Living Life Gratefully
Randy Hain
President of Serviam Partners, Executive Coach, Leadership Consultant, Author, Speaker and Co-Founder of the Leadership Foundry
When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude. —G.K. Chesterton
At a very young age, my parents constantly urged me to always say thank you in response to any kindness or friendly words shared in my direction. For many years, I saw this advice from my parents as simply good manners and what people were supposed to do. In my mid-teen years, I was mature enough to observe the heartfelt sincerity my parents always showed when they said thank you to others, offered prayers of thanks, or expressed appreciation for the simple blessings in their lives—and how different this was from my perfunctory use of the words. They really meant it, and I began to understand that their use of the words thank you transcended mere courtesy and clearly meant something much more meaningful and powerful to them. What I observed my parents practicing so well was the beginning of my deeper understanding of the concept of gratitude.
My parents were wonderful role models and teachers in many ways and helping me learn to be grateful was an amazing gift that I work at demonstrating every day. My wife and I try very hard to model a life of gratefulness for our sons and those we encounter each day, and this ongoing effort has absolutely transformed us.
What Are Some of the Fruits of Gratitude?
1. We desire less when we are truly grateful for what we already have in our lives.
2. People who are grateful for what they have are more generous to those in need.
3. Gratitude requires a positive frame of mind, which contributes to greater overall happiness. There cannot be happiness without gratitude.
4. Consistently practicing gratitude with others results in a ripple effect; those experiencing our gratitude pay it forward to the people they encounter.
5. We positively impact and grow our relationships with a grateful attitude.
6. Gratitude is a healthy substitute for resentment, envy, jealousy, and greed (see point number one).
Many people, often myself included, find it challenging to consistently act with gratitude. The great writer G. K. Chesterton observed: “Gratitude, being nearly the greatest of human duties, is also nearly the most difficult.” What are best practices we can follow to help us be more grateful?
Gratitude Best Practices:
As you consider how to go about living your life and interacting with those you encounter each day, why not choose the gratitude approach? Make the commitment and watch your life absolutely change for the better.
Live gratefully and you will never regret it.
*If you enjoyed this post, I think you will enjoy my brand new book, Being Fully Present: True Stories of Epiphanies and Powerful Lessons from Everyday Life
Randy Hain is the president of Serviam Partners, the award-winning author of ten books, an executive coach, leadership consultant and thought leader on candor, clarity, time management and business relationships. He is also the co-founder of The Leadership Foundry
Founder, Corvus Empowerment Solutions. Multiply your leadership impact without sacrificing family life.
1 年Powerful reflection, Randy Hain! Your emphasis on the profound impact of practicing gratitude in everyday life, as a transformative approach for personal happiness and positive relationships, offers a compelling perspective on the power of appreciation and thankfulness.
Inspection Performance Specialist at Georgia Transmission Corporation
1 年Randy Hain A great reminder and most important tips as we sit at holiday tables and wrap up the year! Someone said recently that kids hear nothing you say but see everything you do. Demonstrating gratitude will surely yield good fruit.
Cybersecurity Professional | Founder | Entrepreneur
1 年Thank you for sharing this Randy Hain, beautifully captured. The more time passes the deeper I understand this. I continue to learn and remind myself to be grateful for everything as there are so many things we can easily take for granted in our lives. I’ve also begun to have greater understanding in being grateful for life’s trials and the lessons that come from them. Not easy by any means, but a gift nonetheless. Wishing you and your loved ones a Happy Thanksgiving Randy!
Global Neurodiversity Education Advancement | Top 50 Global Neurodiversity Evangelists | Autism · Dyslexia · ADHD | Educator | Speaker | Advisor | Mentor | Constantly Curious |
1 年I am grateful for you Randy, and your influence in creating a world where we both acknowledge and value the many blessings in our lives! Thank you for the kind and gentle reminders to "stop" and take the time to do just that!
SVP, Chief Financial Officer at Iconex Paper
1 年Thanks, Randy. There is always “something” to complain about, but almost always there are more things to be grateful and thankful about. If we focused more on the latter, we—as a society—would be so much more positive and productive. Happy Thanksgiving!