What Sincere Gratitude Looks Like

Here’s what Mr. Rogers (from Mr. Rogers Neighborhood fame) has to teach us about sincere gratitude.

I know there's a bunch of people peddling gratitude all over LinkedIn. Indeed, there is an entire cottage industry that has sprung up around this concept.

What’s striking about this phenomenon is that many of the people hawking the idea aren’t practicing it themselves.?I’ve encountered more than one “gratitude practitioner” that, through their behavior, has let their true colors shine through – and, what I some exhibited wasn’t gratitude – it was greed.

So, to me, the stuff these folks are selling isn’t honest and lacks the authenticity from which genuine gratitude is born.

That said, for my money, nobody can beat the message that Mr. Rogers delivered in his lifetime achievement award acceptance speech at the Emmy's in 1997, where he said:

“All of us have special ones that have loved us into being. Would you just take, along with me, 10 seconds to think of the people that have helped you become who you are?

Those that have cared about you, and wanted what was best for you in life. 10 seconds of silence. I’ll watch the time.”

It just gave me goosebumps when I first saw this speech.?

Today, I am sharing this with you because I believe that it is an incredible object lesson in unpretentious gratitude.

Folks, at the risk of being accused of attempting to channel the greatness of Fred Rogers, will you take the next 10 seconds with me right now, and, remember the people who you're grateful for?

Just take 10 seconds to remember the people for whom you are grateful. The rest of this article will be here when you move your eyes back to the screen.

(10 second pause to remember)

Thanks for doing that.

To close, thanks to my family and friends – you all have helped me to become the person I am right now, and, I want to let you know how grateful I am for you.

Lastly, thanks to all of my subscribers here on LinkedIn and all of the thousands of other folks in my network, including colleagues, clients and prospects (Prospects, I know that you may not know me, yet. But, remember, even life partners were strangers once!).

With that, I wish you all the comfort that comes with practicing gratitude. As always, don’t be afraid to reach-out if I can ever be of assistance. I am here to serve.

#personaldevelopment #gratitude #kindness #coaching #workplaceculture ?#indispensablethinking