Today I want to talk about the power of Gratefulness.
So what is gratefulness?
Gratefulness is defined in the Dictionary as ‘conscious of benefit received’. The word ‘conscious’ I believe is what separates it from a simple thank you.
Let me discuss this further - Being thankful in today’s age is simple, we are taught as children to be polite, (to say please and thank you) and have good manners. We thank people who serve us a morning coffee, hold open a door, let us into traffic. This is almost automatic (for most people) but it’s surface level.
Don’t get me wrong you should be polite, thankful and say thank you but I believe this is very different from the act of being grateful towards another human being.
Being grateful towards someone is a much deeper experience:
It involves reflecting on what that person has done for you, how it has affected you, changed you, impacted you or your world.
It’s specific, (you can identify exactly why you are grateful) you know the actions they took, what they did, the sacrifice the person made, the time they invested, the learnings shared.
It’s emotional, you know how it made you feel and you are intimately aware of its impact, well beyond a surface level.
It's personal and whenever you reflect on it you have a sense of gratitude towards that person.
Being grateful towards another person is a thought-provoking experience.
Recently I took the opportunity to sit down and write notes to key people in my life sharing my gratefulness for all they had done for me, my family and our worlds.
It was such a personal and powerful journey for me to go on.
Going through the process made me realise:
How blessed I am to have amazing people around me - mentors, coaches, leaders, friends and colleagues
How many people have had a positive influence on me and my family’s life
Who and what has shaped various decisions I have made in my life
The act of sharing your gratitude is a beautiful moment, sometimes the recipient isn’t even aware of how influential they have been in your journey
The act of sharing your gratitude gives the other person confidence to share more with you and others
It’s just a good thing to do!
How I should reflect more often, build a new habit/routine and share openly (write more cards expressing my gratitude) towards those people who make a difference.
And so much more! I have spoken previously about the Self Made Myth and how no one is a self-made man or woman but in this process of writing these cards it was so clear. You are the culmination of the people in your circle and those who you allow to influence you.
I am so grateful and appreciative to the many people in my life who have impacted it for the better, who have made me the person I am today.
When’s the last time you were grateful toward another person? When’s the last time you considered those who raised you up? Can I challenge you to reach out to them and share your gratefulness?
It’s a process that is both beneficial for you (challenging your mindset) and for the person with whom you are sharing your gratefulness.
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