Thank You: The Virtue of Gratitude

Have you ever felt amazed and thankful to a person who has expectedly or unexpectedly done something that had benefitted you? Have you appreciated their presence in their life? If your answer is yes, then you have experienced gratitude.

What is gratitude?

The root of the word "gratitude" lies in the Latin word "gratus", which means pleasing or thankful. Oxford Languages define gratitude as "the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness". As a psychological state, gratitude is a felt sense of wonder, thankfulness, and appreciation for life. 

Gratitude has always been held as a virtue in human life. In almost all religions of the world, humans have been encouraged to be grateful to the divine and to all the good things in life. Ingratitude has, in fact, been classified as a vice. 

In order to feel grateful, the recipient must identify with the person who has provided some benefit. The giving act needs to be interpreted as being freely offered, and the recipient must acknowledge that such an offering might prove costly to the giver. 

How to increase gratitude?

Here are some fun ways in which you can feel more grateful-

1. Say "thank you" more often- You can say thank you to people even without them doing anything particular. If you value their existence in your life, thank them for being there. Just pick your phone up and drop them a text. 

2. Keep a gratitude journal- In this journal, you can write about events, people, or situations that you encountered during the day, that made you feel grateful. Research has found that those who kept gratitude journals reported greater enthusiasm, alertness, and determination and they were significantly more likely to make progress toward important goals pertaining to their health, interpersonal relationships, and academic performances.

3. Be in the moment- A lot of times, we forget being grateful due to the fast-paced life that we live. Living in the moment with enough awareness helps in cultivating gratitude. This can be achieved by practicing mindfulness.