As leading life and business guru Tony Robbins puts it:
“Gratitude is the antidote to the things that mess us up. You can’t be angry and grateful simultaneously. You can’t be fearful and grateful simultaneously.”
And as leadership expert Robin Sharma says:
“Gratitude is the antidote to fear.”
For those who know me they know that I absolutely abhor liars and I find it incredibly offensive when people do not say “Thank You”. Employees, I have found to be the most expecting of people and do not understand how difficult it can be to ensure that everyone gets some kind of bonus. Many feel that the money is that of the company and they deserve it.
Personally, I have kept a gratitude journal for many years and initially I was not allowed to repeat anything I had been grateful for in the previous 30 days. This sometimes made me think long and hard about things to be grateful for I can honestly say that I never had nothing to be grateful for.
Gratitude is the quality of being thankful. It’s a readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness and you can rewire your brain and your health through gratitude.
Gratitude is good for:
Your wellbeing and it can decrease depression and improve your levels of happiness. It can reduce stress as the levels of cortisol are reduced by 23% when you show an attitude of gratitude.
People who show gratitude are generally in a better mood and sleep better and can even reduce the inflammation in your body.
Your relationships, It’s intuitive to think that gratitude makes the recipient feel better, but research has shown that gratitude does more than this: it actually improves the relationship for both parties. According to the psychologist Sara Algoe, gratitude serves to strengthen our relationships with others.
Your physical wellbeing – people who kept a gratitude journal were 40 times more likely to engage in physical exercise.
HOW CAN I PRACTICE GRATITUDE?
- One of the most simple ways is to keep a gratitude journal. We have a FREE online gratitude journal, click here to login to the orange dashboard to access your journal.
- Every evening I think about my day and think of who I need to thank and often it is just a short whatsapp to thank someone for a cup of coffee or something larger. Get into the habit of thanking people for what they do for you no matter how large or small the act may have been.
Gratitude is your path to a happier, healthier life and may prove to be well worth the daily effort, whether in written, thought, or vocal form.