The Art of Gratitude: a Ripple Effect of Wellbeing

 

My life recently became significantly richer.

“What happened?” you may ask. 

“Did you come into some unforeseen cash windfall? A promotion? A great new client? An exotic trip? A new home? Fortified relationships?” 

My answer would be… “None of the above. Yet, in a way, all of the above.” 

This is because I’ve recently discovered how you can both tap into and deliberately create the “essence” of each of these types of occurrences. It’s a treasure-trove of richness that multiplies each time you ‘spend’ more of it.

 

The Essence of Thanks

You see, if you’ve ever experienced any of the above – and all of us have at one time or another – you know that it’s not so much the ‘event’ that makes us feel richer. Rather, it’s our experience of it. It’s the feeling it triggers; the attitude it fosters; the expression it gives way to.

More cash? Greater freedom. Security. Possibility.

A promotion? Enhanced potential. Opportunity. Options.

Great new client? Creativity. Contribution. Catalyst.

You get the idea.

But, each of these events is external and, therefore, although correlated to our own attitudes, goals, and efforts, they lie outside of our direct control. We ‘hope’ they will occur. We plan for them. We envision the ensuing richness. But it most often lies beyond our grasp. 

Until it doesn’t. 

That is, until we are able to do what IS within our control to create the essence of each possible, imagined, desired outcome.

Any time. Anywhere. At whim. Personal leadership at its finest. Spontaneous, instantaneous, “speed-of-life” application. In other words, real time. 

It’s when the richness becomes intrinsic and no experience is ever wasted.

It’s not some magical, mystical or self-help wizardry either. It’s about as practical, pragmatic and down-to-earth a practice as you can imagine – and it changes everything. 

 

A Magic Bullet

So, what is it, this magic bullet?

It’s gratitude.

But not the kind of gratitude that is the after-effect of a positive or welcomed outcome, as described above. 

Instead, it’s what I call, “causal gratitude”. 

In other words, it’s gratitude FIRST, as first ‘the cause’ and THEN ‘the effect.’

It’s a way to make every experience matter. Tweet:

In short, instead of counting your blessings, it’s about creating them. Then, you get to count them!

 

THANKS-giving Practice

To make it easy to remember and to facilitate its “speed-of-life” application, I’ve used the acronym ‘THANKS’, to illustrate and anchor five gratitude practices, each of which may be practiced independently or in combination.

To be clear, this gratitude practice is more than saying THANKS, which often occurs after-the-fact with regard to some beneficial state or event.

It is also not the kind of gratitude we “intend” in advance, as part of visioning, goal setting or even just an attitudinal predisposition for upcoming events or states.

No. This is THANKS-giving. It’s a set of gratitude practices, each one of which is a form of giving.

In other words, each practice is contributory, service-oriented, and other-centred. It's a type of gratitude that is often over-looked yet a foundational skill for leadership, parenting, and interpersonal relationship effectiveness. 

Whether alone or together, the practices will support you in creating the essence of what you experience when grateful, without having to wait for outside circumstances to unfold, as you’d like.

 

How does it work?

The practices are deceptively simple! I say ‘deceptively’ because we often underestimate their power. 

They’re easy, too. But only with the right attitude and leadership willingness.

They’re fairly effortless. But only with developed skill. 

What you’ll find is that, in spite of their ease, simplicity and effectiveness, they are seldom practiced – at least not as a regular habit.

All too often, if we’re honest, we’ll find that, instead of a steady track record of practice, most of us are more like the weekend warrior – practicing only when “something big” occurs. Which, as mentioned earlier, puts us back into a position of being reactive to external events vs. proactive and deliberate creators of circumstance.

So, for each of the practices, if you’re like me, you can (and will) find a host of excuses as to why you don’t do them.

Stop.

Stop stopping yourself from experiencing a depth and breadth of richness that you control.

Start.

Start starting the practices, now.

Leave no room for remorse. 

Give “THANKS”. That means, give:

     T-ime;

    H-elp;

    A-ppreciation;

i-NK; 

and,

   S-mile.

The following infographic illustrates and further explains each of the practices, together with inspiration from some of history’s wisest minds.

Be inspired.

Better yet, become an inspiration. 
 

 

 

As you integrate this habit of ‘THANKS-giving’, let it not be an “occasion” but, rather, a way of life.

When it is, you become a purveyor, a generator of power. Not only that, you’ll gain focus and mindfulness. You will strengthen your interpersonal skills, build resilience and fortify your attitude. Plus, you’ll be better able to see and to appreciate (meant literally – to increase in value) the strengths in those around you. Your life will become richer.

Your children, loved ones, and those you lead and serve will thank you!

“Somehow, the act of self-giving is a personal power-releasing factor."   ~ Norman Vincent Peale   Tweet: “Somehow, the act of self-giving is a personal power-releasing factor.

Happy 'thanks-Giving' Day! Every day.

 

Originally posted on LinkedIn Pulse; October, 2015

 

Gratitude and making a difference are integral to effective leadership, personal wellbeing, and the expression of appreciation to those who rely on us for guidance and/or whom we care for and about. If you're in any way hesitating about your power to make a difference, or whether your efforts matter, my blog post: "Not Enough? The Secret to Going Ahead Anyway." will elevate your thinking.

For added inspiration and deep empowerment, treat yourself to these blog posts. I follow these folks on Twitter and find them to be amazing sources of joy and light:

 

Applied gratitude is a game-changer. What are you doing? What value and impact does practicing THANKS-'giving' have -- on you? Others?

 

 

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