November brings with it cooler weather, leaves of gold and the feeling of thanks in the air. It’s the perfect time to begin a practice of gratitude. You Know Neen is hosting the 2nd Annual 30 Days of Gratitude blog series, a place where the experience of gratitude will be explored and shared. I, along with several other contributors will be sharing our thoughts on all things gratitude.
We say thank you every day. Between holding the door for your co-worker and saying thanks to the barista, thank you can almost seem (and to some extent are) commonplace and the greater meaning of the gratitude behind the words gets lost.
However, for years, researches, including those at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley have been diving in to the science behind gratitude and its benefits. Some benefits of practicing gratitude include more happiness, better sleep and stronger immune systems.
In a recent article in Inc.com, author Kate L. Harrison shares information about how gratitude cultivates creativity and innovation. She features Pete Sulack, America’s leading stress reduction expert and the founder of StressRX.com.
According to Sulack, “Practicing gratitude gets you in the habit of putting your attention on something outside the immediate ‘problem’–the bottom line, the drama around the water cooler, the late shipments. It demands attention. By developing the ability to stop and be grateful right now, you train your mind to pay attention to just one thing and replace negative thoughts with positive ones.”
Read Harrison’s full article, How Gratitude Can Make You More Creative and Innovative. It will definitely make talk at the water cooler a bit more interesting…
Have you started your gratitude practice? What are you grateful for today? Let me know win the comments below.
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