In 1998 I was laid off for the first time and even though I was eventually hired by the same company that laid me off, it was a difficult and trying time. As I bemoaned having to take a lower position with a lower salary many people would say, “Just be grateful you have a job.” This came from very well-minded individuals that truly cared for me but it sounded like a platitude and a cliché and so I didn’t take it seriously. Looking back, I wish I would have.

Though the phrase, “count your blessings,” may be overused, we shouldn’t let that detract from the efficacy of that statement. Counting your blessings really does make a difference. In several studies respondents were asked to count their blessings each night just before they went to bed. All of the respondents experienced a measureable lift in their mood. Simply counting your blessings, expressing what you are grateful for, will increase your positivity and improve your mood.

If counting your blessings can make a noticeable difference in your mood what kind of impact would you experience if you were to take gratitude to a higher level – something I call ‘radical gratitude’ – or ‘core gratitude.’ Radical gratitude is intense thankfulness that grows from the inside out, a feeling that emanates from your core so that it becomes part of who you are not just something you feel and do.  Let me tell you how this came about.

Several weeks ago I was driving to the Phoenix airport contemplating an upcoming presentation where I would be speaking about radical gratitude. As I was driving, I was thinking how I could make an impact on the audience and help them realize the magnitude of happiness they could achieve by practicing this form of gratefulness. This thought came to me: (more…)