Welcome to Joyce Appreciation Corner

This newsletter is long overdue but I chose to launch it today, being July 30, which is my birthday, as a thanksgiving gift of gratitude.

The Roman philosopher, lawyer, and writer, Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC) is quoted as saying that--

"Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues but the parent of all the others."

I wish I could tell you that I have been a deliberate practitioner of gratitude from day one because I was aware of its far reaching benefits but that would have been a flat out lie. The truth of the matter is that I didn't really know the extent of the power of gratitude even though I am a naturally grateful person who appreciates the grace of God and the people from all walks of life who have contributed in diverse ways to my career trajectory and life in general.

In 2013 however, I had a strong urge to write a thanksgiving book and it was in 2018 that I finally sat down to tackle this book project. Within a community of seasoned and budding authors like myself, I had the motivation and all the resources I needed to complete the book and publish it on Amazon in just 3 months; talk of the power of a community of like-minded individuals!

It was during my research for the book's material that I came across so many scientific studies that have been done to arrive at a firm association between a life of gratitude and desirable outcomes including happiness, mental and physical health and well-being, contentment, fulfillment, a positive outlook on life, higher levels of achievement in life, longevity, better relationships, compassion, love, tolerance, and unparalleled generosity.

That's why the theme and objective for the newsletter is "Becoming More, Achieving More, & Giving More through Gratitude."

I am also keenly aware of the call of the word of God to give thanks continuously, especially so in recognition of the free gift of salvation, and the favor and goodness of God we continue to experience on a daily basis. It's important however for all to recognize that the goodness of God is universal, because the warmth of the sun and the oxygen for breathing are available to all, whether they recognize the Source or not, and hence gratitude I believe should be a universal practice.

On a personal level, family and friends who have known me for a long time have always been asking me for my "secret for staying forever young" and I had always replied that I had no such secrets. That was the complete truth until I discovered these scientific truths about the benefits of living a life of gratitude.

Suddenly, a light bulb came on within me, my "aha moment," that I AM A LIVING proof of the power of gratitude!!

So this newsletter-Joyce Appreciation Corner-is my small way of giving back to the world by sharing with my subscribers the importance of developing and practicing gratitude in order to benefit from the wide ranging outcomes from grateful living.

At biweekly intervals, we will be sharing our stories of gratitude, appreciating the little things in life that many people take for granted, as well as the big opportunities for advancement, promotion/elevation, recognition, change in status and additions to the family (marriages, becoming a mother/father/grandparents), improvement in health status among others.

We will also be using it as a forum to give a public shoutout and recognition to people who have made our day, week, month, year or longer period memorable in big and small ways as a way of reviving the practice of gratitude and preventing it from extinction.

More importantly, we will be delving deep into what real grateful living looks like and how by allowing gratitude to permeate every aspect of our lives, we set up for ourselves the foundation for excellence, higher productivity, true happiness, peace, and generosity, among others; these continue to bring us more returns for our own good.

Are you aware that gratitude and its benefits are not only relevant for individuals? Chester Elton has been promoting organizational culture of gratitude to promote employee engagement, drive innovation, and to increase productivity and well-being for decades.

Did you know that what is unique about the practice of gratitude is that it doesn't discriminate in anyway and so benefits ALL practitioners no matter their socioeconomic, educational, racial or religious backgrounds. gender, age group, or political affiliation among others? The benefits of gratitude living cut across all demographics and so the practice of gratitude can be a powerful unifying force for good.

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Singing off for now with gratitude and deep appreciation

Yours truly,

Joyce