Gratitude is experiencing a renaissance in modern culture, become increasingly popular as a focus for improving one’s mental health and general well-being. How well do we understand what it is, and how to cultivate it for its fullest potential?
Gratitude is much more than a superficial feeling or a polite ‘thank you’. Either as an emotion or action it serves great psychological, biological, and social purpose. Gratitude gives a conscious response to the conscious act of kindness. If regularly cultivated, it becomes possible to be grateful even in the face of adversity.
Its linguistic origins of ‘gratia’ (favour), ‘gratus’ (pleasing), and ‘grace’ (unearned gift), give a flavour of the depth of its meaning. Gratitude encompasses kindness, generosity, the beauty of giving and receiving, and gaining something for nothing. At the heart of its essence is the notion that once we perceive grace, the feeling of gratefulness follows naturally.
Gratitude through the lens of Science
Gratitude, now a topic of wide scientific research, has been given the following three distinct elements:
1. Acknowledgement of the goodness in one’s life willingly.
2. Recognition of obtaining a positive outcome intellectually.
3. Appreciation of the received goodness emotionally.
When these three elements come together, Gratitude is complete.
Perhaps breaking Gratitude down into its cognitive and emotional elements helps us gain a clearer view of what it is and how best to practice it.
Acknowledgement of the goodness
Acknowledgement of the goodness in one’s life implies that mindful awareness is a prerequisite for Gratitude. We cannot be thankful for something we are unaware of. The acknowledgement that we have received something delights us, either by its presence or by the effort made by the giver.
Noticing what we have and what we have been given is an important first step towards feeling the optimal benefits from those things. Awareness of the power of generosity, enables it to flow more readily from person to person.
Recognition of obtaining a positive outcome
Recognition of the source and nature of Gratitude gives our mind an opportunity to reframe events and extract more joy and positive understanding. Gratitude requires the acceptance that gifts originate from outside the self. Giving recognition to the external source of goodness enables us to embrace humility. Whether gratefulness is directed towards people, animals, God, fate, or nature, we become humbled in this acceptance of the greatness of things beyond our self.
By applying intellect, we utilise our cognitive capacity to rethink a scenario, changing how we perceive and emotionally respond to it. A difficult experience in the past can be re-cognised as a blessing that gave useful lessons and growth. In this process sorrow may be transformed into gratefulness. The Gratitude was available, though only released through contemplation and reflection.
Applying this same process of re-cognition within ordinary days and situations can instil magical feelings of awe and deeper meaning. A bridge driven over countless times, may be admired for its structural engineering and community benefit, previously ignored as part of the backdrop of a daily commute. A flower may be enjoyed with greater beauty, with emphasis given to the depth of colour, scent, and structure, otherwise missed whilst lost in thought or the busyness of life.
Appreciation of the received goodness
Appreciation is the feeling component of Gratitude, noticing our emotional response to acts of generosity. Emotions are a way for the body to communicate with the mind, allowing for focused awareness on the presence of joy. Being mindfully aware of these positive feelings makes us conscious that we are the recipient of goodness, and that a giver has intentionally contributed to our well-being. Gratitude reaches greatest depth when we engage the heart as well as the mind.
Sometimes the delightful sensation of love wells up within, provoking spontaneous acts of kindness towards others. Researchers have seen that being grateful makes it easier to connect with our ‘best self’, reflected by a willingness to move beyond selfish impulses and be giving to others. Our social bonds grow through acts of generosity, improving individuals, and enhancing their ability to be kind to others.
Combining these three elements brings Gratitude to a point of cognitive and emotional understanding, enabling a deeper and longer-lasting impact from acts of generosity.
Choosing Gratitude
Gratitude is a way of consciously observing the world, choosing to see blessings instead of curses. While Gratitude is pleasant and powerful, it is not easy. It requires work, and needs to be consciously cultivated through repeated effort.
Albert Einstein admitted that he needed to remind himself a hundred times a day that his inner and outer life depended on the labours of other men, living and dead.
“I must exert myself in order to give in the measure as I have received and I am still receiving.”
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