In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to talk about gratitude.
Even during the greatest difficulties, you will experience in life, you can always find things for which you are truly grateful. On this week’s podcast, I’ll share strategies for showing and reflecting gratitude.
One of the most important things that you can do is to take a piece of paper and write down all the things for which you are truly grateful, and, by the way, you're going to need more than one piece of paper. If you take the time to write these things down on paper, you'll be amazed at what you come up with.
I’d like for you to develop the habit of practicing the four A's (Appreciation, Approval, Admiration, and Attention). This week, I returned from an amazing two-week cruise. I had several very positive interactions with the cruise staff.
That gave me an idea. Some may call it a social experiment. I’ve spent the last few days thinking about gratitude and how to move forward. I have decided to spend the next 365 days thanking and appreciating at least one person each day for their role and impact on my life.
It may start as a challenge, but I hope it becomes second nature as the weeks roll on. Each day, I will call one person and thank them for their impact on my life and tell them why I appreciate them. I will also try to thank as many people as I can in person if possible, since the human connection is truly unlike anything else. Then I will write a blog post about them. This blog will document each “thank you.” There’s no particular order or significance. The end goal is to get 365 days of “thank you.”
For more on gratitude, check out this week's "Wisdom With Charlie" podcast.
About Charlie Perkins
Charlie Perkins is an author, musician, photographer, and videographer based in Rochester. The Chicago-bred Perkins attended Northwestern University concentrating on Radio, TV Broadcasting, and Interpersonal Communications. He spent 29 years at Harris Bank in Chicago and taught “Principles of Corporate Television” Columbia College in the same city. He has also spent 17 years as Unit Manager, Media Support Services for the Mayo Clinic. In a previous life, he covered the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan’s championship run, ’96-‘98 as a freelance photographer.
FAQs
Appreciation – Express gratitude to everyone and develop an attitude of gratitude; Approval – Give praise and approval for reasonable effort and all suggestions or ideas; Admiration – Compliment people on their traits and accomplishments; and. Attention – Listen mindfully to others with patience and attention.
What are the 4 A's of expressing gratitude? ›
I'd like for you to develop the habit of practicing the four A's (Appreciation, Approval, Admiration, and Attention).
What are the 4 elements of gratitude? ›
The 4 Elements of Gratitude
- gratitude intensity.
- gratitude frequency.
- gratitude span.
- gratitude density.
Especially when the good things in our lives are hard to see. Many things that we might usually do to practice gratitude still apply. Across a range of ways to practice gratitude, my colleagues and I note four skills: NOTICE-THINK-FEEL-DO.
What is Emmons theory of gratitude? ›
Emmons (2004), one of the most prolific scientists focusing on gratitude, argues that gratitude is an emotion that essentially corresponds to satisfaction with a benefit or gain. A grateful person is aware that she/he has not done anything special to deserve what is given to her/him, and that it is a gratuitous giving.
What are the 4 essential elements of genuine gratitude? ›
The MCGM measures four components of gratitude: 1) conceptions (or understandings) of gratitude; 2) grateful emotions; 3) attitudes toward gratitude; and 4) gratitude-related behaviors.
What are the four Gratitudes? ›
gratitude to all living beings. gratitude to one's father and mother. gratitude to one's sovereign. gratitude to the Three Treasures – the Buddha, the Law and the Priesthood.
What is the golden rule of gratitude? ›
The Golden Rule is the principle of treating others as one would want to be treated by them. It is sometimes called an ethics of reciprocity, meaning that you should reciprocate to others how you would like them to treat you (not necessarily how they actually treat you).
What are the pillars of gratitude? ›
I will be exploring each of these in detail in future blog posts. For this blog, I offer a conceptual exploration. These six pillars are: relatedness, sincerity, empathy, self-regard, integrity, and humility.
What is the core of gratitude? ›
Gratitude is the act of recognizing and acknowledging the good things that happen, resulting in a state of appreciation (Sansone & Sansone, 2010).
"Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance." "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." "What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude." "A grateful mind is a great mind which eventually attracts to itself great things."
What is the key to gratitude? ›
Robert Emmons, psychology professor and gratitude researcher at the University of California, Davis, explains that there are two key components of practicing gratitude: We affirm the good things we've received. We acknowledge the role other people play in providing our lives with goodness.
What is the first principle of gratitude? ›
Principle #1: Gratitude begins with choosing a grateful mindset. Simply put, this means training ourselves to focus on opportunity and abundance rather than negativity and limitations. For many of us, we begin our day by waking up to an alarm. And our response to that sound is often annoyance or frustration.
What is the theory of gratitude? ›
Gratitude Theory posits that acknowledging the positive aspects of life and showing appreciation can significantly enhance mental and emotional well-being.
What is Cheng's Taxonomy of gratitude Strategies? ›
Cheng's Taxonomy of Gratitude Strategies.
They are categorized into eight (8) strategies: thanking, appreciation, repayment, recognition of imposition, apology, positive feeling, alerter, and other expressions which do not belong to the other categories.
Does gratitude rewire the brain? ›
Practicing gratitude and positive thinking on a daily basis throughout the year can change your brain and your life! The same area of the brain that controls emotions and behavior also controls higher-order thinking skills like focus and attention.
What does AA say about gratitude? ›
When AA uses the phrase “An attitude of gratitude” they often mean “practicing gratitude”. This means that you should be grateful for everything as part of your life and consistently recognize and be aware of the good things that happen to you, no matter how small.
What are the ABCs of gratitude for kids? ›
ABCs of Gratitude is a journal that presents each letter of the alphabet, along with three sample words beginning with that letter, on a blank page. Kids are encouraged to come up with additional words and either write/print them or draw pictures of them.
