The attitude of gratitude

As we walked, searching our way to the theatre, we asked a stranger, "Bhaiya, M2K cinema kahan padega?" He told us the way and she said with a smile to that stranger, "Thank you bhaiya". I walked briskly, she held my hand and said, "Aren't you supposed to say thanks to that person?" I didn't give a heed to her.
Neverthless, I tried thanking someone. I was sitting in a dhaba and the waiter served me. I said, "Thank you uncle". He smiled back. That moment I realised how important it is to be thankful. I didn't lose anything by being thankful but someone gained a smile for a moment.
I was sitting with her a beautiful bookshop with a coffee house attached. There were lots of diaries in the stationary shelf. Enticed by the beauty of the handmade, chinese silk diaries, we bought two diaries for ourselves. She asked me, "What are we going to do with it?" I thought for a moment and said, "Let's call it 'thank you diary'. We will write in it every night before we sleep. We will write about all the things we are grateful to." She loved the idea and we started writing it.
"Thank you God for giving me prosperity that I can eat everyday."
"Thank you God for sending a stranger to show me the way when I was lost in the market."
"Thank you God for the wonderful family I have."
"Thank you God for good health."
"Thank you God for making me meet my soulmate."
We filled pages over pages. Every night, when we wrote about being thankful, the attitude of gratitude got engraved in us. She was always grateful to evrything and everyone. It was I who lacked it. But I learnt from her how to be thankful.
There are millions of things and hundreds of people to whom we can be thankful. Expressing that 'thanks' makes their day. How many people would say "thanks" to the watchman of their locality? Just one 'thanks' to him can bring a smile on his face.
With time, I stopped writing in my 'thank you diary'. And I regret it. My arrogance again took over my gratefulness and I stopped being thankful. I pledge to start writing it again. You may also give it a try. The best time to write it is night time before you sleep. With this, you sleep with positive thoughts. It's good to write because when you write, you do it with intention. Mere thinking won't help much. It also forms a discipline activity when you write in a routine. Let's try it!