{"id":4180,"date":"2015-11-23T16:36:20","date_gmt":"2015-11-23T16:36:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/?p=4180"},"modified":"2018-10-02T13:36:40","modified_gmt":"2018-10-02T17:36:40","slug":"start-with-gratitude","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2015\/11\/start-with-gratitude\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Is It So Important To Start With Gratitude?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Which came first: the chicken or the egg?<\/strong> We\u2019ve puzzled this question for hundreds of years, and many are still divided on the best answer. But when speaking of the Positive Emotions family, Happiness vs. Gratitude, there is no debate about which comes first: Gratitude.<\/strong><\/p>\n While the United States and Canada are two of the few countries with an official \u201cthanksgiving\u201d government holiday, nearly every country and most religions have Gratitude traditions that go back thousands of years,<\/strong> usually connected with the harvest season or with historical events in which hardships were overcome. I began writing my newsletter in November 2002, and regularly return to the themes of Gratitude and Appreciation. I offer here one idea from each year: 2006: Practice Thanksgetting.<\/span> Pay attention to how you handle thanks and gratitude.<\/strong> When someone thanks you, instead of tossing back a quick \u201cno problem,\u201d stop, smile, look into their eyes and say, carefully and from your heart, \u201cit was my pleasure.\u201d If you want to experience more Happiness and Joy in your life, step deliberately into Gratitude more often.<\/strong> Pick something from the archives above or make up your own practice!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Which came first: the chicken or the egg? We\u2019ve puzzled this question for hundreds of years, and many are still divided on the best answer. But when speaking of the Positive Emotions family, Happiness vs. Gratitude, there is no debate about which comes first: Gratitude. Gratitude To build a House of Happiness, you must first … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5789,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[119,34,40],"tags":[457,192],"yoast_head":"\n\n
\nGratitude is so powerful that US President Abraham Lincoln<\/a> proclaimed a day of giving thanks in the midst of the bloodiest segment of the American Civil War.<\/strong> He realized that purposeful attention to what was going WELL was important to the well being of a nation.<\/p>\n
\n2002: Pay Attention.<\/span> Take a minute or two to watch \u2013 just watch \u2013 someone you see every day at work or play, while they’re eating dinner or washing dishes or giving a presentation at a meeting. Pay attention to your feelings for that person, and allow yourself to experience pride, or respect, or love, or admiration. Notice how good it makes you feel.
\n2003: Document Your Blessings.<\/span> At the end of the day, write down three things that went well that day.<\/strong> These may range from the tiny (flavored creamer for my coffee today!) to the really big (I got a raise!). Try this for two weeks, and notice how it increases your awareness of the good things in your life. (NOTE: This is the Gratitude Journal exercise I mentioned above, the most researched and powerful exercise in the study of Happiness).<\/em><\/span>
\n2004: Be Authentic.<\/span> Express gratitude for your own quirkiness.<\/strong> When you appreciate the Real You in your mind, in your actions and in your relationships, at home, at work and everywhere, you reinforce your foundation for success and authentic happiness in a life of joy.
\n2005: Be Grateful on Purpose<\/span> (an exercise from Happiness guru Sonja Lyubormirsky, PhD.)<\/em> Answer the following Qs:<\/p>\n\n
\nAnd when someone gives you the \u201cgift\u201d of praise or appreciation,<\/strong> pause, take a deep breath, and say \u201cThank You.\u201d Accept the gift, seeing it through the eyes of the person who chose it, wrapped it, and took the time to deliver it, just for you.
\n2007: Appreciate your team.<\/span> Occasionally stop to celebrate and have a little fun with your team. Create quiet moments of conversation when you sit down with people to provide positive feedback and discuss their development.
\n2008: Express Gratitude.<\/span> The story is told of an old woman sitting on a park bench. She felt old, alone, and useless, and thought of suicide. A young man came and sat on the other end of the bench. For a time they fed the birds together. When the young man went to leave, he thanked her for a lovely afternoon. The old woman realized that she did, in fact, matter to others. She went home determined to push forward.
\n2009: Say a Gratitude Mantra.<\/span> One person I know stands in front of her full-length mirror each day and says, out loud, \u201cHappy am I. Healthy and strong am I. Grateful am I. Holy am I.\u201d
\n2010: Be Grateful for Nothing.<\/span> Establish time in your calendar to Do Nothing. Learn how to be at ease in solitude, silence, and stillness. Realize you don\u2019t need all that \u201cnoise\u201d around you to feel content \u2013 plus a little downtime will give you space to recharge your batteries.
\n2011: Build a Positive Worldview.<\/span> Practiced regularly, Gratitude shapes your worldview<\/strong> toward noticing abundance versus scarcity, since it focuses on what you Have versus what you Lack.
\n2012: Appreciate the Dark side.<\/span> There is great beauty in darkness: dark nights and a star-filled sky, dark coffee, dark beer, dark wine, and dark chocolate, for example!
\n2013: Create an Emergency Gratitude Reserve.<\/span> Build a list of 50 to 100 items that invoke Joy in you. Notice how few of those are \u201cthings.\u201d Look for ways to create those moments more often. When you\u2019re having a really bad day, simply pull out the list for a quick read.
\n2014: Thank Your Stress<\/span> (the positive emotion we love to hate). Stress actually serves you terrifically \u2013 in small doses and well channeled. Zero stress equals zero accomplished; as stress increases, so do productivity, creativity, and deadline management. Stress helps you arrive on time, stay attentive, and stay energized.<\/p>\n