3 Ideas

1.  When we were little, my Dad established a really fun way for us to choose our bedtime story.  Every night we'd ask him to tell us a story from when he was a certain age.  His memory is pretty incredible (and his stories are even better) so no matter what year we gave him, he always had a hilarious tale to tell.  Though I don't think he imparted it intentionally, the whole practice (on top of being one of my favorite memories) turned out to be a huge teaching moment for me on the importance and benefits of reflecting on a specific time.  At some point this week, sit down and think of a specific year or two of your life...maybe when you were 4 or 12 or 75 or anytime in between...the smaller the time frame the better.  Think about the people that positively impacted that year of your life and how they did it...you may be surprised at what you remember!  If you want to take it one step further (and I suggest you do) write them a letter or shoot them a text.  Even if you've said thank you a million times- even if it happened a hundred years ago- there's no statute of limitations on gratitude.  It'll warm your heart and theirs, trust me.

2. Pay a waiter/valet/salesperson, etc. a compliment.  The service industry can be such a thankless place, realize you have the chance to turn someone's day around by taking a moment to simply say, "thank you, you're doing a great job".  Don't forget to tip them generously, too!

3.  Send a care package to an active member of the military serving overseas.  While post 9/11 policy changes make it difficult to send a package without the name and address of a specific soldier (and understandably so), organizations like Marine Parents will send your package for you!  Tons of other organizations will send pre-made care package on your behalf along with your message of gratitude so a little bit of Googling will take you a long way.  One could argue that no group of people is more deserving of our thanks than the men and women so willing to sacrifice precious time with their family, their own personal safety and even their life on behalf of our country and our freedom.  If you're inspired by their courage and thankful for their service then let them know!