Exploring Gratitude: A Bufferchat Recap

Arielle Tannenbaum -

This week, the #bufferchat community came together to discuss how they experience gratitude. Through exploring gratitude, the community opened up about how acts of kindness and difficult challenges have made a positive difference in their lives, and it was amazing to hear everyone’s stories!

Catch our weekly Twitter chat, #bufferchat, every week on Wednesdays, 9 am PT/Noon ET/5 pm UTC, for valuable industry insights and networking with nearly 400 other smart marketers and community managers.

How does expressing gratitude impact your daily life?

From the community:

  • “I believe you get back what you put out, so if you’re mindful of what you’re grateful for and express it, you’ll get more :)” @dmboutin
  • “Gratitude is everything for me. The times when I forget to be grateful are the times I’m most often in a ‘rut’.” @Aboundlessworld
  • “Being thankful and genuinely appreciating people has opened more doors than any other personal life choice. #growth” @EliteYouTubePro
  • “Being thankful is a prerequisite for being happy. Every moment. Every day.” @gayane_virabyan
  • “According to a recent NPR story, showing gratitude may literally be good for your heart #hcsm” @ShereesePubHlth

See all the great answers to question 1 here!

When is expressing gratitude a difficult practice for you?

From the community:

  • “Comparison with other’s success makes it hard to feel gratitude. Then you realise you’re comparing apples to oranges.” @Alvomedia1
  • “I spent the bulk of my life not expressing. I saw the error in my ways. No difficulties now, even when proven wrong.” @JS_insidepitch
  • “When your day is long and hasn’t gone your way, but being thankful will help change your attitude for the better.” @majerus_luke
  • “When other person isn’t receptive. Gratitude isn’t one way street; meant to let other person know they’re appreciated.” @darcyboucher
  • “Also, when it’s not the popular thing to do/part of the culture where you are.” @revaminkoff

See all the great answers to question 2 here!

Do you have advice for starting up a gratitude practice?

From the community:

  • “Here’s a post I wrote abt gratitude -> 13 Things I’ve Learned Writing 1,024 Gratitude Lists http://buff.ly/1PORLCx” @chriswinfield
  • “I write 3 things I’m grateful for before bed. It’s fun to look back on the year & it puts me in a good mindset :)” @cateelise
  • “Smile at strangers. Thank people for little things. Think how lucky you are to have the what you do. Share your joy.” @JS_insidepitch
  • “I use the Happier app to make a gratitude list every night. It does wonders :)” @jesserker
  • “Choose a good time & trigger, be specific, and give thanks about one area of life at a time.” @VioletaNedkova

See all the great answers to question 3 here!

Who inspires you to practice or think about gratitude in new ways? (or which books/blogs?)

From the community:

Books

See all the great answers to question 4 here!

What act of kindness has made the greatest difference in your life?

From the community:

  • “Being told that my time & energy makes a difference! Sometimes a simple “thank you” means so much.” @lifeofaworkgirl
  • “I will always remember the people who believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.” @VioletaNedkova
  • “Give compliments. Give them and receive them. It costs nothing, takes no time and could make someone’s entire day.” @Petronell3
  • “@AirCanada once called me a day early to put me on a new flight that night b/c mine would most likely be canceled. amazing!!” @LydiaNicoll
  • “When someone is there for you, when it’s messy & they still want to help.” @DeeSpeciale

See all the great answers to question 5 here!

What challenging experience has ended up changing your life for the better?

From the community:

  • “Leaving my steady, comfy job and finding the adventure I’ve always wanted. #motivation” @izzydoesizzy
  • “The company I was working for as a website developer bit the dust…and led to a new career as a writer. so YAY!” @sherisaid
  • “Overcoming failure and climbing out of poverty. Now I have my dream job and I’m about to graduate with my master’s.” @ash_lorelle
  • “Rejection teaches you to never tie your personal worth to someone or what you own.” @elusenji
  • “Getting fired. Made me assess everything beyond work performance; attitudes, how I treat, interact, & value people.” @JS_insidepitch

See all the great answers to question 6 here!

What’s something you may take for granted that you are truly grateful for? How can you express that?

From the community:

  • “I am beyond grateful for my health and I could do a better job of expressing it. More exercise, eat clean, eliminate excuses.” @patmoran408
  • “I take my parents for granted but I am really grateful for everything they have given me. I will tell them everyday.” @tweeterellaah
  • “Ppl that accept me for who i am, and the opp to do what i love as a career. Gotta show the love more. =)” @robchristianson
  • “The ability to communicate with family through social media. A simple “Like” goes a long way.” @FatimaDLora
  • “Most-often it’s the things that have been there day after day for so long. Sometimes I have to look for the obvious.” @TonyVirili

See all the great answers to question 7 here!

Thank you so much to everyone who opened up during this great chat!

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Do you have any comments or answers to these questions? Leave your thoughts in the comments! We’d love to hear from you!

Image sources: UnSplash