Gratitude shifts our energy from past or future concerns to present appreciation of what is. It shifts our focus from scarcity to abundance, from what we don’t have to what we do, from the pursuit of more to the luxury of enough. Gratitude challenges entitlement in a culture where too much is never enough, and cultivates a sense of reciprocity in a world of abundance.
Being grounded in an awareness of gratitude provides a foundation for a heart centered transition from what was to what will be. It establishes a foundation for a transformational shift of consciousness – the way we see ourselves, others, and the world around us. Gratitude provides a focus for creating the life we want, the intuitive access to follow your heart.
The HeartMath Institute has been studying the personal and relational effect of gratitude for over thirty years. Recognising that the heart contains neurons similar to the brain, they established scientific studies to explore what we intuitively refer to in the expression to “follow your heart”. Through the measurement of heart rate variability, brain waves, and the electromagnetic field, HeartMath has studied the communication between the heart and brain via the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. HeartMath studies have found that the practice of conscious breathing, along with mindful attention to feelings of appreciation and gratitude, establishes an internal coherence of alignment and harmony between the heart and brain, and has the potential to extend beyond the personal to affect relational and even global harmony.
The Center of Appreciative Inquiry is another organization that has been studying the effect of gratitude and appreciation. Their work has especially focused on organizational development, and how placing attention on the positive aspects to build on rather than the negative problems to solve, has shown to significantly increase the potential of desired outcomes. Rather than fixing problems, focusing attention to build on what we appreciate provides a solution oriented approach.
A daily practice of gratitude provides essential ingredients for personal, relational, and cultural transformation.
Resources:
Appreciative Living and/or companion workbook The Joy of Appreciative Living