The Gratitude Habit

"Gratitude doesn’t change the scenery.  It merely washes clean the glass you look through so that you can see more clearly."
Richelle E. Goodrich

In a recent study, hundreds of people were divided up into three large groups. Every group of people were assigned to begin writing a daily diary, but the subject matter each group was assigned to write about was very different. The first group was simply to write about their daily events. The second group was to write about everything bad that happened to them throughout the day, and the third group was asked to write about all the things they were thankful for that day. After a short time, the study found those who wrote down what they were thankful for experienced much higher levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism, and energy with less depression and stress than the other groups of writers. Also, the group writing what they were thankful for were more likely to help others, exercise, and achieve personal goals. The study also found that gratitude triggered a reciprocal cycle of kindness—meaning one act of gratitude almost always encouraged another. (http://www.acfnewsource.org/religion/gratitude_theory.html)

Based on this study and the reciprocal effect of kindness produced by gratitude, this Thanksgiving Thursday must mean more to us than simply giving thanks and eating a large meal with family and friends. Thanksgiving this year must be about developing a lifetime gratitude habit! And it can start this week by writing down at the end of each day all the things we were thankful for throughout the day.  And then if we can keep up this simple habit for the rest of our life, like the study concluded, it will lead us to a better life—physically, emotionally, and mentally—as well as help us touch and impact the lives of others.

As we write our daily diary of thankfulness let’s not stop there.  Hopefully this habit will also remind us to give thanks to all those around us.  Expressing appreciation to those around us helps us build rapport and esteem with others and gives us credibility as a good friend, family member, and leader. Indeed, giving sincere thanks and appreciation can often define a great leader. Think about it.  Developing a gratitude habit this Thanksgiving—that we carry with us throughout the year and our lifetime—will help us build relationships and live a more satisfying life.

So, start the gratitude habit today.  Begin writing your daily diary of thankfulness, and then express and show more your appreciation towards those in your life.  Don’t hold back, express your gratitude freely!  By doing this you will be more than someone who just says “thanks” and eats turkey this Thanksgiving Holiday—you will become a better you!