10 Reasons You Lose Gratitude and 16 Ways to Find It
Gratitude is a form of happiness.
Ungratefulness, unhappiness, and ugliness travel in the same circles.
Ungratefulness paints everything ugly.
10 gratitude robbers:
- The belief that leadership is anything other than service.
- Self-importance. Others never treat you good enough.
- Keeping score in relationships.
- Judging others by ourselves.
- Losing sight of purpose.
- Thinking short-term.
- Micro-management.
- Greed and stinginess.
- Envy at the success of others.
- Comparing an unsatisfying present to a satisfying past.
Gratitude rises up when you stop killing it.
16 ways to find gratitude:
- Include grateful-talk in meetings. Just imagine a meeting that begins, “What are you grateful for?”
- Adopt a servant’s heart. Servant leaders always find meaningful activity.
- Think of those less fortunate. It sounds perverse but it shifts perspective.
- Eject asses.
- Take a two minute breather after completing a task. Enjoy the moment. Don’t rush to the next job.
- Learn from mistakes. Stop beating yourself up.
- Expect more from yourself than you expect from others.
- Trust God. Faith fuels gratitude.
- Own your own gratitude. Stop blaming ungratefulness on others. Gratitude is about who you are.
- Enjoy gratitude from others.
- Accept people, stop fixing them. Help them develop, instead.
- Make the best of it. Stop waiting for the perfect moment.
- Think, “It could be worse.”
- Forget about fairness. Just do your best, regardless. Fairness destroys gratitude.
- Focus more on the process than results.
- Include three positive words for every negative in your vocabulary.
Bonus: Include gratitude on your schedule. Just schedule it.
Gratitude is a way of seeing. Two people experience similar circumstances. One grows ugly. One finds gratitude. It’s up to you.
What blocks gratitude in organizations?
How can leaders find gratitude?
Gratitude has been the cornerstone of our Businesses missions since inception. Amazing the reward when you operate with a servant mentality. Wonderful post and thank you, especially relevant in the Season of “Thanks for Giving”
Thanks Chuck. It’s wonderful to think of an organization with a cornerstone of gratitude! It feels revolutionary.
Happy Thanksgiving to you.
Dear Dan:
Please allow me to express my gratitude for your insightful posts. I enjoy reading them every morning. Happy Thanksgiving.
Thanks Bill. A good word feels great. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well.
I know that when I am in the groove of a ten minute gratitude meditation every day I am a more positive and happy person and a better leader. I think urgency can sometimes mean we don’t prioritize gratitude. I love that giving gratitude benefits both the giver and the receiver. Thank you Dan for your generous daily posts: I am very grateful to you for them!
Thanks Vivien. I think you’re right. When urgencies press in, daily practices suffer. However, as you say, a little investment yields great benefits.
Gratitude starts indeed with planning these expressing gratitude moments on a day…3 x a day morning afternoon and evening…and can be done anywhere. Thanks
Thanks Dennis. I imagine that some might resist the idea of planning/scheduling gratitude. But, a bit of structure makes a big difference, especially if not having structure means we neglect gratitude.
I read your posts daily. I am grateful for them; this makes me reflect and is of the top three. Again, thanks!!!!
Ways to find gratitude point number- 13, 14 are really eye opener. thanks for sharing.