"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." ~Thornton Wilder
One of the major foundations for resilience is relationships and the concept of giving and reaching out when in need. Often though the missing link in this concept is gratitude. Without gratitude the loop cannot be finished. When you give you are putting energy out – gratitude keeps the energy flowing. In our busy lives, sometimes we forget to say those two important words – Thank You. We may appreciate another’s kindness and intend to follow through but somehow it gets forgotten in the myriad of our busy lives. Yet, without gratitude without reciprocating – the energy gets blocked and it won’t continue to flow.
it’s easy to feel appreciative when everything is going well in our lives but what about the periods that seem like nothing is coming together or we feel lost and in that proverbial black hole. However, it’s gratitude that often proves to be the secret ingredient out of our misery. Taking the time to say Thank You for whatever is right with the world can shift our thinking and feeling giving us a sense of optimism to begin the day and the courage to open our hearts and minds.
When we feel gratitude we are more optimistic which gives us the confidence to tackle new things or finish a task that we started. Research by Psychologists Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough showed people who were in the gratitude condition felt fully 25% happier - they were more optimistic about the future, and felt better about their lives. This same research points out that gratitude is the "forgotten factor" in happiness research. They point out the benefits of expressing gratitude as ranging from better physical health to improved mental alertness. People who express gratitude also are more likely to offer emotional support to others. .
However, expressing gratitude just once in awhile doesn’t lead to long lasting benefits. It’s like being a professional athlete and only practicing right before a big game. Gratitude is a muscle that needs to be expressed daily, a simple thank you to a colleague or friend, a journal reflecting on the good things that are happening. From now on, first thing in the morning and the last thing at night – Reflect and take time to say Thanks.
In closing, here’s a wonderful poem that illustrates the power of gratitude written by Hafiz.
It Felt Love
How
Did the rose
Ever open its heart
And give this world
All its
Beauty?
It felt the encouragement of light
Against its
Being,
Otherwise,
We all remain
Too
Frightend
-- Hafiz
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