The word gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness (depending on the context). In some ways, gratitude encompasses all of these meanings. Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible.
I would say that with gratitude, you are able to acknowledge the goodness in your lives.
In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.
Research’s have shown that managers who remember to say “thank you” to people who work for them may find that those employees feel motivated to work harder. The positive effects of experiencing and expressing gratitude are endless.
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.
But expressing or practicing gratitude has its own challenges sometimes, like, one is the “self-serving bias.” That means that when good things happen to us, we say it’s because of something we did, but when bad things happen, we blame other people or circumstances.
Gratitude really goes against the self-serving bias because when we’re grateful, we give credit to other people for our success. We accomplished some of it ourselves, yes, but we widen our range of attribution to also say, “Well, my parents gave me this opportunity.” Or, “I had teachers. I had mentors. I had siblings, peers—other people assisted me along the way.” That’s very different from a self-serving bias.
Gratitude also goes against our need to feel in control of our environment. Sometimes with gratitude you just have to accept life as it is and be grateful for what you have.
Gratitude contradicts the “just-world” hypothesis, which says that we get what we deserve in life. Good things happen to good people, bad things happen to bad people. But it doesn’t always work out that way, does it? Bad things happen to good people and vice versa.
With gratitude comes the realization that we get more than we deserve. Which goes against a message we get a lot in our contemporary culture: that we deserve the good fortune that comes our way, that we’re entitled to it. If you deserve everything, if you’re entitled to everything, it makes it a lot harder to be grateful for anything.
Cultivating Gratitude
- Begin and end with intention. Start each day by thinking about all you appreciate and expect from the day, and as you turn out the lights at the end of each day also consider all you’re grateful for.
- Give continuous attention – Throughout each day, find small things about which you can be thankful. Avoid taking things for granted. Make everything count and bring conscious attention to elements which make you glad.
- Be expansive – Ensure you’re focusing on being grateful not just for things, but for people and conditions. Perhaps you particularly appreciate the headphones which help make your workout more fun, but also pay attention to the person at the club who made you feel welcome or the fact that you have the capability to walk, lift or stretch.
- Write it down – Research at Kent State University found when you write down elements, you’re grateful, for that simple act can foster happiness and wellbeing. This is probably true because it causes you to pause, focus, reflect and reinforce your positive experiences.
- Express yourself – Gratitude is both an individual and a team sport. When you share what you’re grateful for in a team environment, it holds even more power. Thank a coworker during a team meeting or provide positive feedback to a colleague during a project session. When gratitude is expressed and shared, it helps both you and the group.
- Meditate. Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment without judgment. Although people often focus on a word or phrase (such as “peace”), it is also possible to focus on what you’re grateful for (the warmth of the sun, a pleasant sound, etc.).
In the end I would like to say that, 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/special occasion to show appreciation.
Gratitude is the key to a happy life and should be continuous and 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.”
– Akriti Kumari, Senior Research Analyst, VeKommunicate