The Attitude of Gratitude - The Chappell Real Estate Show - Episode #38

What is gratitude?

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful; it’s having a readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

During the holidays, there are many reasons to be thankful and to express gratitude. For example…

Being thankful to someone for performing an action for you whether it be cooking, cleaning, helping you move, etc.

Being thankful for your health and happiness.

Being grateful for your team for performing well and lightening your work load.

Life has a lot of ups and downs, and during times of extreme difficulty, it can be challenging to find reasons to express gratitude. That’s why it’s important to know the 3 stages of gratitude, because whether you’re up or you’re down, gratitude is the right attitude!

3 stages of gratitude

Recognition, acknowledgement, appreciation.

Recognition - recognizing that no matter your current position and your current struggles, there is always time ahead to learn and grow. The glass is half full, not half empty. God is not done with you yet, or you wouldn’t wake up in the morning.

Acknowledgement - acknowledging your past successes, your future aspirations, and knowing that things are not as bad as they may seem. This gives you hope for a better future, and gives you the courage to try things and take steps you may have been too fearful to take before

Appreciation - at this stage, you begin to fully appreciate what you have, who you have, and the future you have ahead of you!

In a world where there is so much negativity; where the news embodies the term “if it bleeds, it leads” and your mind is filled with doom and gloom, it’s important to understand the impact an attitude of gratitude can have on your life.

Studies have shown that gratitude can alter your brain chemistry. In a study featuring 300 adults, most of whom were college students seeking mental health counseling, the following 4 things were found about gratitude. In this study, half of the adults were asked to write letters of gratitude over a series of 12 weeks.

1. Gratitude unshackles us from toxic emotions - the use of positive words had a small effect on overall mental health, but the most significant improvement came from those who used fewer negative words in their writing
2. Gratitude helps even if you don’t share it - only 1/4th of the participants of this study were asked to send their letters to their intended recipients, however their results showed that the effects of writing gratitude letters was the same as those who actually sent their letters
3. Gratitude’s benefits take time - there was no change noted in the first week of the exercise, however, 4 weeks into the exercise, there was a notable difference in mental health from the group that was writing gratitude letters, and an even further difference after 12 weeks
4. Gratitude has lasting effects on the brain - after 12 weeks, MRIs were done to observe what happened in the brain if a benefactor donated money to a participant of the study, and asked them to pay it forward if they were grateful for the donation. It was found that those who wrote gratitude letter’s brain activity was distinctly different from those who did not. Those who did not, experienced more guilt than gratitude when paying it forward, suggesting that gratitude does in fact alter the brain chemistry and lead to better mental health.

Pick one interaction per day to express gratitude. Whether you’re in line at the grocery store, or talking to a coworker, or your partner or a family member. Pick one interaction a day to express gratitude for the other person.

Start a gratitude journal. Write down your thoughts when you wake up or before bed with the intention of expressing gratitude for the day.