Gratitude Is A Value

In a recent training on professionalism, one participant said that one of their values is gratefulness. It struck me because I don’t hear that expressed as a value very much. Yet it is so clear how impactful a grateful attitude is on our whole being: physically, mentally and emotionally.

However, gratefulness is more than an attitude. It is actually a skill that some have given considerable attention to hone. As a result, they are healthier and happier than those who haven’t. I’ve written about it here, here and here.

Gratitude Is A Skill

Fundamentally, gratefulness is a mental skill of how you perceive your situation. It’s an intentional effort to search beyond your patterned neuropathways to discover something else. It’s a discipline that you develop, thereby making it a learned skill. Here are three ways to sharpen your discipline of gratitude.

1. Have gratitude. Commit to developing a perspective of gratitude. You have much—material possessions, opportunities, relationships and a future, it is unfortunate that being grateful is sometimes far removed.
2. Express gratitude. Saying you are grateful to others is significant, even though it may not be usual. One study found that those who wrote gratitude letters “reported significantly better mental health than those [in other groups].” The research shows that gratitude reverberates inside you for weeks after. Do it on a regular basis and you will turn into a vibrating gratitude machine!
3. Look for gratitude. The thought here is that we see what we look for. Sometimes it’s more obvious; other times you have to seek it out. Ask yourself, “If there is something to be grateful for in this situation, what would it be?” You will be surprised how you will discover hidden gems in even the most difficult of situations.

Gratitude Is Practiced

I don’t know of a better time of year to have, express and see gratitude than during this holiday season. Of these three Gratefulness skills, which will you emphasize this week?