Tap Into the Power of Gratitude
“Gratitude has helped me recognize that what I currently have is enough and more. When I wake up in the morning and feel like my cup isn’t full enough, a thought of gratitude recenters my perspective, offering an opportunity to simply recognize what I have in my life. Thoughts of gratitude create abundance in my life. It has become an antidote to feeling less than and more importantly a practice that has supported the development of deep and meaningful relationships. When someone expresses gratitude towards me, I feel seen and respected. It makes me feel like I am more than enough, that my presence is appreciated, that my presence is acknowledged. And of course the act of expressing gratitude to others is similarly a priceless gift – one that certainly needs no occasion to provide and one that is always welcome. I am reminded every day of the priceless joy that visible acts of gratitude bring.”
- Dustin Liu, Connection Labs Collaborator
With the year coming to a close, our Connection Labs team has been looking back at 2021 through a lens of gratitude, largely thanks to you, our wonderful workshop participants. We hope you will join us in this reflection, and begin (or continue) to incorporate gratitude into your everyday life.
Did you know?
As TED talk speaker, David Steindl-Rast, aptly states: “It is not happiness that makes us grateful but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Studies support this notion, showing gratitude as a crucial indicator of life satisfaction, with grateful people experiencing higher self esteem, increased empathy, reduced aggression, and more success in their relationships.
Unfortunately, we are particularly inept at expressing gratitude in the context of work, as a survey of 2,000 Americans completed by the John Templeton Foundation shows that people are less likely to feel or express gratitude at work than anywhere else. In fact, 60% said they “either never express gratitude at work or do so perhaps once a year.”
There is enormous upside to practicing and modeling gratitude at work — not only for the individuals but also the organization as a whole. 93% of employees who “reported feeling valued said that they are motivated to do their best at work,” and as the authors of Leading With Gratitude explain, “Showing gratitude to employees is the easiest, fastest, most inexpensive way to boost performance.” “Thank you,” as it turns out, is a pretty powerful phrase!
Awareness, context, intention
Building Awareness: How can your signature strengths help you practice gratitude in your day-to-day life? (For a refresher on your strengths, revisit your personalized Via report from the Connection 101 workshop, or look at a list here.)
Considering Context: Do you practice gratitude more consistently in your personal or professional life? Are there any factors that impact how well or often you practice gratitude? (Eg. stress? sleep quality? time of year?)
Creating Intention: What is one setting or situation in which you can practice more gratitude this holiday season?
Tap into your strengths…
Practice leveraging your other strengths to better tap into the strength of gratitude:
Use appreciation of beauty and excellence to notice and appreciate excellence in your daily personal and professional life, whether it be from yourself or others
Use love to gain perspective on your gratefulness for family, friends, and colleagues
Use social intelligence to recognize the impact your gratefulness has on others