The Art of Being Gracious

Life’s Like This — It is never too late to learn how to be gracious. While Christmas has now passed, the opportunity is before us to reflect on how well we were gracious to our family and friends. The art of being gracious should never be lost or forgotten. The dictionary defines gracious as being pleasantly kind, benevolent and courteous. Over the holidays we have numerous opportunities to practice being gracious. It may come while hosting a party for friends or while you hosted your family for Christmas festivities. It may even come as a guest at a party. So, what does it mean to be gracious? The art of being gracious is all about how you make the people around you feel. Imagine going to a party or family gathering and finding yourself ignored or made to feel un-welcomed. Whether it was intentional or not, when you find yourself in the company of people who are not gracious, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. You may even find yourself not wanting to be in that person’s company again. That is how profound an impact an ungracious host can have on you. The flip-side is when you are ungracious toward others. They, in turn, may have second thoughts about inviting you to their party or wanting to be in your company again. So, what are the characteristics of a gracious person?