The Gratefulness Dividend
A gratefulness dividend flows to those who fight off abundance denial.
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We discussed abundance denial and the Gratefulness Dividend on The BIGG Success Show today. Here’s a summary of that discussion.
This show was inspired by a book by Gregg Easterbrook called The Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse.* He coined the phrase “abundance denial.” We discovered his book when we did our show on the hedonic treadmill.
It’s easy to complain. The two of us fight the urge. So this episode was done as a reminder to us. We hope it helps you as well.
So, let’s look at how to fight off abundance denial and reap the rewards of gratitude.
What is “abundance denial”?
Abundance denial asserts we discount how well-off we are.
Why is it pervasive?
Negative news attracts an audience.
Advertisers display what you don’t have and then convince you that you must have it.
Your friends post photos and videos of their perfect life.
It’s human nature to want more.
How does it affect us?
Life is pretty dismal when you only see the clouds, but not the silver linings.
On balance, things are good, but you only focus on the things that are not good.
In such an environment, happiness never grows.
How can we make happiness grow?
Be more grateful
How can we be more grateful?
We use five steps to help us to be more grateful (and keep it that way)!
1) Be mindful
We challenge ourselves with the following question:
If we can’t be happy with what God has already given us, how can we expect Him to bless us with more?
That snaps us out of the funk pretty quickly because it helps us put everything into perspective.
2) Just do it, especially if you find yourself in a downward spiral
With all due credit to Nike, winners don’t live on feelings. They live to achieve goals. When you don’t feel like being grateful, be grateful anyway.
Especially when you feel yourself going into a downward spiral – one negative thought sparks another, emotions are revving up. When facing this level of negativity, it’s critical to find reasons to be grateful.
3) Make it a habit
Make gratefulness a part of your day. You may find it best to start and/or end the day by taking a few moments to be grateful.
4) Make a list
Write down the things you are grateful for. Add to it daily. Heck, make it a daily event so you end up with a Gratitude Journal.
5) Check it twice
Review your list regularly to automatically set (or reset) your mindset. Especially when you feel yourself slipping into negativity about your circumstances.
The Gratefulness Dividend
Robert Emmons is the world’s leading authority on gratitude. In fact, he wrote the book on the subject, How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier*.
His studies have revealed that people who make a habit of giving thanks (and writing it down) are more likely to reach their BIGG goals. That’s the Gratefulness Dividend. That’s BIGG success!
BIGG Takeaway
Gratefulness brings greatness.
Tweet this BIGG Takeaway!
Free Abundance Kit
Take another step toward greatness. Get our free kit called
The BIGG Success Abundant Living System: 5 Steps to Living Abundantly
Here’s to your BIGG success!
George “The Professor” & Mary-Lynn
Co-Founders, BIGG Success
Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file | podcast:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/biggsuccess/00956-112018.mp3
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