SHOULD WE BE GRATEFUL?

Gratitude is one of the strongest and most transformative states of being. It shifts your perspective from lack to abundance and allows you to focus on the good in your life, which in turn pulls more goodness into your reality. - Jen Sincero


Life is a roller coaster ride of happy and sad events. To sustain a well-balanced life, it is very important to stay modest and calm when good things happen in life and at the same time be stress-free to face the bad phases of life. Nothing in life is permanent; what comes is destined to go. Hence, when in distress, a reminder that it will soon pass, too, does wonders. All this is possible only when we enrich our hearts with a sense of gratitude.

The word gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness and is defined as the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. The word GRATITUDE can be rightfully broken down to:
Give it

There is no nobler act than volunteering. Giving back to society what it has given us is the highest form of gratitude. Giving strengthens social ties and increases our happiness index. Martin Seligman, professor of the University of Pennsylvania, supports this theory with his research in Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being. After studying all factors that help improve our well-being, he found that volunteering is the only consistent way to increase our well-being and, in turn, our happiness.

Reciprocate it

Instead of keeping the gestures of gratitude to yourself, reciprocate them with an open heart. If one act of kindness is reciprocated with a minimum of two, imagine the domino effect it can cause and how heavenly this place on earth could become. Gratitude is a great virtue in itself, and energy directed to have an attitude of gratitude can never go to waste.

Acknowledge it

The word ‘Thank You’ does not cost much but brings in the richness of gratitude. Soul Pancake, a group that works to explore the ‘science of happiness, carried out an experiment where they directed people to write a letter to a person they were grateful for. This simple exercise increased their levels of happiness from 2 to 4%. However, when the same exercise was carried out by making a phone call to express their gratitude directly, happiness levels jumped from 4% to 19%. Hence, one must frequently acknowledge all little acts of kindness and gratitude.

Treasure it

Treasure it as if there can be no replacement for it. The very fact that we are living, however good or bad it may be, is a reason worthy enough to be grateful for. The rays of early morning sun soothing your face, the butterflies fluttering in the garden, the sweet smell of flowers blossoming, birds chirping about – taking time out of your busy schedule and imbibing the pleasure of such activities automatically ignites a prayer of gratitude.

Inspire it

Inspire others to follow the same principles. The thought that ‘we should always be grateful’ instils a strange kind of strength to face the uncertain. One who understands it realises the magical formula to stay happy. Practise it in abundance to experience the fruits of gratitude.

Think it

Who should we be grateful to? Our family is the closest of all mankind with whom we daily interact. They stand by us through thick and thin. We should think about how lucky we are to have their support when many people do not have that kind of family. Next come friends. We cannot choose our family, but we can pick our own friends, and good friends are like stars; you may not always see them, but you know they are there. Above all, we must be grateful to God for keeping us fit to lead an active life.

Understand it

Understand the following scientific facts and findings to prove that ‘Gratitude’ is the best free medicine available for well-being.

According to a 2012 study published in Personality and Individual Differences, grateful people are physically healthier.

Robert A. Emmons, PhD, a leading gratitude researcher, has confirmed that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression.

According to a 2012 study by the University of Kentucky, participants who ranked higher on gratitude scales were more empathetic towards others and less aggressive.

According to a 2011 study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, grateful people sleep better.

A 2014 study published in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology confirms that gratitude improves self-esteem.

Do it

It is said practise makes a man perfect. Practising little acts of gratitude may lead you to the perfect, happy life that each one of us dreams about. You can start by appreciating the beauty of nature that passes by on your way to work. Maintaining a gratitude journal may help you measure your progress in this positive practice. At the end of the day, just spend a minute to record your ‘gratitude’ moment of the day. This will keep you on your task, and slowly you will find it becoming a way of your life.

Thanksgiving is an occasion created for the purpose, but let us not restrict this to one day of the year and make it a daily habit.

Experience it

The priceless experience of gratitude creates an inner strength to survive even the most adverse situations of life. Life is a complex amalgamation of people, happenings and circumstances that may not always be pleasant. They may hurt you and test your endurance. It is in these circumstances that a person who is humble and grateful maintains calm and prevents the situation from getting worse.

A simple way to inculcate it can be through meditation, when you focus your attention on how you can appreciate all the good things in your life. It helps to see things from a different perspective and opens your heart to compassion and love. It thus helps in cultivating gratitude as a wonderful experience that creates and multiplies a harmonious circle of positivity and happiness.

EXPRESS AN AUTHENTIC GRATITUDE

Most of the time, you may just greet a person while behind his back you are defaming him. Let not your act of gratitude meet the same treatment. A ’thank you’ should genuinely flow straight from your heart. You receive blessings throughout the day in some form or another. Count your blessings, do not discount them. The culture of gratitude is contagious, and a touch of authenticity to it will only create wonders.

GRATITUDE IN A BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

In the business world, customer satisfaction and employee loyalty are the sole motto of any good business ethics. Both can be achieved by practising gratitude. This can make both the work and market environment a more appreciative place to live in. Rewarding your employees for their meaningful contribution to the growth of the Company and valuing customers for doing business with you may not cost the Company much, but reap great benefits. An employee will always have a sense of belongingness to the Company, and his productivity will increase. A customer will be brand loyal in this fiercely competitive market.

In her Forbes.com article titled  How Gratitude Advances Marketing and Business, Cheryl Conner writes:

Go for gratitude first, and loyalty will follow. The emotional response that is most likely to drive loyal behaviour, according to strategy advisor Mark Boncheck, is gratitude. By its definition, gratitude is a feeling of appreciation and an expression of that feeling through an overt and appropriate act. It is a reciprocal act by its very nature that can serve as the basis of a relationship beyond the transactional sale.

Leaders practising gratitude-centric policies increase the value of their Organisations, including their goodwill and quality of corporate life in general.

OBSTACLES

More is actually less at times. Striving for a more materialistic life may make you less grateful.

A ‘passive victim’ attitude may always keep you too frustrated to realise that there are other strengths in you for which you should be grateful.

A self-centred life can prevent you from understanding the qualities of others and expressing gratitude.e

Lack of focus on self-reflection diverts your mind from the blessings of your li.fe

GRATITUDE EQUATES TO MORE WEALTH

A person who is content and grateful to the Almighty for all that he has, never craves for acquiring the materialistic pleasures of life and indirectly saves his own wealth. Consistent gratitude not only enables him to save his wealth but also creates an awareness in him on how to spend it wisely. Thus, gratitude improves your financial health as well.

GRATITUDE – A GATEWAY TO GREAT LIFE

Gratitude is one asset that brings inner peace, promotes philanthropy, cultivates generosity, boosts happiness, prevents aggressiveness, improves one’s perspective on life, brings in more care and affection, prepares you to face your imperfections with courage and recognises the value of life.

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings. - William Arthur Ward

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