Gratitude – TPW270

Cultivating gratitude can improve our productivity.



Gratitude and a life that matters

It's always important to think about the things we're grateful for, but it seemed especially fitting to talk about this topic as this episode is being published the day before Thanksgiving Day here in the US.

What is gratitude?

“The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness”

The word gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratia (grace, graciousness, or gratefulness).

“Gratitude is an emotion expressing appreciation for what one has. It is a recognition of value independent of monetary worth. Spontaneously generated from within, it is an affirmation of goodness.”
~ Gratitude (Psychology Today article)


In an article on gratefulness.org, Robert Emmons, a scientific expert on gratitude, says gratitude has two key components:




* Affirmation of goodness
* Recognition that the source of goodness is outside of ourselves




“Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy - because we will always want to have something else or something more.”

“We cannot be grateful for all that a given moment brings us; yet, in any given moment, we can be grateful for something. The gift within the gift of any given moment is opportunity.”

“Grateful living is a way of life which asks us to notice all that is already present and abundant . . . and in so doing, to take nothing for granted. We can learn to focus our attention on, and acknowledge, that life is a gift.”
~ Dr. David Steindl-Rast in What is Gratitude?


In any given moment, we may not be grateful for everything, nor should we be expected to be. But I do believe that in any situation, there is always something to be grateful for. The concept here is that where our attention is in any given situation is what defines our experience of life. A happy life requires us to be looking for that thing we could be grateful for.

To live a grateful life, you must first notice, and thus become aware of, that thing you can be grateful for. Once you're aware of it, focus your attention on it--choose to focus on the good rather than the bad. Finally, acknowledge it--in your mind, at least, and maybe even out loud.

Even if it doesn’t come naturally to us, gratitude can be deliberately cultivated, and there are many benefits to doing so.

Benefits of gratitude

Simply put, grateful people are more productive, both in the sense of getting important things done and also in the sense of making lives that matter. One excellent article on the benefits of gratitude points out the following (among others):


* Gratitude improves our health, relationships, emotions, personality, and career.
* It makes us happier, more optimistic: In a study of the effects of keeping a weekly gratitude journal, participants showed a measurable increase in optimism.
* It makes people like us: “Gratitude makes us nicer, more trusting, more social, and more appreciative.”
* It increases our productivity: “As gratitude has been shown to increase self-esteem and reduce insecurity, this means that it can help us focus and improve our pro...