5 Benefits from Expressing Gratitude.

Before you continue reading this, I want you to pause and ask yourself, “When was the last time you went out of your way to make someone feel appreciated?”

You don’t need Thanksgiving to be thankful, it's called being a decent human being.It’s easy to be a critic and say hurtful things; there’s little effort in being negative and filled with hate. It’s simple to be a tough guy behind a computer screen and take stabs at people because there are little consequences.It takes courage to encourage; yet it seems more difficult to be a caring human being and let someone know they matter.I appreciate being appreciated.You appreciate being appreciated.We all appreciate being appreciated.So why don’t we take initiative and show someone some love?Zig Ziglar states, “Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions.”Simply stated, it feels good making other people feel good.I want to build on this philosophy and talk about 5 benefits you get from expressing gratitude in any setting:

Boosting Morale
Creating Energy
Contagious Good Vibes
Positive Response
Respond to Adversity

1. Boosting Morale

Are you currently in a workplace setting and have a hard time being there when a bad vibe is present?It’s hard to be productive and in a chipper mindset when you can cut through the tension with a butter knife.No one wants to work in a place where they feel invaluable.That’s where you come in. You can be a leader.There is a difference between managers and leaders. Managers oversee a group of people and manage meetings, emails, projects, etc. Their job is to keep the projects moving and meeting deadlines.A leader doesn’t have to be a manager. A leader is one who will inject gratitude within the team and put the negative burden on their shoulders.They are the ones who will bring in Dunkin’ Donuts when the morale is down.A leader will boost morale by telling the team that they are doing good work and that they appreciate the effort everyone is chipping in. They appreciate when someone had their back and even made them look good in a meeting. They are the ones who give credit when credit is due. There is no “I”, there is only “we”.Regardless of your job title, you are capable of being a leader. Boost your office morale and pick up those around you. Be the spark that turns the work environment around, and for gosh sakes, bring in Dunkin’ Donuts.

2. Creating Energy

Have you ever walked into a group of people and there’s that one person who people seem to circle around? They radiate positive energy amongst their peers and it captivates their attention; it feels like they are engaging with each person as they speak.These types of individuals make other people feel good. Who wouldn’t want to be around someone who makes your presence feel appreciated? You naturally gravitate towards these kind of people as they emit an energy that many lack.Do you find yourself wanting to be around someone is who is pessimistic and always expressing negative thoughts?I didn’t think so.You can be that person who creates that energy, regardless if you’re an introvert. You don’t have to be a social butterfly in order to make others feel like they matter.Creating this energy is contagious.

3. Contagious Good Vibes

“Good Vibes Only” has become a very trite phrase in the art community; however, this has been my motto dating back to my early post college days of serving at a restaurant.We would get slammed at work and were understaffed often in servers and cooks. It was easy to get wrapped up in a pity party and take it out on innocent people; yet that never improved the situation.I’ve always had a knack for picking people up and I knew I needed to put on a game face. You could sense the tension and that’s when I turned up the gratitude. I’d give an uplifting pep talk to the other servers and cooks; mind you I was just a server, not a manager. It was weird at first yet it always felt natural.Saying things like “You guys are killing it right now,” “Thanks for having my back on table 5,” “We got this,” and “I’m treating every one of you to a drink after we finish dominating this shift!”The way the mood would flip around and everyone would start encouraging each other was a trip. Seriously it was like a switch was turned on and we made the best of it; while making some pretty killer tips too for being understaffed!The morale of the story is….(In my Ben Toalson voice)….being the one to step up and inject some positive good vibes in the room is infectious. It will spread like wild fire as you can overcome anything as a team because people respond to positive reinforcement.

4. Getting a Positive Response

Do you have a hard time getting people to respond to you, whether in relationships or in a workplace setting? Take a minute to observe how you treat people and what your expectations are from your approach.How do you respond towards someone breaking you down with criticism?You’d feel worthless and that your effort wouldn’t matter right?Why would you want to go out of your way to work harder or improve your performance for someone like this?The key to getting people to respond and become inspired to take action is by treating them with respect and extending gratitude. There was conducted research by academic Emily Heaphy and consultant Marcial Losada in which they presented the ideal "Praise-to-Criticism Ratio." For one constructive criticized comment you need seven positive reinforcements. Albeit there was some controversy in their research, I still uphold the principle behind their findings. People will dwell on the negatives more than the positives so you need to build them up to get them to respond.I’m a sucker for words of affirmation. If you’re like me, receiving affirmative words will make you step it up a notch and go the extra mile. When you’re hard work gets noticed, of course you’re going to yearn for more appreciation.Think of an employer or a coach you’ve had in sports, did you have one that was very affirmative and expressed gratitude or did you have one that was demeaning and tore down your confidence and work ethic?I know I thrived in the conditions where my authority figure built me up and the constructive criticism made me a better employee or player. They got the most out of me as I responded to their teachings; they inspired my best performance.I’ve also dealt with the exact opposite type of personality. I don’t respond well to people who resort to demeaning tactics such as seven negative comments to zero affirmations. It shuts me down as I become tentative with my decision making and am afraid to screw up.As I assume a leadership role in my business growth, I know the type of individual I am going to be and I practice gratitude on a daily basis in all my environments.

5. Responding to Adversity

When you are thankful for what you have in life, where you’ve come from and where you’re going, you reach of a level of inner peace. You’re content with who you are and your situation from a standpoint that you’re not full of envy, greed and hate. So when adversity rears its ugly face, you are well equipped to handle it.Gratitude shows character.True character is how one responds to adversity and being in a state of gratitude will help you adapt to any situation. It allows you to avoid getting stuck in your lows and feeling like a victim of your circumstances.When you appreciate what you have in life, adversity is just another blow to the chin. It’s a matter of brushing it off and keep moving forward. There are no easy roads in life especially when you’re focused on doing your own thing and going against the status quo. There are going to be people trying to bring you down and you will face unseen controversies. Having that gratitude mindset will get you through any problem that comes your way.

What I’m Thankful For

I could go on all day about things you should be thankful for; waking up to see another sunrise, having clothes on your back, a roof over your head, having clean water and some food in your cupboards. Most people in this world would trade you places in a heartbeat yet we always strive for more instead of appreciating what we have right now. It’s great to strive to become more, but realize that in this very moment in time, you are considered one of the wealthiest people in the world.Wealth to me isn’t focused on finances. You could have all the money in the world but no one to share it with. Wealth is having a strong support system in your family and friends. Wealth is being able to look in your fridge and cupboards and having decisions on what to eat. Wealth is being able hang in on a Friday night and gorge on pizza with your wife and cats. Wealth is having sharpened pencils and fresh pens ready to start a new piece.These are the things I am thankful for that make me feel wealthy. My bank account does not reflect this.I’m also thankful for you.You are the reason I get to do this. You are the reason I work so hard to become a better person. You inspire me to continue growing and serve my fellow humanity so I can make just one small, positive dent in this world. You keep me focused on being a part of the solution and not the problem.I appreciate you, more than you’ll ever know. Your support means everything to me and you are the oxygen that keeps me going when I get lazy and question "is what I’m doing worth it?" Your affirmative words let me know that my inner compass is pointed the right direction and I'm eternally grateful.Thank you.

Key Takeaways:

It takes courage to encourage
Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions
It feels good making other people feel good
You can be a leader without the manager title
Introverts can still create positive energy
Spreading good vibes is infectious
The key to inspiring action is by expressing affirmation
Gratitude shows character

So what and who are you thankful for? You don’t need Thanksgiving to adapt this mindset; you just need to be a decent human being.This week I challenge you to go out of your way at least once a day to make someone feel worthwhile. This could be as simple as giving a compliment, holding the door open for someone, paying it forward, or just giving someone your time and listening to what they have to say. Think of how nice that would feel in return and take the initiative.Just remember, we all appreciate being appreciated and showing some love will come back to you.Happy Thanksgiving my friends.-If you have found value in this post, you can share this or join my weekly newsletter. As part of my team, you have direct access to me for questions and advice. Your input will allow me to keep this focused on delivering value on the pressing issues you struggle with. My mission is to help and grow along with you.

Expressing Gratitude: What's In It For You?