Three Minute Leadership: On Gratitude
To: The Great Leaders Who Have a Passion for Continuous Learning
A.H. Maslow, psychologist, wrote: “(Some people) have a wonderful capacity to appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder, and even ecstasy.” In a November 2011 article, In Praise of Gratitude, by Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publications, the positive power of gratitude on individuals’ physical and emotional health is explored. It provides a momentary pause for great leaders to reflect on the impact that gratitude has on their lives and on the lives of those whom they serve.
“Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. In the process, people usually recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside themselves. As a result, gratitude also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals — whether to other people, nature, or a higher power.”
Great leaders know the transformative power of gratitude. Melody Beattie writes: “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough.” And William Arthur Ward tells us: “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” Embrace the joy of gratitude and the new eyes and understanding it gives us to better appreciate the beauty outside and, most importantly, the beauty that lies within. That is where miracles find life.
Albert Einstein wrote: “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” Choose to live your life – every joyous, spectacular moment of it – as a miracle … and with joyous gratitude.
Have a beautiful day and a magnificent week!!!
Mike
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