The Power of Gratitude

It’s a new year and a great time to make changes. Right now millions of people are making New Year Resolutions. If you are stuck wondering what your 2017 resolution should be, try resolving to say Thank you more often and show more gratitude at work.
The words “thank you” are two words that have the power to transform our health, happiness, and success. Robert Emmons, an internationally renowned scientific expert on gratitude, has found that acknowledging the good in life has a tendency to amplify positive emotions, such as joy and contentment, because it helps us slow down. “I think gratitude allows us to participate more in life,” he says. “We notice the positives more, and that magnifies the pleasures you get from life.”
Gratitude and appreciation are also essential for a healthy work environment. In fact, the number one reason why people leave their jobs is because they don’t feel appreciated. A simple thank you and a show of appreciation can make all the difference.
Gratitude is like muscle. The more we do with it the stronger it gets. Here are 4 ways to cultivate gratitude at work from Miriam Salpeter of Keppie Careers.
• Don’t wait to be grateful. Make sure those around you right now understand that you’re grateful for the many ways they help you each and every day.

• Be humble. If you’re a leader, you know down in your gut that what you’re leading doesn’t have much to do with you. Acknowledge that you’ve achieved your role, in part, because your team works hard. Similarly, as a team member, recognize your role in ensuring your team continues to move forward. Be grateful for everyone around you, and don’t be shy about expressing appreciation.

• Acknowledge that your success depends on others. Being a grateful employee will make you a smarter employee. Admitting that you don’t know everything and that everything you’ve ever learned that’s made you successful has come from someone or something else helps improve your standing in a team.

• Be sincere. If you lead a team, your employees will know when your gratitude is genuine, and they are more likely to put in extra effort. Grateful leaders tend to have stronger, more effective, more loyal teams. As an employee, demonstrating gratitude can help set you apart from others in your organization.
I hope you have a wonderful 2017!