Gratitude Is An Attitude

‘Count your blessings’ is a phrase that was used quite often when I was growing up. I must confess though, I cannot recall deep diving into this task or more importantly, I don’t recall the adults in my life asking me exactly how many blessings I had counted or what they were. On reflection, I would suggest that it was a phrase that was simply put out there if, as children, we appeared ungrateful for something or someone. Reference to counting your blessings is found in a range of texts including the Bible and so it is nothing new, but perhaps something that requires reinforcing and actioning.

In a similar way, the expression of gratitude has been encouraged as a way of counting your blessings in more recent times. Kumar & Epley (2018), determined from their study that expressing gratitude actually improved the wellbeing of the expressers and the recipients. The expression of gratitude came in the form of a gratitude letter to another person. Martin Seligman, in his book Flourish (2012), refers to two ways of expressing gratitude. The first is writing a letter of gratitude to an individual and delivering it to them. The second is to make a list of three things that went well that day and why. It is the latter that I challenge all of the Pacific community to do over the coming weeks and months. I encourage you and your young ones to work through the awkwardness, such that in time expressing gratitude becomes an attitude.

• Kumar, A. & Epley, N. (2018). Undervaluing Gratitude: Expressers Misunderstand the Consequences of Showing Appreciation. Psychological Science, 29(9), 1423-1435.
• Seligman, M. (2012). Flourish. Random House Australia.