In this blog we will be talking about what gratitude is and why it is so important.
So get comfy cozy, open your heart, open your mind and let’s get into it…
Welcome back Adventurers and Friends to Adventures Inwards Let’s Talk Series!
To those who are here for the first time, hello! Welcome! Thank you for joining us!
When you feel down in the dumps or find yourself in a funk, how do you cope?
Do you turn to junk food, self-medication, or maybe shopping?
One healthy, powerful, and free strategy to rise from this temporary emotional state is to practice gratitude. Why? Well…
Gratitude turns what little you have into abundance. Gratitude is so much more than saying thank you. Gratitude changes your perspective of your world. But yet you wonder how you can find the positive when everything seems so bleak?
Let’s break it down and discuss it:
What is Gratitude, Its Meaning & Definition?
Gratitude is an emotion similar to appreciation.
More specifically it is defined as a sense of happiness and thankfulness in response to a fortunate happenstance or tangible gift.
Gratitude is both a state of mind and a character trait.
Better explained, one can experience gratitude for someone or something at a certain moment in time; and someone experiences gratitude more long-term as a positive character trait.
The feeling of gratitude involves two stages:
First comes the acknowledgment of goodness in one’s life. In a state of gratitude, we say yes to life. We affirm that, all in all, life is good and has elements that make it worth living. The acknowledgment that we have received something gratifies us, both by its presence and by the effort the giver put into choosing it.
Second, gratitude is recognizing that sources of this goodness lie outside one’s self. One can be grateful to our creator, other people, animals, and the world. At this stage, we recognize the goodness in our lives and who to thank for it.
The two stages of gratitude comprise the recognition of the goodness in our lives and then how this goodness came to us. Through this process, we recognize the fortune of everything that improves our lives and ourselves.
Further, gratitude can be considered either a character trait or a state of being.
As a character trait, an individual practices gratitude as part of their daily life, and it is considered a character strength. It is important to remember that gratitude is a strength that can be enhanced with awareness and practice.
When a person experiences the emotion from someone expressing gratitude for them, it is referred to as a state of mind.
Why Is It Important to Be Grateful?
As expectations have changed, gratitude has diminished in western society. Possessions and health are expectations for many individuals rather than considered personal ‘blessings’ that are appreciated.
Gratitude has, for many, been replaced by disappointment, anger, and resentment when these expected ‘blessings’ either do not appear or they disappear.
We have learned gratitude helps people focus on the positive aspects of their life. Gratitude can help build and maintain relationships with others, resulting in hope, life satisfaction, and more proactive behaviors toward others.
The Importance of Gratitude in Life
Gratitude is strongly related to wellbeing. The positive effects of experiencing and expressing gratitude are endless.
Gratitude has been found to be beneficially associated with social wellbeing, emotional wellbeing, and psychological wellbeing .
It is no surprise that trait gratitude is an important “predictor of well being and other desirable life outcomes”.
Gratitude appears to have a domino effect. If a person experiences gratitude, they are more likely to recognize the help and then later reciprocate that help.
People who are thanked are presumably more apt to extend help to others in the future. Likewise, people who are not thanked may not be expected to provide reciprocation in the future. The expression of gratitude is beneficial for both individuals and society.
Further, gratitude is an element in many religions. For example:
Buddhism – Gratitude is indicative of the concept of dependent origination, which implies that everything is interconnected. For Buddhists, awareness of our interdependent and interconnected existence evokes gratitude for the web of life that sustains us.
Judaism – Individuals practicing Judaism may start the day with Modeh Ani, a short Hebrew blessing thanking God for life.
Christianity – Christians denote gratitude to God by stating blessings. These blessings are said in a prayer form and are created for food, family, life, and any other blessings that God may grant.
Therapists found that gratitude has a positive affiliation with positive affect, life satisfaction, extraversion, forgiveness, and a negative affiliation with substance abuse and emotional turmoil, as well as an inverse relationship between gratitude and anxiety and depression.
The Iceberg of Gratitude:
What exactly is gratitude, and how can we experience more of it
Daily?
Gratitude is the act of recognizing and acknowledging the good
things that happen, resulting in a state of appreciation.
Often when we consider what we are grateful for, overt and
profound life experiences, circumstances, and events come to mind.
We may feel grateful for our upbringing, family, job, good health, and the opportunity to gain an education. While recognizing and being grateful for these experiences is important, our gratitude practice must also venture below the surface.
Below the surface, we find the simple, everyday pleasures that often go unnoticed. This may be a great book we read, laughter with a friend, or even the joy of eating ice cream in the sunshine. Whatever these simple pleasures may be, consciously expressing our gratitude for them can help us grow our daily gratitude practice beyond the surface level.
Consider the full iceberg of gratitude, your fortunate life experiences, as well as simple daily pleasures.
The Importance of Thanksgiving
If you are from North America, then cornucopia, turkey, Pilgrims, and Native Americans may come to mind when you mention the word ‘Thanksgiving.’
Thanksgiving is more broadly explained as a day to give thanks.
Countries such as Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Liberia also celebrate Thanksgiving, while countries like Brazil and the Philippines celebrate it unofficially. The Netherlander town of Leiden and the Australian territory of Norfolk Island also celebrate this holiday. Similarly, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan celebrate a fall harvest, where people also give thanks.
So why is there an entire holiday created for giving thanks?
For many, “Thanksgiving is a collective ritual that celebrates material abundance through feasting.”
Thanksgiving is important because it is a designated time assigned to encourage us to pause to be mindful of the blessings we have. Many of us get so caught up in our day-to-day routines that we fail to stop and acknowledge our fortunes.
To demonstrate and celebrate gratitude, you don’t need a particular holiday to show thankfulness. Conveying gratitude should be practiced daily.
So how can you show Gratitude and Appreciation?
Well, Gratitude can be demonstrated in many ways. Let’s talk about some of them…
VERBALLY
It can be shown with merely a simple, verbal “thank you” or it can be indicated by a more elaborate practice, which we will get to some examples in a moment. To improve your gratitude, reflect on how better you can show your appreciation to others. When verbally expressing gratitude to someone, consider reflecting on your emotions and on the effort involved.
Here are some examples:
‘Your birthday gift to me makes me overjoyed. I appreciate the length you went to in order to find this limited edition book by my favorite author. I value that you know me so well and did this especially for me.’
‘Mom, I am grateful for the life you have given me. Even though
it took 15 hours to deliver me and raising me was full of
challenges, you have done the best you could and I appreciate
that.’
‘Our Father in Heaven, you have blessed me with ten fingers and
ten toes, eyes to see and ears to hear. I am grateful for the
wonder of your creation and for sparing my life every day.’
GRATITUDE JOURNAL
A gratitude journal involves jotting down a few things that you are thankful for and can be done daily or weekly as you so choose. Keeping a gratitude journal is a good first step toward establishing gratitude, and it will help you identify and reflect on people, things, or events for which you are thankful.
GRATITUDE LETTER
Writing a gratitude letter is a form of written communication that conveys an appreciation for someone in your life. These effectively communicate the impact someone has had on our lives.
Gratitude research conducted by specialists concluded that individuals who wrote about things they are grateful for showed better mood, coping, and physical health. In this study, participants were assigned to one of three groups: Group one wrote about things they were grateful for, group two wrote about daily hassles, and group three wrote about a neutral topic.
Researchers also concluded their findings suggested that individuals who practiced gratitude by writing about things they are grateful for showed better mood, coping, and physical health than the other participants.
THE GRATITUDE VISIT
Take the gratitude letter a step further by visiting the person to whom you are giving the gratitude letter and reading it aloud to him or her. Gratitude visits are a practice that is even more beneficial than a gratitude letter and practitioners of this strategy reported more happiness. I think that would be more special and more appreciated. I think that would be on both ends as well, the giver and the receiver.
MEDITATION
As we know, meditation is a method for focusing attention. Specialists conducted a systematic review of studies assessing the impact of meditation on psychological processes. They found that meditation does in fact, “decrease distress experienced resulting from psychological stressors by influencing psychological processes”
Although meditation doesn’t directly demonstrate gratitude towards others, meditation and focusing attention on people or things you are grateful for indicates appreciation to yourself, which could help to foster even more gratitude.
No matter how small or grand the gesture of gratitude is, it is essential to show thankfulness in our everyday lives. After all,
Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.
GRATITUDE VIDEOS
These five handpicked gratitude videos will not only inspire you to practice gratefulness but also inform you of the importance of daily practicing this state or trait.
You can always go online and find video. Just Google it or you can go to YouTube and search "Gratitude Videos."
I do have five that I have selected. I suggest you look at the blog to find more information about them that are offered. I will give you the names and titles of them...
Gratitude Is: A Poem & Animation – Macarena Luz Bianchi
Gratitude Is is a short, light-hearted poem accompanied by animation.
The Power of Choosing Gratitude – Tye Dutcher
Tye Dutcher, an international paralympic athlete, describes how gratitude changed and continues to change his life. After he experienced a horrifying accident at just 11 years old, Tye had a choice. He chose gratitude. He explains his thankfulness for what he has and the blessings he will receive.
The Power of Gratitude – Titan Man
If you practice gratitude daily, no matter how much or how little you have, you will be happy. This video would be beneficial in serving as a daily reminder to show gratitude.
Gratitude Is Good For You – John Templeton Foundation
If you would like to know the additional benefits of gratitude, this short video by the John Templeton Foundation is fast-paced and engaging. Several strategies for growing gratitude are shared.
The Power of Gratitude – Psych2Go
This video explains the research conducted with adults and children that completed a type of gratitude journal. Gratitude in regard to mental health is discussed in greater detail.
Being grateful will make you healthier and happier. While you may have already gotten this message, these videos will help you out.
My Final Thoughts
Someone could have everything and still feel like they have nothing.
Someone could have nothing but still be happy with what they have.
Recognizing gratitude towards non-tangibles, such as health and relationships, is a good start.
As we have just discussed, gratitude has endless benefits for both individuals and society and has deep roots in positive psychology.
It can be identified in many religions, as well as in the secular world.
It is crucial to understand that gratitude can be defined as both a state and a character trait.
Perhaps with the exercises provided in this blog, you will be able to move from a grateful state to a healthy character trait.
There are various ways to demonstrate gratitude. Regardless of the method you choose, it is critical to convey thankfulness.
Additionally, you don’t need to wait for a holiday to show appreciation.
Gratitude is the key to a happy life and should be continuous, practiced daily.
Another important takeaway is that gratitude can have a snowball effect. You never know the positive effects your gratefulness will have on others and the future impact it will have.
Gratitude is a perspective, it is a choice. I hope that you choose gratitude today and every day.
I would like to leave you with this quote,
“Gratitude is the ability to experience life as a gift.” John Ortberg
Remember to be kind to yourself, give yourself grace and always, always love yourself.
Commentaires