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Gratitude gives you so much to be grateful for…
| Guest post by: Bradley Foster |
Article Overview: You don’t need to understand what gratitude is to notice when it is totally absent. When I experience a lack of gratitude, it’s like a social vacuum that sucks all that is good into it. This week, as an experiment, notice gratitude or lack of gratitude of it in those around you, then become see if you can become aware of your own. Remember, it’s not enough to experience the feeling of gratitude but it is the expression of your gratitude that is important for those on the receiving end. It’s all about impact and gratitude makes a huge impact.
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Gratitude gives you so much to be grateful for…
I’ve been considering gratitude
a lot lately. I never used to think much about it, maybe because it was
something I always took for granted and when we are a certain way we don’t give
it much of a thought. I notice it now and appreciate expressions of gratitude
whether it’s because of something I did or just noticing it. I really notice it
when someone is lacking in gratitude. Don Draper, the main character in the hit
series Mad Men could be the poster
boy the absence of gratitude. He Is probably one of the luckiest men on Madison
Ave. yet he never acknowledges his good fortune. Lack of gratitude can make
your life much emptier and unhappy, never mind those around you.
Gratitude is one of what I call a keystone strength. When
you are grateful a lot of other strengths come along for the ride. For instance,
the ability to love and be loved would be more difficult if not impossible
without gratitude. Perspective is a strength that is reinforced by using
gratitude. You might be down on your luck with everything working against you
but a bit of gratitude can show you that other people are worse off and in fact
you could be doing much worse. Faith and spirituality are hollow without gratitude.
Have you ever noticed that it’s uncommon to find someone who is both negative
and grateful.
Gratitude is an optimistic and particularly social strength;
used primarily in interaction with other people but we can also be grateful for
things. For instance it is possible to be grateful for the beauty of the day or
for flowers or for spiritual fulfillment. It is a strength that gives us
perspective and appreciation for how lucky we are. Anyone who has been through
or been close to someone who has gone through Alcoholics Anonymous understands
how they use gratitude to build a future for themselves. Gratitude gives you so
much to be grateful for. But it isn’t enough just to feel grateful, it is
important that there is a corresponding articulation of it too. That is, it’s
not enough to feel grateful, you have
to express it too. Gratitude is a transcendent strength, something
that connects you to something outside yourself that is larger.
If you can express gratitude, you are “luckier” because
people will be drawn to you. I like helping people and I feel so much more
engaged and appreciated when I feel gratitude come back to me for my actions. I
feel like helping them more. How do you feel when you go out of your way to
help someone and they don’t appreciate your efforts? You might feel a bit of resentment
toward them. How likely are you to help that person again? I noticed that just
now when I held the door open for a guy who was coming in behind me at
Starbucks. He didn’t thank me, he didn’t acknowledge me in any way. Then
scooted ahead of me in the line up for coffee. What, am I a sucker? I feel irritated to be treated as a
non-entity but to have my kindness taken advantage of makes me feel resentful.
You don’t need to understand what gratitude is to notice
when it is totally absent. When I experience a lack of gratitude, it’s like a
social vacuum that sucks all that is good into it. This week, as an experiment,
notice gratitude or lack of gratitude of it in those around you, then become see
if you can become aware of your own. Remember, it’s not enough to experience
the feeling of gratitude but it is the expression of your gratitude that is
important for those on the receiving end. It’s all about impact and gratitude
makes a huge impact.
Bradley Foster
September, 2010
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Article Tags: appreciation, Bradley Foster, gratitude, life coaching, love, reationships, strengths
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About the Author: Bradley Foster RSS for Bradley's articles - Visit Bradley's website I offer professional coaching services in the following areas: career/executive/business/leadership/life/writing/relationships and creativity. I help individuals and executives define and get in step with their stated goals and values. I'm an experienced coach, having worked with hundreds of clients over the past five years, coming to coaching from a business background and as a trained therapist. My clients and I work to close the gap between who or what they say they are, or want to be, and who or what they actually are now, as expressed by their actions. I'm also a writer, and communications consultant. I have published dozens of articles in North American newspapers, websites and magazines and for Reuters and Thomson Newspapers over the past twenty years. I published a book on self-coaching with co-author, psychologist and coach, Dr. Stephen Renfrey, called Deep Coaching: A Guide to Self Directed Living. I am currently writing a book on creative life strategies. I write a monthly career column called Ask The Coach in Job Postings magazine. I also write articles and have a blog I update every week. I recently published an article on the boundary between therapy and coaching in Choice Magazine, the premier coaching journal. I am a successful entrepreneur, business development executive, and business and communication consultant before turning to executive and life coaching full-time. I have an MA from The University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Science from the McGill University. I also attended The Ontario College of Art, Columbia University and I have a three year certificate in Leadership and Psychotherapy from the Gestalt Institute of Toronto. I received coach training from the Gestalt Institute and the Coach Training Institute. The breadth of my experience and the training I've done ensures that you'll get insight, clarity and direction from me. Click here to visit Bradley's website   SelfDiscipline A Balancing Act Gratitude gives you so much to be grateful for A Timely Time Management System for Creative People Self Motivation Authentic Leadership |
Related Forum Posts
Re: What Do you Prefer More - Time or Money
- Hi there. I also prefer both time and money, but the question requests a choice of one, so I would select time.
I currently have a contract that entails a 3 hour daily commute. This certainly provides cash inflow (the money addressed above), but it takes away from the time I have with my honey.
So, I'm grateful for the job, and I'm grateful for my honey, but I know where I'd rather spend my time.
Re: what brings tears to Your eyes ????
- Hi Barry
Being able to make a difference in a life, whether it is a human life or an animals life I think gives one a wonderful feeling of gratitude. Gratitude of being in a position to help and that what you do is actually going to make a difference is definitely enough to bring tears to your eyes.
MichelleJ
Re: Hello...
- Welcome to the club and thank God for your family. In every thing we should be grateful to God.
Re: help wanted in u.k.
- Thanks jb
I will, I am so grateful for your interest ( great morale boost )
Brendan
Re: Do we show enough appreciation?
- Great article Evan
Thank you for bringing it to our attention. I think we do all appreciate and are grateful. But we sometimes forgot to voice these things.
MichelleJ
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