What is gratitude?
It's a sense of wonder, thankfulness & appreciation for life.
Gratitude helps increase optimism for life. It promotes positive thinking. It helps us cope with daily stress & traumatic events. Appreciating things in our life and focusing on the positive can help us move forward with purpose.
Gratitude can also strengthen our relationships. People who feel gratitude towards others feel closer to them and report overall better relationships, even if they don't express the gratitude towards the other person.
Gratitude also improves our health & sleep. It can help us make progress on our goals. It will help us lead with more clarity & purpose. It helps us learn our communication style that affects the relationships we're building at home, work & in our communities. And many other benefits! AMAZING...how do you do it?
TRY THIS
Each day this week, write down at least 3 good things that went well, things for which you are grateful. These can be events that happened, skills or strengths you were able to use, goals you achieved or good news about the people in your life. Next, reflect on each item. Why did it go well? How did you or others in your life contribute to the good thing that happened? Focus on what you've gained, not what you're giving up.
For some, counting blessings every day can feel like a chore rather than something to increase optimism. Find the right fit for you & make sure to do it on a regular basis not just when you feel stressed. Vary the frequency until you get a sense of what works for you.
The goal is greater self-consciousness & appreciation for self. Understanding our emotional states, how they affect us & the impact they have on others. If we don't learn the skill of gratitude we will never be grateful for what we learn.
Brene' Brown - on empathy, courage & where they come from
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