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By John O'Leary. This was originally posted on JohnOLearyInspires.com. When John O'Leary was 9 years old, he suffered burns over 100% of his body and was expected to die. He is now an inspirational speaker and bestselling author, teaching more than 50,000 people around the world each year how to live inspired. John's first book, ON FIRE: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life was published March 15, 2016. John is a contributing writer for Huff Post and Parade.com. John is a proud husband and father of four and resides in St. Louis, MO. Order John’s book today anywhere books are sold.
A small drip coffee and a blueberry muffin. This was the order placed at a Starbucks by a gentleman named Jim. Jim didn’t seem like he had many friends or family. He lived alone across the street from this coffee shop in a retirement home. Every afternoon at 2pm, he’d walk across from his apartment, walk in with a big smile and place the same order. There was a short interaction between Jim and the baristas working. They’d thank him for coming, offer him a compliment and a good-natured criticism of his beloved Philadelphia Eagles. Then, they’d tell him they looked forward to seeing him tomorrow. In other words, they would simply be kind to a gentleman who frequently felt alone. You won’t believe the impact the sweet, simple gift these Starbucks baristas gave had on their customer. These baristas would do one additional thing before handing Jim his coffee and blueberry muffin. They would write a short note of encouragement on it. It wasn’t much. They’d write a favorite quote, affirmation or acknowledgment that they were grateful for him. Jim would take his items, thank the baristas and walked back to his retirement home. One afternoon as it approached 3pm, they realized Jim hadn’t made it in yet. When he failed to return the following day, a barista walked across the street to check in on him. The receptionist shared that Jim had passed away over the weekend. Although these Starbucks baristas only knew Jim from their momentary interactions with him, every one of their hearts broke when they learned the news. Jim had become part of their family. A beautiful reminder that you matter and your actions and words shape the lives of those around you. The following morning a family member entered the store and invited them to the memorial service taking place the following afternoon. As humbling as it was to be invited, it was what they saw entering into this facility that caused them to lose their breath. In this room, with just a few family members and friends, were three large round tables. These tables were stacked high with old Starbucks cup sleeves with handwritten notes on them. Jim may not have received lots of visitors, may not have received lots of mail, but every day he received a simple love letter from his friends across the street. And after finishing the muffin, or drinking the coffee, he would add the new sleeve to the stack to be reminded of the love that others felt for him. Writing a simple note on a bag. Offering a little encouragement on a cup. Looking people in the eyes. Seeing someone else as a unique, worthy and important individual. This all seems so little, insignificant, small. But for Jim, it was a reminder that he mattered, that he fit in, and that there were people who loved him. Don’t underestimate that doing little things well greatly elevates the lives of those around you. My friends, in a marketplace that so frequently feels disconnected and isolated, all too often we view our jobs, tasks, and even life itself as being insignificant. We forget the incredible power and possibility we possess through doing little things well to elevate the lives of those around us. Today, be reminded of the magnificent power of your life to influence change for good. It turns out regardless of our age, status or job title, that the ripples created by our actions truly do have the ability to impact lives around the world, across the street and across the aisle. Not sure where to start? Start with the reflection in the mirror. And start today. Today is your day. Live Inspired. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success!
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By Ron Culberson. With a master’s degree in social work, Ron Culberson spent the first part of his career working in a large hospice organization as a clinical social worker, middle manager, and senior leader. As a speaker, humorist, and author of "Do it Well. Make it Fun.The Key to Success in Life, Death, and Almost Everything in Between", he has delivered more than 1,000 presentations to associations, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and corporations. His mission is to change the workplace culture so that organizations are more productive and staff are more content. He was also the 2012-2013 president of the National Speakers Association and is a recognized expert on the benefits of humor and laughter.
During December, the phrase “holiday spirit” comes up a lot. After a particularly challenging year, I’ve been thinking about how this phrase relates to the end of one year and the start of another. I mean, what is holiday spirit? And why is it limited to a few weeks between Thanksgiving and January 1st? I felt it was a good question that required a bit of scrooginizing to figure out (See what I did there?). First of all, the phrase “holiday spirit” means different things to different people. Traditionally, people who celebrate holidays like Christmas or Hanukkah may make a connection between a sense of spirit and their faith. For others, this phrase may relate to the impact of beautiful decorations and traditional music. For some, holiday spirit may be the feeling they get when they engage in gift giving. And for a few, it’s simply the warm sensation they experience after throwing back a cup of whiskey-spiked egg nog. That version of holiday spirit will definitely deck your halls! But rather than worrying about the origin of the phrase, I’m more interested in why we don’t embrace this spirit throughout the rest of the year. It reminds me of what our pastor once said during a Christmas Eve service. Standing in front of the largest crowd all year, he said, “You know, we’re here every week!” Holidays, like vacations, don’t happen every day. The infrequency makes them special. In fact, if you went on a vacation every day, it would get old fast. The “holiday spirit,” on the other hand, is something we could pursue every day. Here’s how… Celebration. One of the primary purposes of a holiday is to celebrate. We hold patriotic parades on the Fourth of July. We raise a glass of champagne to toast fresh starts on New Year’s Eve. And on Thanksgiving, we share our gratitude for football…well, and other things. But have you ever thought about celebrating the smaller experiences in life? I used to think we should celebrate Tuesdays because they only comes once a week. Seriously, though, Tuesday is the oddball of the week. Monday is dreaded, Wednesday is hump day, Thursday is almost Friday, Friday is TGIF, and Saturday and Sunday are the weekends. Tuesday has no identity. So maybe we should celebrate it more often. When we engage in a celebration, we stop our normal routine to acknowledge or revel in something extraordinary. Ironically, every minute we are alive is extraordinary. In fact, the alternative to being alive is not great at all. So, perhaps we should celebrate Tuesdays, or the completion of an important task, or eating healthier food, or the sight of a beautiful sunset. If we really pay attention, all of these smaller celebrations might have a greater impact on us than the tinsel and turkey that we celebrate once each year. Memories. It’s been said that the sense of smell is a powerful memory generator. When I think of the scent of a pine tree or the aroma of turkey cooking, it reminds me of my childhood holidays when everything seemed simpler and full of wonder. As kids, our primary responsibility was to eat food and open gifts. We didn’t have the stresses and responsibilities of adulthood. So, those memories warm our hearts. That’s probably why we retell so many family stories around the Thanksgiving table. As a former hospice social worker, I know that it’s important for us to remember. When we acknowledged our memories, without getting mired in them, we make the connection between our present and our past, thus experiencing the emotions that go with those connections. For instance, during the holidays, many families acknowledge someone who has died by lighting a candle or having an empty chair at the table. These rituals keep us connected to those loved ones who are no longer with us. Perhaps we should do this at other times throughout the year. Some days, we might want to sit down and take a moment to remember. The memory might be sad or it might be happy. By experiencing it, we bring it into our consciousness rather than burying it—which is a healthy thing to do. Connection. One of our favorite experiences during the holidays is to gather together as a group in order to, well, dive into tense social and political arguments. Seriously, the holidays can create stress because as the saying goes, “you can pick your friends but you can’t pick your family.” This is not necessarily a bad thing but sometimes there is a skirmish or two. The point of our gatherings, though, should be to enhance our human connectedness. Holidays might be the only time we get to spend with certain friends or loved ones and those connections are important for us to maintain. It turns out that close relationships are good for our well being. That’s one of the reasons I prefer Thanksgiving to Christmas. The goal of Thanksgiving is to gather together around a meal rather than focusing so much on gifts and decorations. When we spend quality time with one another, we actually receive a different kind of gift that will last a lifetime. And the best thing about human connections is that we don’t have to wait for the holidays to engage in them. If we make a point to nurture these relationships throughout the year, we create lasting bonds. Generosity. In my humble opinion, the best part of the holiday spirit is the generosity that occurs. Perhaps, in our attempt to enjoy our own celebrations, we become more aware of those who have less. Or perhaps during the process of buying gifts and food, it’s easy to get a little extra and give some of it away. Regardless of the reason, generosity flourishes during the holidays. And this is definitely something we can do all year long. What if we considered giving something away every week. Maybe, it’s some spare change. Maybe, it’s an article of clothing we no longer wear. Or maybe, it’s the gift of our time. By giving to others, we may make their journey a little easier while enriching our own lives as well. Bottom line, the holiday spirit can come from a celebration of memories, connections, and generosity. But why wait for the last few weeks of the year to enjoy it? If we consider celebrating all year long, we might just create a new tradition called the “everyday spirit.” Give it a shot. And in the meantime, happy holidays. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Steve Gilliland
This holiday season, words like discouraged, doubtful, and uncertain have replaced convinced, confident, and faith. Now, more than ever, we need to believe. For many of us, this year has challenged our confidence and left us disoriented and startled. Yet, with the whole world of new possibilities in front of us, we find it challenging to take a step forward. Sometimes we’re tested - not to show our limitations, but to discover our strengths. Now more than ever, we need to believe. What You Believe, You Receive Believe in moments and make them. Life isn’t perfect, but it has perfect moments. Believe that time heals. Time won’t make you forget, but it will make you grow and understand things. Believe that laughter is worth finding. In the darkest of times, laughter helps transform our perspective. Believe in gratitude because it produces abundance. Abundance is the result of appreciation, not accumulation. Believe that tears can cleanse. People don’t cry because they’re weak. People cry because they’ve been strong for too long. Believe that what you get is a result of what you give. Giving is not about donating. It’s about making a difference. Believe in someone you love. This season, be the reason, someone believes. Believe that living with less brings you more of what matters. Look for the good in every day, even if somedays you have to look harder. I Believe The song I Believe includes some of my favorite lyrics. I believe for every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows. I believe that somewhere in the darkest night, a candle glows. I believe for everyone who goes astray, someone will come to show the way. I believe above the storm; the smallest prayer will still be heard. I believe that someone in the great somewhere hears every word. Every time I hear a newborn baby cry, or touch a leaf, or see the sky, then I know why I believe. Be The Reason This holiday season, whenever you have someone else’s attention, remember that your actions can convince them that the world is a cold, frightening place or that it’s full of love and joy. Believe that you have the power to make someone feel seen. Believe that every candle lit is an opportunity to make a wish. Behind you, all your memories. Before you, all your dreams. Around you, all who love you. Within you, all you need. Believe! Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Kenneth Kaufman
In the roughly 19 months since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, America’s hospitals have borne a huge amount of the pressure and accountability for managing the effects of an unknown and unpredictable virus, and more recently for the complex process of disseminating vaccines. Our nation’s hospitals are doing all of this with relatively little public or political credit, and at great expense to overworked staffs and organizational financial health. And now perhaps, if we are fortunate, we may be starting to come out of the worst of COVID. However, for hospital executives and their boards the question is: coming out into what? How will post-COVID America, its economy, and its culture affect the relative strengths of traditional healthcare provider organizations? And, with COVID having greatly accelerated the growth of virtual business models, how will COVID affect basic patient care delivery and the encroachment of non-traditional competitors on that traditional delivery system? In the absence of clear answers to questions such as these, hospitals and health systems need to prepare for many paths to many alternate strategic scenarios. This preparation will require sophisticated analyses and high level discussion at both the management and board levels. The overall strategic considerations are likely to be the most complex and intricate that healthcare providers have wrestled with in contemporary times. To assist with this strategic re-consideration, I offer the following post-pandemic preparation checklist. Costs. Every hospital and health system has come through COVID differently. Depending on the speed and absolute degree of the return of volumes and revenues, the pre-COVID cost structure still in place at many hospitals may require significant reductions. Given the general economic insecurity in towns and cities across America, any such cost reductions will need to be accomplished in a most thoughtful way. Strategic Repositioning. What does the local and regional market now look like? What about new competitors from national companies? What does your health system portfolio now look like? Are there specific assets within the portfolio that have been damaged? Has overall competition changed? Have direct competitors been weakened or become more aggressive? Are non-traditional competitors making moves into your marketplace? Organic Growth. Do opportunities for organic growth remain in your market? How might COVID have created new opportunities? Inorganic Growth. A competitive marketplace damaged by COVID may offer new and real opportunities for inorganic growth. Inorganic growth, however, always requires unusual levels of both preparation and organizational aggressiveness. Partnerships. The post-COVID environment may create and era of transformative partnerships. Last month, 14 large health systems announced a partnership to create a large-scale database to revolutionize disease prevention and treatment. Just a few days ago, Amazon Care, Ascension, and Intermountain Healthcare announced a coalition to promote care in the home through telehealth, digital therapeutics, and provider home visiting. Hospital and health system executives will need to be attentive and alert to such innovative partnership opportunities and their potential competitive impacts. Telehealth. What is the position of telehealth in your market post-COVID? What is your own level of telehealth capability? How will telehealth impact your overall delivery system and possibly the competitive balance in your marketplace? Importantly, what is your organizational point of view relative to the role of telehealth in your post-pandemic delivery system? For some time we may be in an economic, cultural, and clinical condition where we have many more questions than answers about organizational direction in the post-COVID environment. This suggests that any generic roadmap to the future remains unlikely to impossible. Preparation, though, is both possible and essential. Only with precise and well-thought-out strategic and financial assessment and direction can complex healthcare organizations reasonably expect to navigate the post-pandemic fog. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By LeAnn Thieman. This was originally published on LeAnn's blog.
What is “the good life?” It’s the name of a rock band, an old movie, a Tony Bennett song, and numerous novels. But what is the good life for you? Is it determined by you, or someone else? Most people agree with the definition of “the good life” as a sense of satisfaction, adequacy, comfort, well-being, contentment, even in the midst of disappointments and suffering. But for some, this is in contrast to the assumption that enough is never good enough. To enjoy a good life, they need more. To me, this thinking is fostered by two things: excessive goal setting and the media. Setting goals to achieve success, to fulfill dreams, to have it all, and set no limits is great and honorable, but it can suggest that enough is not satisfying. Especially when it is combined with a second feature of our society, consumerism. The media makes it hard to be satisfied with enough. There are constant pressures from producers and advertisers to purchase and possess the latest and best. Social media sites snare people into comparing themselves with others who have more things, more work, more beauty…the list goes on and on. All this can make us feel insecure, or “lacking” in some way. Mentally, there is a lot of pressure if we are always striving and never arriving. This raises the question, “How much is enough for the good life today?” If we can’t answer that question, it suggests that we can never be sure that we have enough wealth, possessions or security. Think about it. Write it down. How much is enough for you? Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Josh Linkner
Words like ‘innovation’ and ‘disruption’ can feel overwhelming and out of reach. Too often, we think an idea must change the world or have a billion-dollar value in order to count. Instead of establishing an impossibly high minimum threshold, let’s think of innovation more like fresh, delicious salsa: mild, medium, and spicy. A flavor option for each of us. Let’s start with the spicy version – INNOVATION (all caps). This is the big stuff, the world-changing inventions we celebrate in the media. Inventing the electric guitar was an INNOVATION. Digging the Panama Canal, INNOVATION. The combustion engine? Yep. INNOVATION. We’re talking life-altering, history-making, legendary innovation. Movable type. Penicillin. Wireless communications. But something doesn’t need to reshape history to be innovative. One double-click beneath INNOVATION is Innovation (capital I). Think of this as your medium-spicy salsa – important ideas that each of us may discover once or twice a year, not once in one hundred lifetimes. Maybe it’s a new product offering that helps boost revenue 28 percent in just six months. Or a new production process that creates a 13 percent cost savings. Capital I Innovations are juicy and meaningful even though they may not have books written about them by future generations. And then there’s the mild-flavored, often-bullied innovation (all lower case). I refer to these micro-innovations as Big Little Breakthroughs. While I adore these petite powerhouses, lowercase innovation can be dismissed as not valuable or potent enough. A lowercase innovation might be reimagining the way you conduct a job interview, refining the process to submit an expense report, or discovering a faster route to work. Small but mighty, it turns out that 72% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product comes from these Big Little Breakthroughs, from everyday people creating everyday innovations. As the most overlooked and underutilized of the innovation family, these bite-sized sparks are the pound-for-pound champions. They are less risky, easier to discover, and faster to implement. They cost less and are accessible to us all. They stack nicely and build upon each other, adding up to large wins over time. And if you really want to develop an all-caps INNOVATION, the best way to get there is to hone your skills through practice on a large number of lowercase innovations. Let’s stop thinking of ourselves as lacking innovation simply because we haven’t patented 193 inventions or launched a billion-dollar company. And let’s not fall into the trap of thinking we aren’t creative because our first attempt at art didn’t rival Frida Kahlo or Salvador Dalí. Instead, let’s celebrate all levels of creativity and innovation, realizing that the more we cultivate little ideas, the greater our breakthroughs will become. Great innovation — just like great salsa — comes in many flavors and varieties. The more we expand our palate to enjoy each style, the more we’ll savor the delicious outcomes we seek. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Laurie Guest
We are headed into the final push of serving our customers during a holiday rush. I think it’s possible that this season could be one of the most challenging we faced in a long time. Why? Because the customer emotions may be running hotter and the pocketbooks may be running thinner. What does that mean? It means we must really be prepared—armored up—for the best possible engagement with our customers. We need to make the experience as pleasant as it can possibly be, every single time they walk in our door. Let me share a brief story. The Saturday after Thanksgiving is often known as Small Business Saturday, and people are encouraged to shop locally in the town in which they live. I am a big fan of shopping locally. I live in a small town of about 45,000 people in Northern Illinois (about 60 miles west of Chicago), and we are not a tourist town. That means that all our small business owners need to survive on local foot traffic. How do they do that? With great service and great products. So on this Small Business Saturday, my husband and I headed out to safely do a little Christmas shopping. We went to four different businesses that offer similar products; home goods, antiques and collectibles. The first store that we walked into was a cute little shop with two floors. At the bottom of the basement stairs the last step is a little awkward and they’ve got a lot of warning signs so that people don’t fall. We were the only customers in the store and two women (the owners, I think) tending the shop. They had not greeted us when we walked in, they never asked if they could help us find anything, they never engaged with us at all. So here’s the part that really bothered me, the only sentence either of them said to us the entire time we were in the store: “watch the step!” As I used the handrail to go downstairs, what I was thinking to myself was “How about I watch the step and you watch the front door?!” How is it possible that we could walk into the store and not receive a greeting? Not receive any type of service to make sure that our needs were being met? There were three items in that store that I would have considered buying, but I ultimately did not because, as you know, I believe in great service to my core. I refuse to buy from someone who doesn’t go the extra mile to make the connection, who doesn’t engage in a way that makes me want to do business with them. And so there is only one lesson for today’s message and that is: this season, you’ve got to mind the door every time that door opens. If you’re not, your customers will feel it and take their business elsewhere. This season, more than ever, is the time to make every interaction count. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Kristin Baird
Moods are contagious. If you’ve ever been dragged into someone’s drama in the workplace, you know how damaging it can be to staff morale. One person gossiping or finding fault in others sends a ripple through the team. So it’s important to remember that allowing drama will ultimately erode the patient experience because it’s difficult to be upbeat and focused on patients when there’s drama brewing in the background. Patients sense discord. I remember once when my mom was a patient. She commented that the staff didn’t get along. Always the researcher, I asked, “How does that make you feel?” She replied, “It makes me feel uncomfortable and that I’m not the top priority.” Drama can take many forms. It can manifest as gossip, passive aggressive behavior, victim behavior, fighting and power struggles. Although it can be exhausting for the leader to try to manage, it’s essential because what you permit you promote. It’s the leader’s job then, to set boundaries and expectations as well as model behavior. After all, you are the keeper of the culture. Let your team know your expectations. Ask for their support in following a “no drama” code of conduct which means they don’t create or participate in the drama. Remind them that they can simply walk away or, they can go one step further and confront the individual engaged in toxic behavior. Engaged and fully engaged employees don’t create drama. So when you spot it in the ranks, deal with it swiftly before it spreads. You are the keeper of the culture. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Marilyn Tam
Why being grateful creates happiness and more good 'Twas the worst of times. My husband died suddenly of a heart attack. I stopped working from the shock, my family was preoccupied and on another continent, and friends stayed away because they didn’t know how to deal with death so early in our lives. I was alone, no work, no income, and no place I wanted to be. Getting up in the morning seemed like an exercise in futility. Why bother? There was no one there, nothing to do, no place to go, and money was dwindling away. Giving thanks saved me. In the depths of my depression and listlessness, I turned inward. I prayed. I prayed for clarity, the reason for being, for what’s next. Somehow in that place of despair I heard an inner voice say to me, “Give Thanks”. Give thanks? For what? Yet the voice persisted. Give thanks. It was more a command than a suggestion. In the midst of depression and confusion, you can find a heart of gratitude. So, I developed a ritual. Upon awakening from another restless night, I forced myself to list five things I am grateful for before I get up. Small things like, I can get ready very quickly, my teeth are naturally straight, I don’t have any appointments to rush off to etc. Each morning I struggled to come up with five things to give thanks for. Some days it was hard. Other days it was really, really hard. But somehow after I listed the five, getting up became easier. Little by little the darkness cracked, and tiny slivers of light broke through, if only for a moment here and there. During my periods of equanimity, I started sorting out what to do next. Change out of my PJs. Exercise. Eat. Do things for others. Learn new things. Give thanks. Repeat. Repeat again. Gradually, over some time, things became more manageable. Then an executive recruiter called out of the blue to offer me a dream job. I accepted the job and moved across the country to a new life. Giving thanks all the way. Was it easy? No. Was it worth it? Yes. Grateful. Happy. Give thanks and the sun will shine again and you will dance again. Brother David Steindl-Rast developed a deep appreciation of gratitude from living day to day with death imminent under Nazi occupation in Austria. Heis now a Benedictine monk and a leader in Buddhist-Christian dialogue, alternatively traveling the world speaking on spirituality and gratitude, and spending time in deep retreat. Brother David, his teaching and life is about gratitude. His short video (5.23), “A Grateful Day” has been viewed over 1.1 Million times. Many people and groups use it and his teachings in their daily meditation. He preaches that if you wish to be happy, be grateful. The very same core message that I received when I was in deep despair. Brother David established the interactive website, www.Gratefulness.org, which serves as the home for the worldwide Network for Grateful Living. It is a place where you can find support for living each day with gratitude in your heart. It is no wonder that many cultures have a thanksgiving festival. Instinctively and traditionally, people have found that giving thanks leads to more reasons to give thanks. Like attracts like. You can use this to power your own happiness and thankfulness. Give thanks for what you have now, no matter how meager it may seem to you. Your current situation is one that some else would be grateful for. Find things in your life to give thanks for and soon, you will find that you indeed have more to be pleased about! Express gratitude in whatever way that feels authentic to you. Persist in doing so even when it’s difficult to feel grateful for your life. You will find as you do, that you’ll be happier and more good things will flow into your life too. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Amy Dee
As a funny motivational speaker, one of my biggest fears is looking like a hypocrite. In no way do I consider myself more grateful, optimistic, or kinder than anyone else. In reality, these are topics that I read about, study, and try to practice in my daily life because I need and believe in them. Nonetheless, I also spend time being irritable and indulging in self-pity. When this happens, I try to catch myself and step away to regroup. I experienced many life changes due to COVID pandemic. For the most part, I’ve tried to stay positive as my speaking career reboots to virtual. In contrast, I’ve also hosted several self- pity parties. POOR ME- my live speaking events have postponed WAA WAA WAA —I’ve lost my live audiences BOOHOO — I have so much to do Overall, I am not a poor me type. When life gets challenging, I get stuff done. That said, I don’t walk around, surrounded by a glittery rainbow. I’ve inherited the superpower ability to see possible pitfalls around every corner. Because of this, I can quickly become Whinederella and fall into a puddle of self-pity. Facing Challenges At times, most of us struggle to harness the power of Gratitude to overcome obstacles. Despite this, practicing Gratitude is one of the most dynamic ways to change your attitude towards your life circumstances, increase Resilience, and transform your life. In fact, a regular practice of Gratitude will help you deal with challenges and setbacks. This essay will share actionable strategies that will enable you to see more happiness and abundance in your life within days. What Does Gratitude Mean? In short, Gratitude means thanks and appreciation. It comes from the Latin word gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness (depending on the context). In addition, gratus is a Latin word that means “thankful, pleasing.” That said, often, Gratitude encompasses all of these meanings. Robert Emmons is the world’s leading scientific expert on Gratitude. In the Greater Good, one of his essays entitled “Why Gratitude Is Good.” Here is how Emmons explains Gratitude: “First, it’s an affirmation of goodness. We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts, and benefits we’ve received.” Next, he explains, “We recognize that the sources of this goodness are outside of ourselves. … We acknowledge that other people—or even higher powers, if you’re of a spiritual mindset—gave us many gifts, big and small, to help us achieve the goodness in our lives.” To summarize, Gratitude has two core factors. Firstly, it is the affirmation of goodness. Secondly, it recognizes this goodness comes from outside of ourselves. As a result, Gratitude causes you to feel thankful. On the other hand, this kindness doesn’t create indebtedness. You are not concern about having to pay it back. Also, your appreciation can be for something tangible or intangible. As a result, Gratitude causes us to both recognize and acknowledge the good in our lives. Not only that, we usually see that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside of us. Subsequently, this causes us to connect to something larger than our selves. Whether this connection is to other people, nature, or higher power, we know we are not alone. Gratitude throughout history Gratitude has been praised as a virtue in almost every culture throughout the ages. In many religions, it is one of the core elements. Both ancient and modern prophets have recognized and taught the importance of Gratitude. In addition, it is the focus of many religious ceremonies, rituals, and holidays. For example, let’s consider Thanksgiving in the United States. The Mayflower colonist suffered greatly during their first winter in the New World. In fact, Forty-five of the 102 Mayflower passengers died in the winter of 1620–21, primarily from scurvy, pneumonia, and lack of shelter. Nevertheless, despite all the hardships the Pilgrims suffered, they practiced Gratitude every day. Furthermore, they even set aside a day for Gratitude called Thanksgiving. The Benefits Of Gratitude Multiple studies have shown a correlation between Gratitude and increased well-being. Not only that, but this benefit also expands to both the individual and all other people involved. Accordingly, research from Positive psychology has revealed that Gratitude has a consistently secure connection to increased happiness. How Gratitude Helps -Improves your health -Helps you feel more positive emotions -Allows you to relish good experiences -Build stronger relationships -Enables you to better deal with adversity For this purpose, you can feel and express Gratitude in multiple ways. For example, you can remember the past by recalling a past blessing or a cherished memory. On the other hand, you can concentrate on the gifts you experience in your present. Being thankful assures you won’t take good fortune for granted when it comes your way. Lastly, you can be an optimist and create a positive attitude about your future. As you can see, Gratitude’s attitude is a quality you can continue to grow throughout your lifetime. Gratitude Makes You Better Of equal importance, studies have established that those of us who deliberately count our blessings tend to be happier and less depressed. For example, Emmons and his team studied over 1000 people from ages eight to 80. These participants were required to keep a simple gratitude journal for only three weeks. The results were overwhelmingly positive. Participants who consistently practiced Gratitude reported loads of benefits in the following areas: Physical Benefits of Being Thankful • It helped strengthen their immune systems • They were less bothered by aches and pains • Blood pressure decreased in some people • Taking better care of their health and increasing their exercise became more important • Some found they slept longer and felt more refreshed upon waking Gratitude Helped Psychologically• Participant increased their levels of positive emotions • They became more alert, alive, and awake • Many reported experiencing more joy and pleasure • It helped build optimism and happiness Thankfulness increase their Social Strengths • They reported feeling more helpful, generous, and compassionate • Some said they felt more forgiving • It transformed some into becoming more outgoing • Many reported it Lowed their feelings of loneliness and isolation Gratitude Increases Resilience Equally important, Gratitude practices can help you better manage any hardships or challenges that come your way. To this end, Resilience is about control and perspective. A Gratitude practice allows us to stop and reflect on the good instead of overlooking it and passing it off as unimportant. Moreover, it will enable us to put some space between our impulses and our actions. This space allows us the ability to choose. It gives us the control and perspective we need to make the right decisions while dealing with challenging situations. In short, when Gratitude becomes an intentional daily practice, it becomes a habit. This habit trains our emotions and our minds to thrive amid adversity. Our lives and perspectives change because we can now see the positives in tough situations. Six Ways To Cultivate Gratitude Emmons suggests the following ways to cultivate Gratitude: 1. Write a thank-you note. You can make yourself happier and nurture your relationship with another person by writing a thank-you letter. To clarify, express your enjoyment and appreciation of that person’s impact on your life. Send it, or better yet, deliver and read it in person if possible. After that, make a habit of sending at least one gratitude letter a month. Once in a while, write one to yourself. 2. Thank someone mentally. No time to write? Instead, it may help just to think about someone who has done something beautiful for you. Then, mentally thank the individual. 3. Keep a gratitude journal. Make it a habit to write down or share with a loved one thought about the gifts you’ve received each day. 4. Count your blessings. Pick a time every week to sit down and write about your benefits — reflecting on what went right or those you are grateful for. To this end, sometimes it helps to pick a number — such as three to five things — that you will identify each week. Meanwhile, as you write, be specific and think about your sensations when something good happened to you. 5. Pray. Religious people can use prayer to cultivate Gratitude. 6. Meditate. Finally, mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment without judgment. Of course, people often focus on a word or phrase (such as “peace”). It is also possible to focus on what you’re grateful for (the warmth of the sun, a pleasant sound, etc.). Gratitude Makes Every Day Precious Generally, researchers claim there are 27,375 days in an average lifetime. Needless to say, people vary in how long they live. Nevertheless, you can approximately figure out how much time you have left with the following calculation. Multiply your age by 365, then subtract that number from 27,375 days. To sum it up, one day you will have more time behind you than in front of you. Believe me when I say life passes in a flash. Unfortunately, we often speed walk through life without celebrating the beautiful gifts our lives contain. The good news is that every day can be made more precious through Gratitude. So, slow down and savor. This life is a gift, but this gift doesn’t last forever. 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