This practice is part of the
Time Required
At least 15 minutes for writing the letter and at least 30 minutes for the visit
How to Do It
Call to mind someone who did something for you for which you are extremely grateful but to whom you never expressed your deep gratitude. This could be a relative, friend, teacher, or colleague. Try to pick someone who is still alive and could meet you face-to-face in the next week. It may be most helpful to select a person or act that you haven’t thought about for a while—something that isn’t always on your mind.
Now, write a letter to one of these people, guided by the following steps.
- Write as though you are addressing this person directly (“Dear ______”).
- Don’t worry about grammar or spelling.
- Describe in specific terms what this person did, why you are grateful to this person, and how this person’s behavior affected your life. Try to be as concrete as possible.
- Describe what you are doing in your life now and how you often remember their efforts.
- Try to keep your letter to roughly one page (around 300 words).
Next, you should try if at all possible to deliver your letter in person, following these steps:
- Plan a visit with the recipient. Let that person know you’d like to see them and have something special to share, but don’t reveal the exact purpose of the meeting.
- When you meet, let the person know that you are grateful to them and would like to read a letter expressing your gratitude; ask that they refrain from interrupting until you’re done.
- Take your time reading the letter. While you read, pay attention to their reaction as well as your own.
- After you have read the letter, be receptive to their reaction and discuss your feelings together.
- Remember to give the letter to the person when you leave.
If physical distance keeps you from making a visit, you may choose to arrange a phone or video chat.
Why You Should Try It
Feeling gratitude can improve your health and happiness; expressing gratitude also strengthens relationships. Yet sometimes expressions of thanks can be fleeting and superficial. This exercise encourages you to express gratitude in a thoughtful, deliberate way by writing—and, ideally, delivering—a letter of gratitude to a person you have never properly thanked.
Why It Works
The letter affirms positive things in your life and reminds you how others have cared for you—life seems less bleak and lonely if someone has taken such a supportive interest in us. Visiting the giver allows you to strengthen your connection with them and remember how others value you as an individual.
Evidence That It Works
Seligman, M. E., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60(5), 410.
When researchers tested five different exercises, writing and delivering a Gratitude Letter showed the greatest benefit to people’s happiness one month later; however, six months after, their happiness had dropped back down to where it was before. This is why some researchers suggest doing this exercise once every six weeks or so. Participants in this study were largely white, middle-aged adults with college degrees.
Froh, J. J., Kashdan, T. B., Ozimkowski, K. M., & Miller, N. (2009). Who benefits the most from a gratitude intervention in children and adolescents? Examining positive affect as a moderator. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4(5), 408–22.
Adolescents who often don’t experience positive emotions showed a significant boost in positive emotions two months after writing and delivering a Gratitude Letter. Nearly 70% of the adolescents in this study were Caucasian, with the rest identifying as Asian American, African American, Hispanic, or “other.”
Research suggests that while there are benefits simply to writing the letter, you reap significantly greater benefits from delivering and reading it in person.
Who Has Tried The Practice?
Additional research has engaged members of other groups:
- Asian American adults in Southern California felt more satisfied with life after writing weekly Gratitude Letters for six weeks.
- Indian people decreased in negative emotions and Taiwanese people increased in positive emotions after writing Gratitude Letters for 15 minutes. Asian Americans and white Americans all increased in positive emotions.
- American high school students who were mostly of Asian and Latino descent felt lower negative emotions and developed healthier eating habits after writing weekly Gratitude Letters for four weeks.
- Indian adolescents reported gains in well-being, life satisfaction, and happiness after writing and delivering a Gratitude Letter as part of a program that also included Three Good Things, Best Possible Self, and Use Your Strengths.
More research is needed to explore whether, and how, the impact of this practice extends to other groups and cultures.
Keep in Mind
Evidence from cross-cultural research suggests that writing Gratitude Letters may be less beneficial for people from collectivist cultures, or cultures that prioritize the needs of the group over the needs of each individual:
- South Koreans experienced smaller improvements in well-being from writing a Gratitude Letter than Americans.
- Similarly, Asian Americans who wrote Gratitude Letters didn’t see as big of a reduction in negative emotions as their Anglo American counterparts.
- Indian adults felt more guilty and indebted after writing Gratitude Letters than white American, Asian American, and Taiwanese adults.
This may be because Western and non-Western countries have different views on social responsibility and emotions. Fostering gratitude towards others may be more rewarding for people in individualistic, Western societies because these cultures tend to emphasize personal independence and view gratitude as a positive emotion. People in collectivistic, non-Western societies tend to believe that everyone has a responsibility toward each other, so feelings of gratitude may come with worries about their own obligations to others or fears of being a burden.
Additionally, it may be possible to adapt this exercise for different religious groups. For example, Muslim college students who centered their Gratitude Letters around Allah felt greater happiness than those who wrote secular Gratitude Letters.
Sources
Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., University of California, Riverside
Kristin Layous, Ph.D., California State University, East Bay
Martin Seligman, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
References
Al-Seheel, A., & Noor, N. M. (2016). Effects of an Islamic-based gratitude strategy on Muslim students’ level of happiness. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 19(7), 686–703.
Boehm, J. K., Lyubomirsky, S., & Sheldon, K. M. (2011). A longitudinal experimental study comparing the effectiveness of happiness-enhancing strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans. Cognition and Emotion, 25(7), 1263–1272.
Fritz, M. M., Armenta, C. N., Walsh, L. C., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2019). Gratitude facilitates healthy eating behavior in adolescents and young adults. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 81, 4–14.
Khanna, P., & Singh, K. (2019). Do all positive psychology exercises work for everyone? Replication of seligman et al.’s (2005) interventions among adolescents. Psychological Studies, 64(1), 1–10.
Layous, K., Lee, H., Choi, I., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2013). Culture matters when designing a successful happiness-increasing activity: A comparison of the United States and South Korea. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 44(8), 1294–1303.
Shin, L. J., Armenta, C. N., Kamble, S. V., Chang, S., Wu, H., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2020). Gratitude in collectivist and individualist cultures. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 5, 598–604.
Titova, L., Wagstaff, A. E., & Parks, A. C. (2017). Disentangling the effects of gratitude and optimism: A cross-cultural investigation. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 48(5), 754–770.
Quick Description
Writing and delivering a Gratitude Letter is a powerful way to connect with those who have helped you. Do you have an attitude of gratitude? Take our Gratitude quiz to find out:
Comments
and Reviews
salama alsaadi
117
salama alsaadi
117
melissasmileuwokeup@gmail.com
I enjoyed opening up to the true feelings that come after seriously delving into thoughts about a specific person. Thank you for a push in the right direction.
melissasmileuwokeup@gmail.com
Feel better. I don't think I thank Steve enough for being in my tiny circle of friends.
Sdm
Ok
Magdalena Fabcic
cccc
Vivian Kay Simon
Good. It helped me focus on positive aspects of people.
Vivian Kay Simon
It helped focus attention on positive aspects of relationship and people. Improved my positive feeling for them
Mary Lee Wile
Here's the introduction( to a book I never wrote) about the value of keeping a daily gratitude list; I've been at it for 24 years now.... Sandwiched between gray snow and a mud-colored sky, I sit in the car and watch colleagues trudge by, heads bent against the March wind. The sun by now must have heaved itself out of the Atlantic, but it hasn’t yet climbed above the hill behind the school; judging by the clouds, it won’t make much difference when it does. Downing the last of my coffee, I look at the list on my lap: March 27, 2009 • upside down cat, purring through meditation • lamb and lentil soup • softening silhouettes of tree branches • first worms That’s only four. I need one more, one more thing for which I’ve been grateful over the past 24 hours. As I read through the list again, I’m caught by the worms I saw on my morning walk, reminding me of Marilyn’s exuberant pronouncement: “I can’t wait till it’s spring, when there’ll be bats in the air and worms in the ground!” She was an Animal Science major, finishing her degree while I was finishing mine in English. We’ve managed to stay in touch all these years, and the first worms of spring reawaken memories of our time together. And suddenly I know the last item: • the gift of friendship I tuck the list into my briefcase, pull on my mittens, and prepare to face the day. I can’t decide if this ongoing morning ritual of listing gratitude “arms” me for the day or “opens” me to it, but I do know that it’s made a difference. I carry less resentment, less anger, even less fear. As e. e. cummings wrote, “the eyes of my eyes are opened” now that I scavenge the days for gratefulness, for what is good. Left to my own devices, I would have given up the practice years ago and fallen back into grumpier ways. But sharing my daily gratitude list with a colleague keeps me faithful to the discipline. It works like this: Janet and I manage to find one another in the momentary lull before students arrive and share what’s on our lists that day; then we exchange them. We call ourselves “the keepers of each other’s joy:” I collect her lists and she holds onto mine until the end of each semester. Then we go out for tea and return the lists to one another. I wish I could report that the daily practice Janet and I share has transported us to realms of ecstasy, but that wouldn’t be true. It has simply awakened us to beauty, to goodness, to hope. Instead of waiting for the next shoe to drop, we watch for the next blessing. Lest that sound a little too “Polllyanna-ish,” let me admit that it’s not always easy; I carry far too much of the psalmist’s lament, of Ahab’s anger at human suffering, for this to be a natural response. But the daily practice does leaven and lighten the load. Long years ago when I lived in Colorado as a young adult, I had a donkey named Benjamin; mostly he was an enormous, friendly pet who simply made me smile, but on camping trips his job was to carry the packs. Listing my joys is rather like scratching the soft place between Benjamin’s ears, or stroking his velvet nose, or sitting on his back and surveying the world from a new vantage point. I slow down and take stock. And when things get tough, the lists, like Benjamin, provide a way to lighten whatever heaviness I’m carrying. In Jerusalem, the Western Wall is often called “God’s mailbox” because every reachable crevice is filled with folded prayers. On the island of Iona in Scotland, a wooden cross stands in the ancient chapel, its surface papered over with prayers tacked onto it. As these ancient sites remind us, we human beings are drawn to communicate: to share our needs, our griefs, our longings -- and our joys -- with God or with one another. During my eight years as a volunteer pediatric hospice chaplain, I used to spend an afternoon a week listening to parents, sometimes to a dying child, as they tried to articulate the nameless grief they were going through; having watched my husband survive the death of his daughter, I’d witnessed the horror that these families faced, and I knew that I couldn’t undertake such a ministry without the balance of intentional gratitude. A few years ago, for example, I would leave right after school every Monday, driving an hour west through rolling farmland to spend time with one of those families. On Tuesdays, my gratitude list often included something from that time, once as simple as drinking apple cider in rocking chairs outside. Another year, I visited Grace, a teenager slowly dying in a nursing home; her body may have been failing, but not her mind. She insisted that the staff dress her as “an angel with an attitude” for her final Halloween, “not a bad angel, mind you,” she said. Earlier that October my list noted “cutting construction paper bats” with her to hang in her room. The last time I saw Grace, she painted one of my fingernails blue to see how long it took to grow out; the blue lasted a month longer than she did. Her costume and the nail polish also made my list. Grounded in faith, anchored by the search for blessings, I slowly learned to walk the balance beam between grief and gratitude. Just as those families needed a listening heart to hear their stories, I need Janet to share my glimpses of grace. So on this late March morning, I take one last look at the glowering sky before the outer door clicks shut behind me, and I head for the stairs and my colleague’s listening heart.
Mary Lee Wile
Here's the introduction( to a book I never wrote) about the value of keeping a daily gratitude list; I've been at it for 24 years now.... Sandwiched between gray snow and a mud-colored sky, I sit in the car and watch colleagues trudge by, heads bent against the March wind. The sun by now must have heaved itself out of the Atlantic, but it hasn’t yet climbed above the hill behind the school; judging by the clouds, it won’t make much difference when it does. Downing the last of my coffee, I look at the list on my lap: March 27, 2009 • upside down cat, purring through meditation • lamb and lentil soup • softening silhouettes of tree branches • first worms That’s only four. I need one more, one more thing for which I’ve been grateful over the past 24 hours. As I read through the list again, I’m caught by the worms I saw on my morning walk, reminding me of Marilyn’s exuberant pronouncement: “I can’t wait till it’s spring, when there’ll be bats in the air and worms in the ground!” She was an Animal Science major, finishing her degree while I was finishing mine in English. We’ve managed to stay in touch all these years, and the first worms of spring reawaken memories of our time together. And suddenly I know the last item: • the gift of friendship I tuck the list into my briefcase, pull on my mittens, and prepare to face the day. I can’t decide if this ongoing morning ritual of listing gratitude “arms” me for the day or “opens” me to it, but I do know that it’s made a difference. I carry less resentment, less anger, even less fear. As e. e. cummings wrote, “the eyes of my eyes are opened” now that I scavenge the days for gratefulness, for what is good. Left to my own devices, I would have given up the practice years ago and fallen back into grumpier ways. But sharing my daily gratitude list with a colleague keeps me faithful to the discipline. It works like this: Janet and I manage to find one another in the momentary lull before students arrive and share what’s on our lists that day; then we exchange them. We call ourselves “the keepers of each other’s joy:” I collect her lists and she holds onto mine until the end of each semester. Then we go out for tea and return the lists to one another. I wish I could report that the daily practice Janet and I share has transported us to realms of ecstasy, but that wouldn’t be true. It has simply awakened us to beauty, to goodness, to hope. Instead of waiting for the next shoe to drop, we watch for the next blessing. Lest that sound a little too “Polllyanna-ish,” let me admit that it’s not always easy; I carry far too much of the psalmist’s lament, of Ahab’s anger at human suffering, for this to be a natural response. But the daily practice does leaven and lighten the load. Long years ago when I lived in Colorado as a young adult, I had a donkey named Benjamin; mostly he was an enormous, friendly pet who simply made me smile, but on camping trips his job was to carry the packs. Listing my joys is rather like scratching the soft place between Benjamin’s ears, or stroking his velvet nose, or sitting on his back and surveying the world from a new vantage point. I slow down and take stock. And when things get tough, the lists, like Benjamin, provide a way to lighten whatever heaviness I’m carrying. In Jerusalem, the Western Wall is often called “God’s mailbox” because every reachable crevice is filled with folded prayers. On the island of Iona in Scotland, a wooden cross stands in the ancient chapel, its surface papered over with prayers tacked onto it. As these ancient sites remind us, we human beings are drawn to communicate: to share our needs, our griefs, our longings -- and our joys -- with God or with one another. During my eight years as a volunteer pediatric hospice chaplain, I used to spend an afternoon a week listening to parents, sometimes to a dying child, as they tried to articulate the nameless grief they were going through; having watched my husband survive the death of his daughter, I’d witnessed the horror that these families faced, and I knew that I couldn’t undertake such a ministry without the balance of intentional gratitude. A few years ago, for example, I would leave right after school every Monday, driving an hour west through rolling farmland to spend time with one of those families. On Tuesdays, my gratitude list often included something from that time, once as simple as drinking apple cider in rocking chairs outside. Another year, I visited Grace, a teenager slowly dying in a nursing home; her body may have been failing, but not her mind. She insisted that the staff dress her as “an angel with an attitude” for her final Halloween, “not a bad angel, mind you,” she said. Earlier that October my list noted “cutting construction paper bats” with her to hang in her room. The last time I saw Grace, she painted one of my fingernails blue to see how long it took to grow out; the blue lasted a month longer than she did. Her costume and the nail polish also made my list. Grounded in faith, anchored by the search for blessings, I slowly learned to walk the balance beam between grief and gratitude. Just as those families needed a listening heart to hear their stories, I need Janet to share my glimpses of grace. So on this late March morning, I take one last look at the glowering sky before the outer door clicks shut behind me, and I head for the stairs and my colleague’s listening heart.
Vivian Kay Simon
It helped me focus on good thoughts and why others are precious. It helped me appreciate them more.
Patricia S Branch
It was wonderful
Patricia S Branch
I
shana maria verghis
Useful. I already do this with my prayers.
Sue Cole
Difficult. I try to live "in the now", and to thank people as I live. Thinking back was largely recalling mistakes and experiences I would like to do differently. So, two letters to current friends who have been supportive during this social isolation were completed, if somewhat to my embarrassment. The 3rd letter took an additional week as I wanted this to be authentic. After finally deciding on the one person to whom I owed a great debt of gratitude, I wrote the letter and have sent it to the last known address. I've discovered this person died 7 years ago. We'll see how that plays out. As I age, the mystery of life/death is increasingly of interest.
Christina Fernandez
My experience with the practice has been very positive, but not so much with this site which does not seem to recognize that I have done the practice and submitted several responses.
Kate E Styrsky
Like Carla, I find that pandemic and geographic distance from people for whom I'm grateful get in the way of full follow-through on this assignment. I already have been writing letters of this nature to people who were distant in time or geography. A very few of them responded, but that didn't diminish the worth of the letterwriting: I was warmed by the expression of good memories and good fellow-feeling. My gratitude correspondence is up to date for all of my living compatriots. Yesterday I wrote to a surviving relative of a deceased dear person. And now, perhaps I'm due to write a heartfelt letter to myself, mail it and reread it when it arrives in my mailbox in a few days. That exercise mysteriously-- and predictably-- lifts me up, whether my self-communication is joyful or consolatory. (Do I recommend it? YES!) Expand
Carla Ann Helmbrecht
I like the concept very much, but not practical (esp during pandemic). I have made a point in my life to give special acknowledgement and gratitude to those who have positively impacted my life, so I feel this is already engrained in my constitution. For this exercise, I did a variation: In a presentation that I was asked to give at work about “my why”, I celebrated and acknowledged publicly my gratitude for 7 special people who made a difference in my life. I shared with each of them afterwards.
Christina Fernandez
I’ve written 3 and reviewed two times- somehow keep getting this page? Anyway- practice is complete. Not sure how to indicate that.
Christina Fernandez
I’ve written 3 and reviewed two times- somehow keep getting this page? Anyway- practice is complete. Not sure how to indicate that.
Christina Fernandez
This practice really opens the heart and deepens connections with others. One to remember!
Christina Fernandez
This practice really opened the heart and deepened connections with others. One to remember!
{name}
I didn't do this practice. Everyone I can think of is already dead. But I've thanked people publicly in the past.
Deirdre Gonsalves
I did not do this practice. However, I gave it a lot of reflection. The people who impacted my life, I have given thanks to (sometimes repeatedly) - either in person, or by a card or prayer (as they are no longer with us). I feel grateful for those who have shared their lives and learnings with me and acknowledge this most mornings in meditation.
Deirdre Gonsalves
I did not do this practice. However, I gave it a lot of reflection. The people who impacted my life, I have given thanks to (sometimes repeatedly) - either in person, or by a card or prayer (as they are no longer with us). I feel grateful for those who have shared their lives and learnings with me and acknowledge this most mornings in meditation.
Jessica McCarthy
It was really good to finally thank Jan for her inspiration last year
Victoria Ann Leuba
I didn't actually write the letters, but I thought about the gratitude I feel to so many people who have influenced my life. Many of them have died; I'm not a young woman. What I learned this week is to express gratitude when it is felt. If you wait, you may be too late.
Vida Scott
The first gratitude letter lifted my spirits!
Jennifer Newton
great
Elena Huegel
I enjoyed pausing and writing to the three people who I thought of to receive my gratitude letter. When I read them the letter, they were very grateful to me for having taken the time and shared. It reminded me of the give and take flow that nurtures relationships.
Christina Fernandez
Beautiful practice. Very rich in the reading to the person. The emotional field of gratitude mirrored the brama vijara field of sympathetic joy. Certainly uplifting and heart strengthening.
Barbara Rondine
I didn't write to Archbishop Tutu or Thich Nhat Hahn because they are no longer alive, but I thought it and sent a letter to the editor to honor both of them honoring their memory and the words they have given to us. My grief around the world situations is so heavy, when I sit still and feel, that these exercises seem artificial even though I can see some benefit, so I keep trying.
Lynne Slarke
Good experience
Lynne Slarke
Goid
Rosalia Castro Jaramillo
It is a relevant experience because it helps you recognize how generous people can be, and it is healing to put that in words.
Laura catherine
It was very positive. Looking forward to reading my letter to my mother-in-law this weekend.
Jaime Lynn Jordan
Such a great idea, but really hard to put into practice during a busy week. Especially the in person delivery to three people.
douglas safford
It was powerful
douglas safford
This was a great exercise and felt good to do it.
douglas safford
was worth it
Joanne Shea
Difficult to put into words all they have done in my life.
Stacy franklin McCallum
I'm feeling positive and tired
Gecole Louise Harley
The experience was very positive. I did not meet in person because of the pandemic.
douglas safford
very powerful
douglas safford
Very heartfelt and important
Dorothy Long Parma
Although I only got to do it once, it was for someone who truly deserved to receive such a letter and with whom I have a longstanding relationship that, because of its nature, often gets taken for granted. I was so happy to be able to express my gratitude to this person today and to see their delight in receiving my gratitude.
Christine Ducourant
This is a very interesting proposition although for me it was quite impossible. Nevertheless, I prepared these letters in my mind and discovered I do not say to my friends and family my gratitude.
Jim Shehy
Felt very good after writing it and I'm waiting to see if there is any response.
Joanne Shea
It helped me to reflect on the kind and good nature of all.
Karen Janelle Crumback
Ironic that I had two phone calls this morning and had put cards in the mail to both individuals detailing how they have a positive impact on my life. I've already started two more. 😊
Lenore Martin
The face to face delivery was no possible
Karen Wertman
I found the process of writing to be really helpful and it allowed me not only to focus on gratitude but to deal with some of the ambivalent other feelings I had about the person and relationship in question. Gratitude won! The only challenge is being able to find a time that works for the person to receive their letter - which will have to be online since they live far away. Good exercise!
Deeanna Hale-Holland
I called my mom and shared my gratitude. We laughed, shared about other adventures we took together, and she thanked me for visiting with her. She lives far away and it was good to appreciate her efforts when we were younger.
Deeanna Hale-Holland
I called my mom and shared my gratitude. We laughed, shared about other adventures we took together, and she thanked me for visiting with her. She lives far away and it was good to appreciate her efforts when we were younger.
Barbara Federman
I understand the utility of this exercise and I found that I was more drawn to share gratitude with many people who have passed
Diane Dreher
I enjoyed the process and realize just how many people I am blessed to have in my life.
Isabelle Duchesne
This was a good practice of gratitude well received by my friend.
Carol M Gensheimer
It was hard for me to slow down and take time to write a letter but I'm glad I did. I did not want to meet in person as it seemed awkward and 2 were out of state. Still, I'm glad I wrote and mailed the letters.
Peter Anagnostou
Gratitude pushes you — in a nice — way to think about the positive things in your life and count your blessings. It creates a paradigm shift!
Melanie Jayne MAXWELL
I have written 3 letters although I have thanked these people real time. I do try really hard to recognise what has been done for me and to express gratitude then, writing the letters themselves is a good réfection but I am not sure it would feel authentic to me to read them out to the recipients. I have used appreciation cards when I worked and recognise the impact they had on the recipient.
David Besenfelder
Terrible. I couldn't think of any situations where someone provided help to me that had any impact. I am extremely grateful for what I have, like family, friends, health, prosperity and freedoms as an American citizen, but it's not that anyone has done things in which I have not already recognized my appreciation for what they did, at least in recent years. Maybe there were things people did when I was much younger, but those people are most likely dead.
Suzanne Clifford
Helpful and I plan to complete more.
Arverne Girl
It brought back wonderful memories of people that I cherished and are gone, and reminded me of how lucky I am to have a loving partner.
Sue Otto
increased feeling of calmness. More to be grateful for. How good life is if I focus
Carol Frazee
I really enjoyed this practice. I had trouble pasting my third letter into the space. But, it really improved my happiness
George Evans
Writing a "gratitude letter" was analogous to opening a "can of gratitude". The more I show gratitude, I realize how much more there is for me to be grateful for.
lorie nazian
My letters of gratitude helped remind me of the people that support me when I needed it the most. I don’t think I could’ve gotten this far in life if I did not have gratitude.
lorie nazian
My letters of gratitude helped remind me of the people that support me when I needed it the most. I don’t think I could’ve gotten this far in life if I did not have gratitude.
Suzanne Clifford
I used the gratitude letter several times and felt terrific letting people know how much I appreciate them. I plan to write more letters this week.
Suzanne Clifford
I used the gratitude letter several times and felt terrific letting people know how much I appreciate them. I plan to write more letters this week.
Debra Collin
Excellent meaningful practice each time I do it
Shai Y
Great idea. Impractical to meet in person right now.
Shai Y
Great idea. Impractical to meet in person right now.
Judy
It was effective for me , most so far. I expressed gratitude for my animals, it seemed right to me
judi Lang
I actually did this in some Christmas cards I sent this season. I haven’t sent cads in a long time, but had decided to do so because I did have so much to be grateful for. What joy.
Debra Collin
Meaningful Beautiful Practice Made me think about specifically how I feel about the individuals I wrote to and inspired me to write more letters. The recipients weee moved and deeply Appreciative too
helen thyrvin
went much easier than I anticipated.
Ms Meg Phoenix
Good. Learned about my emotions, beliefs etc.
Ms Meg Phoenix
Good. Learned about self.
Ms Meg Phoenix
It was good. I learned a lot about myself. I did a-lot of it in a notebook.
Kiyoshi Nagata
First time I gave it a try. Hard, was't it---Conceptually ! But, was able to manage it. Thanks for this opportunity to reflect upon myself.
Nancy Leatham
Hanmant Kashinath Sutar
Iam now so excited for practice gratitude..??
Mary Strnad
I would like Grace Leger to know she is in my thoughtful prayers. I am glad she is here to learn as me to see that we do matter and have people who care about us. The world would not be the same without you Grace. It is said (and I have seen its truth) that our names contain the words that describe who we are (e.g., North=not hot and South=so hot). I love your name; how beautiful to be the support (leg) of grace. Without grace we wouldn't get very far; we all will certainly be needing much of that to get by. Perhaps, you need to back up to see the full view of your reach. Thank you for sharing. I hope you'll see that you have many, many more than 3. XxO
Mary Strnad
I make it a point to regularly tell my family and friends (including my chiropractor) how thankful I am for the things they do for me, as well as the people who support me like the cashiers and more.
Grace Leger
It was difficult to find three people in my life.
Kate E Styrsky
This variation may be comparatively lightweight in terms of personal significance, but I try to write letters of appreciation to/about repairpersons who help me maintain my home and equipment and public representatives who assist me with bureaucratic issues. The things they accomplish as part of a typical working day are so valuable to me that I have to express my gratitutde fully. (If it's telephone help, I can ask to speak to a supervisor too. And alwyas give high marks on any questionnaires I receive.)
Eduardo Ramirez
It was stressful but a must that my wife be acknowledged for all she is and has done for me unconditionally.
Leslie Tremaine
I thought of someone unusual yet deep and feel a real sense of goodness, both in the recall, and in what I know my words meant to her The directions are clear and the guidelines helpful
Muruli
The steps provided In expressing gratitude are very simple practical & can be used / practiced easily. Thank you so much. Muruli I thank you so much for providing these simple steps, this has made my effort of praising someone for something or even expressing gratitude very effective. Hope to learn more from you all. Thanks Muruli
Venice Angel
The quiz is not working 2020
Noora
It was so nice to see the reaction of my teacher even if I couldn't visit her, I sent her the letter as a massage I felt that she was very happy and she felt how much I love her and I appreciate all the things she did to me. The experience was very nice because it spreads love between people, and let them feel that you appreciate what they did for you.
maricarmen
I can't take the quiz
Daria
A few years ago I wrote and mailed a gratitude letter to a woman who had helped me feel better about myself in childhood. I wrote it approximately 50 years after a particularly helpful incident and wanted to let her know how important her help had been to me not only then but throughout my growing up years. I did not receive a response from her. But I ran into her niece, a former next-door neighbor, at my oldest brother's funeral, and she made a point to tell me that her Aunt had my letter sitting out in front of her everyday and how happy it had made her. Giving back to people who are meaningful is such a blessing. I felt doubly blessed by receiving this feedback, knowing that my letter was important enough to grace her surrounds.
The Greater Good Toolkit
Made in collaboration with Holstee, this tookit includes 30 science-based practices for a meaningful life.
The Greater Good Toolkit
Made in collaboration with Holstee, this tookit includes 30 science-based practices for a meaningful life.