I’m really not into listing down New Year’s resolutions or some kind of promises to myself for the next 12 months. Maybe I did something like that a few years back. But I guess I got my resolutions confused and committed myself to a whole year of losing a lot of money and gaining a lot of weight, instead of the other way around. So I decided to forget about the whole resolution thing.

But seriously, I just want to share with you that instead of having any big resolution for 2012, I’ve decided to continue to focus on gratitude. Some years ago, I’ve taken for granted a lot of things. In the recent years, though, I’ve experienced the life-changing effects of being more thankful. So this year, I’ll continue to do that. And here are three of the reasons why.

Gratitude lets me sail home safely on a stormy day.

Being thankful sounds simple, but it does require great effort, especially on a stormy day when all I see are dark clouds over the rough sea. During tough times, I’d find myself worried, insecure, sad, angry, or a mix of all those negative feelings. Like my life’s over. Gratefulness empowers me to defy my challenges.

When bad things happen, of course, I still sob, frown, or get mad. But after that wave of first reaction settles, I try hard to focus on what I have or what remains to be good, instead of what I don’t have or what’s gone wrong. I also try my best to be thankful for what I’m able to do – my talents and abilities – especially in times of trouble. Whenever I succeed in doing this, I find it easier to solve my problems and discover better opportunities for me.

Gratitude helps me have a better relationship with other people.

Seeing the good things in a person helps me look past his or her faults. If I have any conflict with him or her, it helps resolve it. But saying “thank you” is something else. It makes the other feel appreciated, happy, important, or even loved. You never know what an expression of gratitude can bring. The elevator operator might have been depressed about going up and down the floors of the building everyday, but maybe now he or she feels much better after I thanked him with a smile.

Having a grateful heart doesn’t just make me see people in a better light. It also gives me the chance to be seen by others in a much more positive way than if I didn’t say any thanks. Perhaps, whenever I say “thank you,” I’m somehow helping people to view their lives with a brighter outlook.

Gratitude gives me more blessings.

Giving thanks also means counting my blessings. For some reason, whenever I count my blessings, more of them keep coming in. I guess it’s just the same as when you sincerely thank a person for giving something to you or doing something for you. There’s a big chance that that person will wholeheartedly do you a favor again in the future.

So, how do I practice gratitude?

My conscious efforts in practicing gratitude are very simple things. In fact, I didn’t need to wait for the New Year to do these. They’re things that anyone can start doing at any time of the year.

I give thanks for 3 different things in my morning and bedtime prayers. They can be the simplest things but should be specific and not something general like health, love, etc. For instance, I say thanks for being able to take a nap this afternoon – something that’s a luxury for me these days.

I say “thank you” every day to 3 different people, excluding my husband and my daughter. For me, it’s such an effort, because I work from home and I seldom go out of the house. So, that means I need to phone or send an SMS or e-mail to do this.

The hardest part is trying to be grateful even for the not-so-favorable things that come my way. It’s definitely one of my weaknesses, but I still make the effort. Just to give an example: Lately, I felt that there were things that turned unfair for me. So I complained. A lot, actually. But after some time, I just thought maybe it’s a way to make me stronger, more creative, and a better person overall. So far, it seems like it’s going towards that direction.

Being more thankful everyday is a simple act that’s having a powerful impact in my life. And I’m continuing to do this not just for 2012 but for the years to come, because it has improved my life and the way I see things. And it also comes with the hope that being grateful will also have positive effects on everyone around me.