Ungratefulness spoils everything it touches.
Ungratefulness slithers out of a black muck that’s called, “don’t like,” “don’t want,” “don’t have,” and, “not enough.” There is no positive side to the slimy beast of ungratefulness.
Gratitude is a matter of the heart. Ungratefulness is about circumstances.
Ungratefulness says:
- You deserve better.
- It’s unfair.
- They don’t deserve _______. (Insert good fortune.)
15 ways to tap the power of gratitude:
Gratitude is about liking things and being happy.
- Recall some of the stupid things you’ve done. Aren’t you thankful things weren’t worse?
- Begin meetings by having everyone around the table say, “I’m thankful for … “ Or, “I’m thankful that …”
- Remember the dark days you worked through. Aren’t you thankful things are better today?
- Set a thank you quota for your team. Just start saying it.
- Be thankful you’re not who you used to be, even though you’re not who you hope to become.
- Be grateful for lessons learned and opportunities to learn more. You’re wiser than you used to be. Right?
- Have gratitude for the hardworking, imperfect people on your team.
- Be thankful for the people who moved on, or you fired.
- Take a short break. Go for a gratitude walk. This post is the result of a gratitude walk I took this morning.
- Schedule something to anticipate. Lunch with a friend. A golf outing. You’ll be more thankful today, if you have something to look forward to tomorrow.
- Spend more time in the present and less in the future.
- Improve what you don’t like, rather than complaining about it.
- Take action; focus on things within your control. Inactivity is great for short bursts, but turns to darkness eventually.
- Believe in next time.
- Trust you have a place and purpose in this world.
Successful leaders navigate tensions between discontent, aspiration, and gratitude.
Gratitude is a way of seeing.
What are the benefits of expressing gratitude?
How might leaders develop gratefulness?