Empowered Gratitude

Ungrateful

Do you know of people who always are negative? No matter what the circumstance they find something to complain about. They seem to be bitter or are angry at something which you have no influence. Sometimes, when they enter the room you can feel the group’s level of enthusiasm or positive energy take a dip. These people live ungrateful lives. Generally, they can’t stay positive or enjoy the moment of gratitude. Ungratefulness can be found in degrees of arrogance and superiority. Also, states of grief, sadness, and depression can send someone down the path of ungratefulness.

Respect

The first step of living in gratitude is social respect. The way we greet people with a hello or a smile. How we express thanks with a genuine thank you. We use words such as please, you are welcome, excuse me, and pardon me. These are generally accepted as social graces and tend to start us off in a conversation in a positive environment. How we respect others is critical to becoming a good leader. Generally, leaders demonstrate respect towards others and situations even if they don’t necessarily like the people or the circumstance. If we aren’t respectful towards others it is difficult to reach the second level of gratitude which is appreciation.

Appreciation

The second level is being appreciative of the things we experience, we own, or special moments. For example, as we age and mature, we tend to be much more appreciative of a gorgeous sunset or sunrise. Why is that? Our experiences tell us to slow down and enjoy those special moments nature has provided. I am sure all of us as children liked a sunrise or sunset. As adults, we stop and reflect on its beauty. In fact, many of us will intentionally wake up early to see a sunrise or block out time to experience a sunset and reflect upon the day. We also become appreciative of our friendships, our jobs, our spouses, and the people we work with daily. The ability to reflect and learn something from the moments is what creates our awareness to be appreciative.

Generosity

The highest form is gratitude is unconditional giving. Giving comes in many phases. We can give or time, energy, attention, or resources to many charitable organizations. We can be generous when our lives are chaotic or something severely negative occurs. For example, in times of grief such as death, cancer, loss of a job, we can eventually share our experiences with others that may be beneficial. Being able to live in the present and finding a way to be a positive influence is a unique gift and can only be found when living in gratitude. Unconditional generosity is the most unique expression of gratitude. It is simply done for no personal gain and nothing received in return.