Gratitude in elite sport

16 September, 2017

Published by Kerry Howells at 16 September, 2017

What is the difference between praise and gratitude?

Although praise can be a way of expressing gratitude, it is important to understand some of the differences between these two constructs and how these differences might play out in our lives. Praise is commonly defined as “expressing warm approval or admiration”. Gratitude, in the deep sense I use the term, is essentially “the art of acknowledging what we receive from another and giving back, but not necessarily in reciprocation”. In other words, inherent to gratitude is this giving and receiving dynamic. Praise can often be used to acknowledge the good points in another but not necessarily what we receive […]

15 June, 2017

Published by Kerry Howells at 15 June, 2017

The six pillars of gratitude: Pillar 2 – sincerity

As I explained in The Six Pillars of Gratitude handout, our deep gratitude is built on the strength of our sincerity. A common challenge is expressing gratitude in ways that are authentic to us and meaningful to the other person. Without this focus our gratitude risks being transactional; we may be wanting something in return or being self-serving. When we think about deepening our gratitude by moving from feeling deep appreciation to expressing it in some way, we may find it difficult to do this authentically. We may also wonder if the person to whom we are expressing gratitude will take it […]

18 November, 2016

Published by Kerry Howells at 18 November, 2016

The role of gratitude in Olympic and Paralympic Sport

I thought I would share with you some of my reflections that have arisen from the great privilege I had recently in facilitating a one-day workshop for a select group of athletes who competed at the recent Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games. The athletes represented a wide range of sports including sailing, diving, beach volleyball, cycling and athletics. The purpose of the workshop was twofold. We explored the concept of gratitude and its potential in elite sport, and how to find meaningful and authentic ways of expressing gratitude. Secondly the athletes were invited to share on film the messages of […]