Gratitude 

By Lucia Valente, January 2020 

 

https://seapointcenter.com/find-thanks-and-gratitude/ 

 

Recently I came across this article and thought it is a good reminder to be thankful; to have gratitude, and specifically so as we begin a new year.   

It is easy to take what we have in life for granted – to think about what we do not have and what we want to have as opposed to acknowledging and being thankful for what we have. 

Articles like this one are a reinforcement to focus on the ‘good’ in life.  Most of the people I deal with – in Europe and North America – are the ‘lucky’ ones.  We have so much for which to be thankful and yet as is the normal pattern of life, we take our beneficence for granted. Yet, when we take time to be conscious of our good fortune and really, deeply, acknowledge that, we are changed. 

And there are very simple acts that we can do to demonstrate gratitude.  One of the very first steps is to acknowledge people – do we see – actually see – the people with whom we interact?  Examples from the article are: 

 

Thank others. Thank the grocery clerk who checked you out. Thank the person who took your ticket to the movies, the parking lot or the subway entrance. There are a lot of people providing service for you on a regular basis. Take time to thank them, even if you’re not feeling thankful in the moment, and you might be surprised to find gratitude naturally arises. 

And of course, the example that is meaningful for the LoG team is as follows: 

Give something back. Give to a charity. Volunteer for a non-profit. Pay a visit to someone who is ill. Act as if you are thankful, and you’ll find gratitude actually does begin to arise. 

This is so true.  Many years ago, I was lucky to work with a mentor who introduced me to a model of psychology that has served me well during my life: 

The way I think shapes the way I feel that shapes the way I behave.  What is fascinating is that the reverse is true also – positive behaviour begets positive feelings and thoughts. 

Try it – it works!!