our thanks to the giver.

Are you grateful for that which you are thankful? What are you grateful for?

#thinkingoutloud #hannukah #thanksgiving #thankfulness #gratefulness #mindset

Note: While I have been pondering this topic for a few years, I found this article to be a helpful resource - https://www.happierhuman.com/grateful-vs-thankful/