Embrace Gratitude

Embrace Gratitude—simple words at this time of Thanksgiving. This Thursday, in the United States, we will gather around tables, small and large, and reflect, if only for a moment, on the kindness and blessings in our lives. We will share food and fellowship. Football games will be won and lost. Turkeys will be stuffed. Vegetables will be roasted. Pies will be baked, and meals will be blessed.??

Studies show that when we embrace gratitude daily, we have more positive emotions, sleep better, and feel more alive. In turn, we express more compassion and kindness to others. When we do embrace gratitude, we turn from the discouraging towards the encouraging.?

A daily practice of gratitude. Sit quietly in the early morning light and reflect upon the kindness and blessings in your life. Or, in the warmth of the bedroom at night, write in a journal the goodness and blessings that have been granted to you. Or before a meal, take a moment to express the kindness and gifts of the day.??

Share Gratitude: The essence of gratitude is that it is meant to be shared with those who have bestowed kindness and grace upon us. In this busy, hectic, self-indulgent world, we forget to pause and thank one another for their efforts for us, for their attention to us, and for their love of us. Gratitude is not measured in syllables; it is measured in connection.??

Some simple guidelines allow our gratitude to be felt:?

• Express gratitude when you feel gratitude. Don't hesitate until a perfect time; do it at the moment. The flip side of this is not to express gratitude if you don't feel gratitude. People will see you are insincere.???

• Be full-throated: A quick thank you may leave the recipient puzzled about your intent. Be as specific as possible. Instead of saying, "Thank you for all that you do for me," say, "Thank you so much for helping with Project A, especially your insights into how to improve delivery." Gratitude is a deep, rich feeling that should be expressed as such.??

• Reach the recipient. In today's world, we have a thousand ways of communicating with each other. I have found that the impact on the recipient is lost when I include gratitude in group communications, be it a town hall, social media posts, or an email. A direct connection between my gratitude and the recipient is best. This includes an e-card, handwritten thank you note, or a personal conversation.???

I worked with a leader who would send handwritten thank-you notes to her staff when she was grateful for a well-done job. Walking around the office, I noticed that these cards lingered in their workspaces for weeks, if not months, after being received. What a measurable impact this leader was having on her team.?

Embracing gratitude is the act of appreciating the kindness and blessings in our lives. It allows us to focus on hope against fear, welcome the possibilities of the future, and know we are not alone in our journey.??

Embrace Gratitude.???