What Dylan Alcott – 2022 Australian of the Year – teaches us about gratitude
“I love the person that I am and the life I get to live and I’m the luckiest guy in this country, easily.” Many around the country were deeply moved as they watched Dylan Alcott speak so passionately in his address to the nation upon being announced as 2022 Australian of the Year. A champion […]
Trying to find gratitude rather than resentment when in chronic pain
If you have ever experienced chronic pain, you will know how it can be totally debilitating and wear you down physically, mentally, and spiritually. It’s hard to keep your hope and optimism alive, as all you can do is put one foot in front of the other. Just getting through your day is a major […]
Gratitude for the imperfection of Christmas
How can you express sincere gratitude when a gift you are given is something you don’t like, if you feel it hasn’t been chosen with you in mind, or might even have been re-gifted?
How thanking awakens us
I know that it’s been too long since I have written a blog. To tell you the truth, I have been caught up in that vicious cycle of giving myself a hard time about this and then not feeling inspired.
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.
Why does gratitude help us to feel calmer?
This year, I’ve had the good fortune to work on a research project investigating the outcomes of an increased focus on gratitude by educators in leadership roles in early childhood centres.
The six pillars of gratitude: Pillar 3 – empathy
Even if we have can find the authentic place within ourselves to sincerely express our gratitude, we need to be able to put ourselves in the shoes of the person we wish to express our gratitude to.
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 […]
The six pillars of gratitude: Pillar 1 – relatedness
In my last blog I identified six pillars of gratitude: relatedness, sincerity, empathy, self-regard, integrity and humility. Each of these is important to practise if we are to express deep gratitude. Our attempts to consciously practise gratitude also illuminate where these pillars are strong and where they need our attention. The pillar of relatedness may […]
Six pillars of gratitude
The Roman philosopher and statesman Cicero held that “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others”. What does this mean and why does he say that gratitude is the ‘parent’? The notion of ‘virtue’ is that of being of moral excellence or great character. In other words, gratitude is […]
