What’s the importance of gratitude? How can you unlock even more gratitude than you already have?
In their book The Tools, Phil Stutz and Barry Michels say that when you notice yourself stuck in a downward spiral of negative thought, gratitude can stop your descent. Gratitude makes you more aware of the loving, creative forces of the universe.
Here’s why gratitude is worth practicing and how to foster it.
Why Gratitude Is Important
Stutz and Michels explain the importance of gratitude by saying it expands your perspective so you can see more of the positive things in life, helping you see past the negativity you’re ruminating on. Chronic negativity can be debilitating, harming your personal life and performance at work.
(Shortform note: In The Secret, Rhonda Byrne explains that gratitude not only helps you become more aware of the good things you already have in life, it also helps bring more good things into your life. She says that the opposite is also true—negativity cultivates more negativity. She says this is because the universe reflects your thoughts and actions back to you. This theory is known as the Law of Attraction. According to this idea, the universe matches your conscious thoughts by guiding your intuition and emotions. For example, if you habitually think about being well-suited to a certain type of job, the universe will guide your intuition toward job opportunities that align with your thinking.)
More specifically, gratitude removes some of the burden we place on ourselves. By practicing gratitude, you’ll realize how much help you receive every day to be where you are. This takes some of the responsibility off your shoulders and helps you relax. The authors argue that along with helping you realize how many people love and help you, gratitude connects you to a spiritual source of love and life that cares for your well-being. Awareness of this source will help you feel less alone and conquer negativity more easily.
(Shortform note: Becoming aware of and feeling support from your relationships is also important for your health and resilience. Studies show that perceived emotional support from relationships is a critical factor in cancer recovery. One study showed that cancer patients with a lot of emotional support are half as likely to die from their disease as those without much emotional support.)
Additionally, gratitude helps you become more creative. By actively trying to think of things you’re grateful for, you’ll put yourself into a creative flow state. This flow state can carry over and assist you in other areas of your life. For example, as you become more aware of qualities in a loved one that you’re grateful for, you’ll more readily express things you appreciate about them. This will ultimately help them feel more seen and loved.
(Shortform note: Gratitude can also boost your creativity by easing stress. When you’re in fight-or-flight mode, your mind focuses on survival and doesn’t have time for open, creative thinking. By helping you relax, gratitude allows your mind to explore unhindered by stressful concerns.)
How to Unlock More Gratitude
When you notice you’re stuck in negative thought patterns, start by listing several things you’re grateful for. For example, you could try to think of different ways that people in your life have loved and supported you.
Next, sit quietly with the feeling of gratitude this exercise has stirred up. Imagine your heart opening to a spiritual source of limitless generosity and concern for your wellbeing.
(Shortform note: Although positive visualization techniques can be helpful for cultivating gratitude, so can negative visualizations. One expert suggests imagining how you’d feel if all of the things you value most in life (friends, family, health, and so on) were taken away from you. By introducing the possibility that the good things in your life can go away, you’ll become more appreciative for having them in the present.)
