Gratituding and Gratitudeness

Today I am grateful that my stepson Arthur was matched for grad school and a dietetics internship. I am also grateful we could get our bikes out for the first ride of spring yesterday.

I want to thank my two sisters for providing my blog topic for today. Together they created two new variations on the word "gratitude." Leonice used the term "gratituding" in a recent email, and Danita used "gratitudeness."  Thanks you two!

So we have:
gratitude-a noun, the state of being grateful
grateful-an adjective-expressing gratitude, appreciative of benefits received
And these variations:
gratefulness-noun
gratefully-adverb

Now let's add these unofficial definitions:
gratituding-verb-the act of practicing, expressing, and/or sharing gratitude
gratitudeness-noun-a fun combination of gratitude and gratefulness

Consider it gratitude with an attitude. What I love about gratituding is that it implies action. I can't just think about being grateful. I need to take actions like journaling, writing letters, doing an A-Z gratitude list, doing a 3 x 3, taking a gratitude walk, saying sincere thank yous, and blogging. But it also starts with just being more aware of what I have, of what is provided for me. When done habitually, these actions constitute gratituding and they change my life. Try some and see if it changes your life, or at least your outlook.

As my gratitude vocabulary expands, it gives more avenues for my level of gratitude to expand. Thanks again for the words Leonice and Danita! And thanks for allowing me to take liberty with the English language today. It was fun.

Increase your level of gratitudeness through selective actions today.


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