Gratitude is a very, very powerful emotion. Cultivating a practice of being thankful might just be one of the single most important things you could do to boost your bottom line AND your own feelings of life satisfaction. Did that get your attention? I hope so!

A recent study in the field of positive psychology reveals that a daily exercise of expressing gratitude can be so potent that individuals who had a diagnosis of depression actually got significantly happier! Wow. The exercise? It was simple and took about 5 minutes, tops. Every night before going to sleep at night, reflect back on your day and think about what your top three “blessings” are. What were the best things that happened to you…maybe you took on a new client…wrote a chapter in your book, or had a lovely meal. Write these three “blessings” down on paper. Do this every night for a month. Increased happiness guaranteed!

It can be so easy to get “caught up” in the drama and stress of every day living that we may forget to thank people for their contributions to our lives. We are all in this together. No matter what line of work you are in or what personal project you are developing, we utilize the services of others to accomplish our goals. There’s power in “Thank You!” Thanking works for many reasons, on many levels. Bottom line is it feels good to appreciate and it feels good to be appreciated! Authentic appreciation can be more effective than material incentives in many situations.

3 Quick and Easy Ways To Use Your “Thank You Power”:

1. Carry a few thank-you cards with you and commit to a daily practice of sending a note of thanks to 1 or 2 people who’ve helped you each day.

2. Reflect on your career. Who were the top 25 people who helped you to get where you are today? Send them a note of appreciation.

3. Take stock of who your “key players” are in your own life from your spouse to your mail carrier. Be sure to thank these people for all that they do to contribute to your success and happiness.

Thank You Power…only more good will come from it!

To your success,

Diana Long

The Business Results Expert