Connecting Through Gratitude & Grace
The power of gratitude.
The Chinese character for gratitude includes a pictogram of the heart 心 indicating that this is a notion that connects to our center of emotional intelligence. To give thanks freely is to acknowledge the depth of feeling of gratitude stemming from the heart.
I think of showing gratitude as a way to connect someone or something else to the grace in your own heart. Expressing gratitude has a calming affect on oneself and the recipient of the gratitude. Also, there is evidence that this creates positive physiological responses in our body. A 2017 study published in Scientific Reports attributes living a life of gratitude to a lower incidence of psychiatric issues, higher satisfaction in life, and wisdom. The research team was able to analyze the physical impact of gratitude versus resentment through MRI and pulse analysis. They found that the act of gratitude reduces heart rate and increases neural connectivity, compared to acts of resentment which have the opposite affect. In other words gratitude increases happiness and self awareness. Furthermore, these feelings are catching. When we deliver gratitude, those around us can be inspired to do the same.
Reference:
Kyeong, S., Kim, J., Kim, D. J., Kim, H. E., & Kim, J. J. (2017). Effects of gratitude meditation on neural network functional connectivity and brain-heart coupling.Scientific reports,7(1), 5058. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-05520-9心
