At eQ we talk often about mindset. An important component of mindset is gratefulness. When talking about being grateful, our mind typically jumps toward positive events - what is going well, what we have accomplished. While all of this serves as great reflection; gratefulness, to me, is deeper.
By digging deeper, you can pull out why you are grateful, more specifically what have you overcome to have that particular example stand out as a grateful moment. To me, gratefulness isn’t just about the concluding or the milestone moment – it’s about the journey.
Have you ever reflected on a moment where you felt grateful and thought about the path that led you to this moment? As humans, we focus a lot on only positive or only negative moments. It is imperative to choose views from a full circle perspective, not only to learn through your experiences, but in order to appreciate the journey. Respect the journey.
How does sharing self-gratitude and sharing gratitude with others shape mindset?
Gratefulness creates solutions and has a ripple effect. I am a huge believer in keeping a solution-focused mindset. There are very few things that absolutely can not be done. There are excuses and obstacles, but typically there is a solution to reaching the goal you set.
For example, tell yourself: "I am grateful to have the opportunity, the creative ability, and resources to be able to tackle this challenge."
Gratefulness is contagious and is best when authentic. I like to surround myself with positivity, not puffery, in addition to genuine care for recognition and celebration of “wins.” As a society, we spend too much time focusing on what could have been, what we didn’t get to do, and what we did wrong – when instead we could use these instances to learn, to share lessons learned with others, and do better.
When you execute a positive force, people are drawn to you. They see the advantages gratefulness brings to your life and want to be better, do better because of you. There is much more purpose in intentional gratitude than everyday negatively.
Gratefulness is good for your health. Based on research shared by Forbes, gratitude is a stress buster and immune booster. Grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and they report feeling healthier than other people, according to a 2012 study published in Personality and Individual Differences.
A 2003 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that gratitude was a major contributor to resilience following the terrorist attacks on September 11th. Recognizing all you have to be thankful for – even during the worst times of your life – fosters resilience. Having a resilient mindset is critical in many applications, personally and professionally.
3 easy ways to be grateful every day
1. Wake up and think of one thing you are grateful to have the opportunity to tackle that day. This will take your mindset from “have to” to “get to” – something we feel very strongly about at eQ.
2. Say thank you to those you come in contact with, from your barista, to your postman, to the person who held the door for you. A simple thank you can go a long way – even more if you truly show authenticity with it. For a deeper “thank you,” write a note to someone who has impacted you, whether they affected your whole life or just your week. Work this into your routine and write a handwritten note to share your gratefulness. Maybe this will be your ripple and that person will share their gratefulness with someone as a result.
3. Spend time at the end of each day reflecting on what made that day great and what you are grateful for – tools, people, life.
Start today – send a thank you note to someone who has impacted you, spend time thinking about what you are grateful for today and what you have been grateful for this month. I promise this will shape the way you approach challenges in the future and embrace the journey.
You have the ability to choose impact, for yourself and through others – now that is something to be grateful for!
