There is no doubt that one can feel good when someone says, "thank you," to you for your act of kindness, sympathy or love. In recent days, many would argue that our society seems to be missing an aspect of genuine gratitude. What is gratitude and why is it so important? Gratitude is defined as, "the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness." As we celebrate the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday, let us all take a moment to be thankful for whatever we can be thankful for, especially our loved ones.
However, it is also important to recognize that as we enter a somewhat post-Covid era, and begin to socialize with one another again, let us not forget to express gratitude towards one another. In order to know how to express such gratitude we must understand it a bit more. As speaker Luke Watkins describes in his blog, the social benefits of expressing gratitude towards one another are especially significant because gratitude is a social emotion. It is seen as a relationship-strengthening emotion because it requires us to see how we are supported and affirmed by other people.
He continues by stating that gratitude has two components. First, it is an affirmation of goodness. We affirm that there are good things in the world, such as gifts and benefits we have received. We understand that life is not perfect; it does not ignore complaints, burdens, and hassles. But when an individual looks at life as a whole, gratitude encourages them to identify some amount of goodness in their life. The second is figuring out where that goodness comes from. We recognize the sources of this goodness as being outside of ourselves. It did not stem from anything we necessarily did ourselves in which we might take pride. We can appreciate positive traits in ourselves, but true gratitude involves a humble dependence on others and acknowledges that other people—or even higher powers, if you are of a spiritual mindset—gave us many gifts, big and small, to help us achieve the goodness in our lives.
As great as it can be for people to be their own individuals, we must not forget that there are millions of other individuals with whom we coexist who, like you, also have emotions, some of which may include fear, anxiety, depression, anger, and grief. Research suggests that Americans have become less trusting over the past few decades, which is problematic. Trust benefits individuals and societies with healthier relationships, lower crime, and even a better economy. A new study suggests one potential way of reversing this trend is by increasing feelings of gratitude. In the study, published recently in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, researchers found that people who had consciously counted their blessings for just a week were more likely to trust others.
Gratitude builds trust. Trust builds a stronger society. Express gratitude to others by being more respectful, by being more patient, by being more understanding, and by being less judgmental. Most importantly, express gratitude when you know you can wake up every morning knowing that you are a victor and not a victim!
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