“Choose Gratitude,” New Era, Oct. 2018, 36–37.

Choose Gratitude

By Kimberly Smith

Do you “have a spirit of gratitude in all you do and say”?¹ Take this quiz and think about how you can show gratitude to your family, friends, and Heavenly Father each day.

You don’t know how to do a math problem, so your dad shows you how to do it. You …
1. Give him a big hug. You’re so glad he knows how to do math and is willing to help.
2. Breathe a sigh of relief (that one was hard) and move on to the next problem.
3. Get frustrated. It’s not fair that he can do these math problems so easily when they’re so hard for you.
You’re walking to school with a few friends and see one of your classmates walking all alone. You …
1. Call his name and invite him to join you and your friends.
2. Say hi as you walk by. He’s a nice kid.
3. Ignore him. You don’t want your friends to think you’re weird for talking to him.
Your mom makes dinner for you like she does most every night. You …
1. Thank her and remind her how much she means to you. You decide to give her time to relax by doing dishes after dinner.
2. Say, “Yes!” when you realize that your mom made you your favorite meal.
3. Eat and run. You have a baseball game to get to.
Today is not your day. You were late for school, forgot about a test, and tripped in front of everyone at lunch. When you get home, you …
1. Say a prayer. Though things were hard, you think of how Heavenly Father blessed you, thank Him for those blessings, and ask for help to get through the rest of the day.
2. Try to forget about it, but that fall was just so embarrassing!
3. Stay mad for the rest of the evening. Why does life have to be so hard sometimes?
It’s your 16th birthday, and you’re presented with your dad’s old beat-up car that runs great. You …
1. Shout, dance, give hugs all around, and ask Dad to go with you for your first drive. At the end of the day, you find your dad and tell him again how much it really means to you that he would give you his old car.
2. Get in and take it for a spin. When you’re at the end of the street, you have a dance party in your seat.
3. Try to act happy but inwardly cringe at the peeling orange paint and rusty bumper. You can’t be seen driving this thing; it will ruin your reputation!
Your friend Martha throws you a surprise party, forgetting that (1) you hate surprises and (2) on Thursdays you have soccer practice until five. When you come home from practice, you’re sweaty and gross in front of all your friends! You …
1. Tell Martha that she’s a great friend and thank her for throwing a party. That was so nice of her!
2. Smile and greet everyone and then serve up some cake.
3. Put on a happy face, but secretly you’re kind of mad. You’re exhausted and sweaty. Martha knew you had soccer practice. Why didn’t she think that through?

Add Up Your Answers

So, how well do you show gratitude?

Mostly A’s: You try to live with a spirit of gratitude. Keep on saying thank you in word and deed.

Mostly B’s: Sometimes you forget to say thank you for things you’re grateful for. Remember that people can’t tell what you’re thinking, so it’s important to express your gratitude.

Mostly C’s: It may be hard for you to feel grateful. Try to recognize when your siblings, friends, parents, and others do nice things for you, and then show gratitude for them. You’ll be surprised how much happier gratitude makes you.

The author lives in Utah, USA.