At work, let's adopt the gratitude attitude!

"We don't know what we have until we lose it. It's a line written by the English singer Sting - about a great love lost - that applies perfectly to the professional context.

We are in daily contact with those whose words are nothing but a complaint, an endless list of everything that is wrong, everything they don't have, don't have anymore, everything the universe (their employer, potential employers, the state...) owes them. The never happy, the demanders who bring all their frustrations to the workplace, refuse change or live in nostalgia for the good old days...

And we are afraid for them because we have understood from our own experience that they are taking a great risk of losing what they have and complain about.

Knowing how to show gratitude is rarely innate. It is an ability that we unfortunately often develop too late when we are faced with lack or loss.

In a burst of lucidity we realise that finally: "My boss knew what she was talking about", "I had access to a lot of training", "The pension fund was very competitive", "I should never have accepted this job", "The company I worked for was not the worst" ...

We thought that with the pandemic, the specter of disease and death, we would have become wiser and more aware of all that we have. But it is not so.?

With rare exceptions, we suffer massively from " hedonistic habituation ". This expression means that we get used to what we have very quickly and take it for granted: "It's normal: I work hard, I get a good salary! I'm not going to say thank you on top!"

Well, actually, we should!

Gratitude is the key skill that helps grow what we already have (talents, achievements, successes, benefits, harmonious professional relationships...) and attract even better things (neuroscience shows that it reduces stress, increases well-being, improves sleep and overall health).

Gratitude allows us to recognize and appreciate all our progress, to remember that we have seen it all and that we know how to overcome difficulties. It is what helps us turn challenges into opportunities, setbacks into rebounds.

Gratitude is our ability to contrast, to put things in perspective, to learn patience, to acquire wisdom. It is choosing to focus instantly on the positive, even at the end of a pitiful workday.

Gratitude is accepting that our growth is not linear but made of ups and downs, it is loving the journey.

It's about celebrating the small victories along the way.

Gratitude is expressing our appreciation verbally (to ourselves, to a colleague, to an employee, to our supervisor) or in writing (via an email or by keeping a journal).

Gratitude is a muscle that needs to be exercised and trained.

By practicing every day we can have a significant impact on ourselves, our accomplishments, our success and others.

Let’s get on with it!