While I’m a huge believer in the power of gratitude, it is not something that comes natural to me. So, I was eager to start listening to Marc’s Reklau’s book The Life‑Changing Power of Gratitude. It is a short read (or in my case, listen). Here are my top 10 takeaways:
- Relationships get worse when you take your partners for granted. It is very easy to take the people who are the most important to you for granted. By learning to appreciate them you will not only strengthen your bond, but will also make your time with them more enjoyable.
- Gratitude is the best antidote for anger, envy, and resentment. In today’s social media driven world it is easy to get caught up comparing yourself to others. Someone else’s success is not your failure. Being grateful for the things in your life minimizes the likelihood that you will be envious of others.
- Don’t get caught up in “I will be grateful when…” Gratitude is available to us in every moment. It does not require a specific action or event to occur. You may want to run a six minute mile or have a specific income goal, but do not wait until you achieve those goals to be grateful. Find something to be grateful for now.
- Ask yourself, “what could I be grateful for, but I am not.” All of us likely have something or someone we are taking for granted.
- Spend five minutes a day on gratitude. People who devote a minimum of five minutes a day to gratitude are significantly happier than those who don’t. New gratitude goers will experience a significant improvement in their mood after just a few weeks
- Write down up to five things you are grateful for each day. This is more impactful than just thinking about it.
- Review your gratitude list in the morning and at night. Bookend your day with gratitude and the middle of your daily sandwich will likely taste a lot better.
- Being grateful will uncover new opportunities. Being grateful will allow you to see the good in virtually every situation and will allow you to uncover new opportunities.
- Forgiveness, gratitude and happiness go hand in hand. The greatest happiness recipient of forgiveness is the person doing the forgiving, not the person being forgiven. When you hold onto resentment and anger, you are hindering your happiness. Forgive that person and focus on the good things in your life.
- Be grateful for bad experiences. This can be the most challenging of Marc’s teachings. But mastering this can be extremely impactful. Look for and find the personal growth and opportunity from life’s curveballs.
