EPISODE 30 - 

Happy Thanksgiving - The Difference Between Being Grateful verses Being Thankful

Therefore, feeling grateful and thankful are both positive emotions that are sparked by an event. However, the difference between feeling grateful and thankful is that, by definition, grateful feelings are directed toward the person experiencing them, whereas thankful feelings are generated within the individual.
Let me elaborate:

If you're like me, you probably use the terms "grateful" and "grateful" interchangeably, but in reality, they are not the same thing. There is a difference, and understanding this difference can help you communicate more effectively, particularly with yourself. This is important because it will affect how you feel, which will ultimately determine how successful and content you are.

When someone asks you where you are grateful for in your life, they are really asking you what you appreciate about external circumstances. This indicates that the outside world is the only source of gratitude. Therefore, you cannot generate this feeling on your own if you want to be grateful. You need something outside of yourself to do so.

Examples of how grateful can be used:  I greatly appreciate your assistance.

Do you see that being grateful always requires assistance?
A feeling of gratitude can be developed on your own. Even if the external circumstances remain the same, the feeling is different. Peter, for instance, helped me by fixing my car.

Now, let's use two sentences to compare gratefulness to thankfulness:

Sentence of gratitude: I'm thankful for your assistance, Peter.
Positive sentence: I am grateful that Peter assisted me.

You express your gratitude to Peter in the first sentence. You also state that you would not have been content without Peter at the same time. Thus, underneath this feeling of gratitude is a sense of helplessness.

However, by using the second sentence, you make yourself feel grateful. You could say this sentence even if Peter wasn't there, just thinking back on the time Peter helped you. Therefore, the expression of gratitude is not directed toward Peter but rather toward an experience you have had. However, what if Peter had not assisted you? But instead, your vehicle was fixed by someone else? Or perhaps your vehicle has not yet been fixed. Even at that point, you might express gratitude by, for instance, saying, Given that I can walk to my office, I am grateful that my car has not yet been fixed.

Therefore, the difference between being thankful and being grateful is that being thankful allows you to experience happiness and gratitude on your own without relying on others.

As our US Neighbours celebrate Thanksgiving this week, I just wanted to make you aware of the difference between GRATEFUL and THANKFUL - enjoy time with your friends, family and community!

Cheers! Dave @ Dad Space!

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