Gratitude + Kindness as Catalytic Values
Kevin D. Monroe
Hope Leadership Expert | Helping Leaders Cultivate Environments Where People and Possibilities Flourish
What value do you want to elevate and celebrate?
That's the question you see answered above in the word cloud. It's one of the questions we asked last week during the Gratitude+Kindness Encounters I co-hosted with Jenny Haase as our way of supporting World Values Day.
You can tell that question energized and excited those who joined us -- and people joined us from all around the world.
Several words came up in every session -- you can tell them by their size.
Earlier this year, I realized that gratitude has a catalytic effect on other values. Whenever and wherever you find gratitude...you'll find other values present. ALWAYS!
Gratitude never travels alone.
Plenty of good things -- virtues, values, and character traits grow in the soil of gratitude.
As Cicero noted,
Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.
Wherever you find gratitude you'll usually also find hope, joy, abundance, empathy...and kindness.
In our Gratitude+Kindness Encounter, we explored the idea of gratitude and kindness being catalysts. A catalyst, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is something that "modifies and increases the rate of a reaction without being consumed in the process."
When we express gratitude and kindness, other values grow alongside them. That's what happens when you are kind...or when you express gratitude. The ripple effect of goodness grows, expands, or accelerates.
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What happens to gratitude and kindness? Well, as catalysts, they aren't consumed in the process and continue to grow as well.
One way to grow values in the world...and the world of work, is to grow gratitude and kindness. As you cultivate gratitude and kindness you'll see other values -- like those listed above growing and spreading.
Here's how participants summarized their experience of the hour we shared elevating and celebrating values with gratitude and kindness as catalysts.
Uplifting, heartwarming, nourishing, joy, connection, happiness, and inspiring! That's the catalytic power of gratitude and kindness in action.
We want, and need, more of all of those virtues and values in the world today.
Let's keep growing gratitude and kindness. Knowing that as we do, we're growing plenty of other good things in the world.
Super Connector | helping startups get funding and build great teams with A Players
2 年Kevin, thanks for sharing!
Psycholoog, de speelfilm als inspiratiebron voor een waarde(n)vol leven (trefwoorden: positieve psychologie, zingeving, posttraumatische groei)
3 年Kevin Monroe and Jane Adshead-Grant, thanks for this wonderful post. In Holland we see that our society becomes more en more rude. I assume it is the same in the U.S.? What both of you are doing is so important in order to create a better, kinder world. So thanks a lot!
AI Expert Scaling Businesses with Marketing & Media Exposure | Forbes 30 Under 30 | Founder, GenZ Publishing
3 年What fantastic reflections, Kevin! Thanks so much for sharing.
Transformational Leader | Mental Health Solutionaire & Suicide Prevention Activist | Bridging Business, Health, Wellness & Humanity | Nonprofit Consultant & Pro Bono Advisor
3 年I love how you presented this information visually in word clouds albeit was surprised not to see HOPEFUL come up larger in the second one as gratitude + kindness inspire so much HOPE in me. All so fascinating and may this be a catalyst for further discussion as I too believe we so need more of these virtues and values in our world whether in our corporate cultures, politics, personal debates, etc.
Empowering and developing individuals and teams to SHINE. Providing unique Well-being days and programs. Coach, Consultant & Mentor| Radio Presenter | Well-being Advocate |Accidental Gardener| Volunteering Advocate
3 年Love your reflections Kevin Monroe ??????