Is Gratitude Overrated?

Yes … and No.

As a Coach you probably expect me to say that living in a state of gratitude is the single most important emotion you need to consistently embrace. And in doing so, it will enhance your life and deliver good things in spades. However, that’s cookie-cutter armchair coaching and an over-simplification of what it takes to live in today’s world and allow for gratitude to do the work it’s meant to do, physically and emotionally.

So let’s get real.

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful, of living in deep appreciation, and is an affirmation of goodness. It is a positive, relationship-strengthening emotion and reveals what is valuable and meaningful to an individual. Plus, this is the time of year when we are most encouraged to launch the gratitude rockets, no matter what, and count our blessings.

But what if you’re disconnected from the feelings of gratitude based on the circumstances you’re experiencing? What if it feels like this year has gotten the best of you? Or what if there isn’t coherence between your head and heart? What if gratitude feels forced and you don’t fit the emotional norms that you’ve been relentlessly groomed by tradition to conform to and now feel forced to fake it? Is this where gratitude, for the sake of gratitude, is overrated? Yes, and you bet!

So what do you do?  First and foremost, be true to yourself. Then give yourself permission to honestly meet yourself where you’re at and allow that to be a good start.

From there, understanding the emotions you’re feeling and using those emotions to move forward a step (or two!) on the emotional ladder is where looking for good, even when you’re feeling bad, can begin to foster a level of gratitude. Look at where you’re at and appreciate where you’re willing to emotionally move up to.

Countless studies show that’s where your physiology begins to change; lowering stress, anxiety and depression levels, raising your serotonin levels and reshaping neural pathways. Incremental movement matters here and this is exactly how you begin to actively cultivate a state of gratitude.

The Emotional Ladder, A.K.A. The Emotional Guidance Scale

Image source: http://www.beinginthenow.org/raise-vibration-abraham-hicks-emotional-guidance-scale/

If gratitude isn’t overrated because it’s authentically your thing and it’s easy to tally up all those people, experiences or objects you appreciate, you’ll find moving through this time of year enlivening. Celebrate that and also live deeper into the emotional ladder. It’s definitely there for you too because there is always an opportunity to educate and elevate your emotions.

Consistently looking through the lens of appreciation when seasonal emotions are heightened is beneficial and an effective way to balance reasonable needs and remain congruent with realistic expectations. Remember, meeting people where they’re at puts the powerful social emotion of gratitude to work for the greater good.

So put gratitude to the test, no matter where you currently stand. The benefits are guaranteed and simply put, expressing gratitude, no matter to what degree, is one of the easiest ways to feel better. Now there’s something to be grateful for!