Weekly Challenge – Attitude of Gratitude

The Challenge:

A special Valentine’s Day challenge this week is really a combination of both attitude and discipline.  This holiday doesn’t have to be focused solely on your significant other but should be expanded to the many people, things and experiences that shape who you are.  The first part of the challenge is to list 25 people, things, etc. that you are thankful for in your notebook.  The second part of the task is to pick 5 people, things, etc. from this list and then show your gratitude towards them.  Perhaps this means donating money to your alma mater, sending a thank you card, etc.

This task is worth 50-points on your scorecards!

Thought Provoking Questions:

Did you see any trends in the specific areas of your life that you are most thankful for? (work, relationships, family, etc.)

When was the last time you expressed gratitude towards the PEOPLE you are thankful for?

The Lesson:

The power of gratitude is amazing!  The more often you show your gratitude, whether towards people or experiences, the more often those good things will happen to you.  To really prove this point, let’s reverse the roles.  Have you ever done something really nice for someone and received no thank you or sign of gratitude?  I bet your were you not too anxious to provide that person any further help.  On the contrary, if the person showed you sincere appreciation for your time, you would probably be more willing to help that person in the future.  Showing gratitude doesn’t have to be anything more than saying thank you, but it is important that you make it a habit to do at least that.

There are two keys to this lesson that must also be reinforced. First, you have to be sincere.  Don’t be fake.  You have to mean it when you show your gratitude so STOP and take a moment to be sincere.  Second, don’t show gratitude just because you want more things done for you.  That would be taking advantage of people and the immense power of gratitude. 

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward