Just like the stock market, life has its ups and downs. And while gratitude might seem like the last thing on your mind during one of those downturns — whether it’s financial or personal — the truth is that gratitude can be a real source of strength.
Life’s journey is rarely straightforward, and there are likely to be lean times when you will wish things could be different. But instead of spending time wishing for what could be, I believe strongly in focusing on gratitude for what we do have. This applies to finances (as I’ve discussed before in my article on the concept of “practicing poverty”), but it’s relevant across all aspects of life.
Ultimately, leaning on gratitude is a way to empower your skills of reflection and resilience. Gratitude is not just a source of strength during challenging times; it’s a tool you can use to actually make yourself healthier.
The link between gratitude and health
Gratitude is good for you. This isn’t just a philosophical statement — it’s scientifically proven.
Dr. Robert A. Emmons (University of California, Davis) and Dr. Michael E. McCullough (University of Miami) are two of the world’s leading researchers on gratitude and resilience.
In one fascinating study, Emmons and McCullough tested the impact of gratitude by simply asking a group of people to write down the things they were grateful for each week. They asked another group to write down everything they were irritated by; and a third group wrote down all the events that happened in their week, without any positive or negative framing. After 10 weeks, the group that practiced gratitude reported feeling more optimistic and better about their lives than the others. But the results went even further: These participants also reported exercising more and visiting the doctor less frequently than the group who wrote down their aggravations.
In short, the study seemed to suggest that gratitude can do more than shift a person’s mindset — it can positively impact their health.
The power of thought
I have always been a strong believer in the power of thought. It’s one of the reasons I’ve read the teachings of Stoic philosophers, ancient thinkers who have plenty of lessons for us in the present day about how changing one’s perspective on life can impact our feelings.
Though the Stoics didn’t know it at the time, scientists are discovering more about the mind-gut connection every day, and the more we learn, the more it seems indisputable that the way we think has a physical impact on our bodies.
As we can see from Dr. Emmons and Dr. McCullough, gratitude can be a source of strength during times of challenge. Instead of feeling sorry for our circumstances, which can lead to wallowing and inactivity, gratitude is a prism through which we can see our lives in a new light. By feeling grateful, we don’t look at our lives with anger or disappointment; instead, we see our lives as a continual process of improvement. That’s the source of true power.
Four ways to build gratitude
Gratitude is more than a mindset; it’s a daily practice. Here are a few ways you can begin channeling gratitude as a force for good in your life:
- Keep a gratitude journal: Like the participants in the Emmons and McCullough study, the mere act of writing out what you’re grateful for can be powerful.
- Write a thank-you note: Once a week, take the time to thank someone in your life who has done something for you. The practice of writing this out with pen and paper can make a thank-you note even more meaningful.
- Meditate: Gratitude doesn’t have to come from an act of writing. By simply taking the proactive step to spend time with your own thoughts, you can bake gratitude into your day.
- Volunteer: Spend time contributing to a cause that is close to your heart. Acts of service and kindness towards others are a way to not only impact someone else’s life, but also a means of reflecting on your own circumstances.
A moment of gratitude
It’s important to practice what you preach, so I hope you’ll allow me to express some gratitude of my own:
I feel extremely grateful for the work I get to do and those who make it meaningful. Every day brings the chance to contribute, learn, and grow alongside remarkable people.
About VALUABLES
Many financial advisors focus on communicating with clients to provide complex analysis of the investment markets and economies. However, we have learned that most clients are not particularly interested in this complex analysis. Most clients hire an advisor for their knowledge of the markets, not for their ability to explain that knowledge. Most want to know what time it is, not how to build a watch.
Experience has taught us that wealthy families care most about using their wealth as a means to a desirable end, which is to achieve a more satisfying, fulfilled and impactful life, and to fulfill their most important Life Values.
VALUABLES is a periodic article series focused on the concepts, systems, and habits which we have observed among families who have been successful in this quest to use their wealth as a tool to live a life of significance. The most successful families share a set of habits, systems, and insights which enable them to use their wealth as a tool to fulfill their Values and what is most important to them.
We named this article series VALUABLES, because it provides an exploration of those habits, systems, and insights. We hope it will help you to consider your assets and possessions which are most valuable to you, and how you can use your financial wealth to enhance and cultivate your true “Valuables”.
An excellent essay Erik. Believe it or not it’s just what I needed to hear at this time.
Thank you so much.