Believe it or not, expressing two simple words can have a profound positive health impact.
It doesn’t take much effort to say those two words, “Thank you,” but the benefits are astounding. Having the character trait of gratitude is so important and vital for our well-being.
Gratitude is defined as having feelings of thankfulness and appreciation. To have those feelings means we have to get out of ourselves and look round and observe and appreciate what’s happening around us. Then recognize we’re often not the contributor of that or the creator of that – that it’s happening through other people around us to whom we have to show gratitude and be grateful for.
Now, the health benefits of doing this – of showing gratitude – are huge. They include lower blood pressure. It reduces the risk of depression. Showing gratitude improves sleep, and people who keep a gratitude journal are 33 percent more likely to work out more consistently in a gym. The reason for that is they appreciate their well-being; they’re grateful for how they’re feeling. They want to look after themselves, and they want to extend those feelings even further. So, they get themselves off to the gym.
So, it’s important that we deepen this character trait of gratitude. The question is, of course, how do we do that?
- We have to choose to make gratitude a habit. What I mean by that is, it’s easy to get irritated quickly. Bombarded by headlines and so much noise out there, it’s easy to emotionally respond in the negative. It takes a little bit of effort to actually acknowledge those things around us that are positive, that are happening in our lives that are really adding fulfillment to what we’re experiencing and then making that a habit.
- We want to build that habit of daily expressing our gratitude – of saying thanks. It might be just shooting off a text to a friend to say thanks. It might be sending an email to a work colleague complimenting them on something they have done well. You have to be sincere; you want to mean it. You also want to deepen and develop that within yourself, and so be connecting with people in a helpful, positive, brief way.
- Don’t expect anything back for doing that. This is an act of altruism. You are simply looking to acknowledge that you are blessed by the circumstances around you. You’re going to acknowledge that, and so you’re going to be grateful for it. You have the opportunity to deepen that character trait of gratitude.
As we approach Thanksgiving, I wanted to wish you a happy Thanksgiving, and I, too, wanted to say, “Thank you.” Thank you for your feedback. Thank you for all your positive comments, and thank you for your great ideas. We hope you have enjoyed the videos that we bring to you every Thursday of every week. So here’s a big thank you to you.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving. Have a wonderful family celebration, and I look forward to bringing you another Distraction-Proof Advisor Idea next week.
Related:
If You’re Not Prioritizing Who Matters Most, You’re Wasting Your Life
