Thank you” is an oft overlooked phrase that has the power to transform both our minds and our bodies.

I keep a simple thank you card on my desk. My wife gave it to me exactly one year ago. Every now and then, I read it again and smile. It means much more to me than the words on the card. It kindles gratitude in me, as well as fond memories and warm feelings.

Thanksgiving

In November in the United States, we celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving as a remembrance to the blessings of life. We pause (ironically, before the rush of Christmas shopping) and ponder the life, liberty, and freedoms we take for granted.

Leading up to Thanksgiving this year, I was struck by the words “thanks” and “giving.” While I may be thankful, how often do I actually give thanks to others?

Being thankful and giving thanks are far from the same. Give thanks to someone today.
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Author William Arthur Ward said, “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” How silly would that be? And yet, how often we omit this very important step.

“Why give thanks?” you may ask.

Giving Thanks Gives Back

I’ve written before about the benefits of gratitude. Suffice it to say that cultivating an attitude of gratitude deserves a prominent role in your daily health practices.

A study in The Journal of Happiness Studies reported that those who wrote 3 letters of gratitude over 3 weeks increased happiness and life satisfaction and decreased feelings of depression, compared to those who didn’t write the letters.

However, if you’re skeptical, check out this awesome infographic.

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” – William Arthur Ward

Gratitude is linked with powerful physical, mental & social benefits.
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At this point, you may be wondering…how do I cultivate gratitude?

Give Thanks, Literally

There are numerous ways to cultivate gratitude (like capturing 3 blessings each day). This year, put your your gratitude into action and give a thank you note for Thanksgiving. Let me put it into 3 simple steps for you.

1. Identify Who You’re Grateful For

2. Put Your Gratitude In Writing

3. Deliver Your Thanks

Hand it to each person in-person if possible. If not, drop it in the mail (or post for my friends across the pond). Don’t hold on to it for the perfect moment. Give thanks.

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To help you reap the benefits of cultivating gratitude, I created this simple infographic reminding us all to be grateful.

Put Your Gratitude Into Action

Go beyond developing an attitude of gratitude. Give Thanks this Thanksgiving. Both giver and recipient will benefit tremendously. If you’re reading this in a month other than November, don’t wait.

I’ll leave you with a quote. “You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” Ralph Waldo Emerson.

For more on gratitude, check out the links below.

Question: Who is one person you will give thanks to this week? Leave your comments below this post. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Links:

• Book: Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier by Robert Emmons
• Book: Gratitude Works!: A 21-Day Program for Creating Emotional Prosperity by Robert Emmons
• Post: 2 Simple Questions That Will Make You Happier Today
• Post: The Entitlement Epidemic: How You Can Be Part of the Cure

The post Give Thanks: How to Share the Gift of Gratitude first appeared on The Excelling Edge.

More than half of Americans are dissatisfied in their work, according to a recent survey by the Conference Board, a New York based nonprofit. Work can be stressful, frustrating and exhausting. If we are going to spend the majority of our waking hours working, wouldn’t it be nice to make them as purposeful, satisfying and productive as possible? How on earth are we supposed to do that?

4 Truths About Work

As I’ve investigated the world of work, I’ve realized how easily we lose sight of what work is really about. Much of my understanding can be traced back to biblical teaching. If you’re a Christ-follower, these 4 truths can help you finally find the satisfaction you’ve been longing for in your work.

If you aren’t, please keep reading. Perhaps looking at work through the lens of a different worldview will help you examine how you approach your own work.

Finally find true work satisfaction by grasping 4 powerful truths.
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1. We Are Designed to Work

Many people believe that work is a necessary evil. Work needs to be done and someone has to do it. How else can you provide for the needs of yourself and your family?

Work has existed since before the creation of man. The Bible says that God himself worked. That’s how the universe was created, through work.

While we may view work as an unavoidable chore, we would not be fulfilled without it. In Every Good Endeavor, Timothy Keller writes, “Work is as much a basic human need as food, beauty, rest, friendship, prayer and sexuality…without meaningful work we sense significant inner loss and emptiness.” He goes on to say that without work, we quickly discover how much we need it to “thrive emotionally, physically, and spiritually.”

I see this in my grandfather. When asked about retirement, he shrugs it off by saying, “What would I do with myself?” He, like we all do, has a deep desire to contribute, create, produce…to do something.

By grasping this truth, you can embrace the work you were designed for rather than dread it. We have each been equipped with the specific gifts, talents and skills to carry out the work we’ve been given.

In doing so we will increase the satisfaction we find in our work, knowing that work is a basic human need, something we crave. Working is part of who we are created to be.

2. Work is Hard

Whether you are a business owner, construction worker or stay-at-home parent, you know that work is hard. But why? Why must work be difficult? In Genesis, we learn that Adam and Eve disobeyed God and brought sin into the world. Paul says in Romans 8 that the world is now “subject to decay.”

Thus work has become a way for us to prove our worth, please others, and compete with one another. It is filled with conflict and jealousy. It wears us down. You might say the rat race was born in the Garden of Eden. No wonder we struggle to find satisfaction in our work.

In the Bible, work is referred to as “painful labor.” We labor to create new products, solutions and ideas. Sometimes we’re successful. Other times we fail.

Either way, the process is painful, difficult and taxing. We experience setbacks, surges, promotions and layoffs. One day we are fulfilled and satisfied, but the next is full of disappointment. This is because of the presence of sin in the world.

Keller writes, “…you may have an aspiration to do a certain kind of work and perform at a certain level of skill or quality, but you may never even get the opportunity to do the work you want, or if you do, you may not be able to do it as well as it needs to be done. Your conflicts with others in the work environment will sap your confidence and undermine your productivity.”

If you’ve found work to be hard and difficult, you are not alone. Most importantly it is not a result of your own doing. Embrace this truth and find solace in the fact that ups and downs simply come with the territory. Expect them.

By grasping this truth, you can accept the inevitable. Rather than focus on the frustrations, you can focus on the work itself and the relationships you build along the way. Celebrate the small victories. You’re more likely to find satisfaction if you adjust your expectations, knowing that your work won’t be perfect and it won’t always turn out as good as you intend.

3. Work Has a Purpose

Why do you work? So often we get caught up in working for the wrong reasons.

Change why you work and increase your job satisfaction.
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In today’s culture it is easy to get caught up in the idols that the world of work provides: money, status, fame, notoriety, power, pride. Yet, every time these distractions become your primary focus you soon encounter frustration and disappointment.

The truth is, we come alive when we see our lives contributing to the well-being of other people, making their lives better in some way.

• A teacher equips young minds with the tools to explore and understand the world they live in.
• A lawyer seeks to bring justice and peace to the lives of those who have been wronged.
• A plumber installs the pipes which are necessary for sanitary living conditions in today’s modern world.

By grasping this truth, you can pursue work for the right reasons, the reasons that will satisfy your true desires. As human beings, we long to be valued and that comes from adding value to the lives of others. How does your work add value to people’s lives? Answering this question will help you find the purpose in your work.

As you grasp this truth, you will increase the satisfaction you find in your work, knowing that you are fulfilling a purpose, benefiting the well-being of others and contributing to the world around you.

4. We Work for an Audience

We all work for someone. I don’t necessarily mean your boss. Some work to impress their colleagues, others work to please their parents or superiors, and yet others work to live up to the standards they have set for themselves. Regardless, Keller says these are inadequate. They will lead us to overwork or underperform and certainly not to satisfaction. Like children, our behavior may depend on who is watching.

Who we work for determines the purpose behind our work. The Bible says, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Working for God brings a much different purpose to our work than any other audience.

In Ephesians 6 Paul tells Christians to work “as if you were serving the Lord.” Expanding on this, Keller wrote, “Christians are to be fully engaged at work as whole persons, giving their minds, hearts, and bodies fully to doing the best job possible on the task at hand.” Does this describe how you approach your daily work?

This approach to work is possible when our motives are much loftier than money, acclaim, or power. This comes when we view our work as serving God.

Embracing this truth brings to light much of the dissatisfaction many find in their work, as well as the true fulfillment available through our work. It depends entirely on who our audience is and who we are aiming to please and serve through our work.

When we aim to please and serve God in our work, we are more engaged, more committed and find a deeper satisfaction in the work we’ve been given.

Finding Satisfaction In Work

Finding satisfaction in our work is something we all crave. We want to come home at the end of a hard day knowing we made some small difference in the world. We are all equipped with the necessary tools, abilities and skills to be successful in our work. God provides the opportunities for us to develop these talents and assets to become contributors in our society and to serve our communities.

By grasping these 4 truths, you will find a deeper satisfaction in your work than ever before.

Question: What is one thing that helps you cultivate excellence in your work? Share your thoughts in the comments below this post.

The post Increase Job Satisfaction By Grasping 4 Powerful Truths first appeared on The Excelling Edge.

How do you respond when your spouse, friend or family asks, “How was your day?” If you are like most people, it is all too easy to unload the various frustrations, injustices and wrongs you encountered. We tend to do this rather than highlight the good experiences from our day. Some term this the negativity bias. Put simply, it is our natural tendency to focus on the bad instead of the good. We do this at work, at home, with our children and so on.

To be honest, the negativity bias isn’t all bad. This natural bias helps us detect and avoid danger. However, when we become overly focused on the bad (i.e. pessimism) at the exclusion of the good, it can lead to a host of concerns:

• depression
• anxiety
• trouble sleeping
• lower life satisfaction

In Dr. Martin Seligman’s latest book, Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being, he wrote, “So to overcome our brains’ natural catastrophic bent, we need to work on and practice this skill of thinking about what went well.” Think about it. Most of us spend more time analyzing our mistakes and missteps than relishing our successes. Allow me to introduce you to one of the simplest, most powerful, scientifically validated skills that I teach people on a regular basis.

It is called Three Good Things. Each day, we should answer two basic questions:

• What are 3 things that went well?
• What caused that good thing to happen?

If you want to lessen your chances for depression, sleep better and increase your happiness and satisfaction in life, then make these two simple steps a daily practice.

Step 1: What went well today?

Write down Three Good Things that went well today. It doesn’t have to be something important (ie. I got a promotion at work). In fact, it very well may be something small (ie. My daughter climbed into my lap and said she loved me last night). The point is to write it down, document it. You can use a journal, pen and pad, whatever suites you.

Step 2: What is my reflection on what went well?

For each thing that went well, write a sentence or two about why that happened. Choose one of these questions to get you started:

• “Why did this good thing happen?”
• “What does this mean to you?”
• “How can you have more of this good thing in the future?”

It really is that simple. They key is to do it. Make it a habit. Make Three Good Things part of your daily routine.

My challenge to you is to practice this exercise for at least one week. Research shows you’ll experience benefits of doing so for up to 6 months! So, what do you have to lose? Or rather, what may you gain?

Question: What is one thing on your Three Good Things list today? I’d love to hear from you?

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In setting goals or targeting our own personal development, we typically focus on our shortcomings and weaknesses. However, refining the things we struggle with doesn’t exactly reveal our best or our greatest potential. Instead, I along with many others, propose you focus more on your strengths. When we are working, playing, and living in our strengths, we not only perform better, but we’re happier too.

 

The truth is that everyone has strengths, things that are best about us. They are made up of a unique combination of traits, characteristics, talents, and aptitudes that each of us possesses. Our strengths are naturally occurring within us and we employ them to varying degrees at work, in communication with others and to achieve our goals. Beyond that, we all have a group of top strengths that dominate our behaviors and actions; they come easily for us and we enjoy using them, whether we realize it or not. While improving weaknesses is certainly a worthwhile endeavor, research tells us that putting more energy into building up our strengths and being intentional in using them may just be the secret sauce you’ve been searching for.

 

In 2007, while reading Authentic Happiness by Martin Seligman, I first took the VIA (Values in Action) Classification of Character Strengths, a validated strengths survey. My life has never been the same. Obviously, just taking the survey carried no magic in itself. It was the self-awareness, insight into who I am and the freedom it granted me to fully embrace my true self that made the survey meaningful. In the years that followed, I can honestly say, I have thrived like never before. This, the focus on what is best within us, embracing it and strengthening it, is the backbone of the exploding field of Positive Psychology.

 

Here are the top 5 reasons I choose to maximize my strengths and why you should do the same.

Reason #1: Increased energy

When I’m using my top strengths I feel more energized and less stressed. Often, time just flies by as I’m fully immersed in the task, loving it, as my strengths and abilities match the demands of the task. Often, this is referred to as flow or being in the zone. For me this happens when I’m investigating new things, creating something (like a blog post), making plans for the future or making progress on my goals. One study revealed that those who use their signature strengths are less stressed, which increases energy.

 

Reason #2: Increased engagement at work

When we have the opportunity to focus on our strengths every day, the research says, we are 6 times as likely to be engaged on the job. Furthermore, one study indicated that curiosity, zest, hope, gratitude, and spirituality are the top 5 strengths associated with work satisfaction across occupations. I have experienced this first hand. Today, I intentionally use my highest signature strength of curiosity in my everyday work and it has huge impact on how engaged I am at work.

 

Reason #3: Increased motivation

When I’m using my strengths I’m more enthusiastic about the task at hand and I’m more motivated because I identify more closely with what I’m doing. For example, I enjoy when my work requires me to strategize a plan for a client or create a speech on a new topic because I am a Strategic (according to the StrengthsFinder) and Curious (according to the VIA). One criteria for a strength to be included in the VIA to begin with is that individuals are naturally motivated to use it on their own, without encouragement or reward from others.

 

Reason #4: Increased goal achievement

The literature suggests that when we incorporate our strengths into our pursuit of achieving personally meaningful goals we are likely to experience greater positive emotions (ie. fulfillment), sustain our efforts and spiral upward to greater goal progress in the future. For me, this is absolutely true. A small but powerful example is when I read something that will help me achieve a goal. I feel excited, energized and driven to put the new information into action.

 

Reason #5: Increased life satisfaction, happiness

The research here just blows me away! Seriously, can you think of 3 people that you know who are unhappy with their daily life? It doesn’t have to be that way (and yes I understand there are a lot of factors at play). That said, people who use some of their signature strengths everyday are three times more likely to say they have an “excellent quality of life” than those who don’t. Sounds easy enough, right.

 

Some research suggests that strengths of hope and spirituality correlate the most with increased life satisfaction. An easy way to get started down this path is to pick one of your top strengths and use it in a new way for the next week, everyday. Be deliberate. People who do this have increased happiness and decreased depression for up to 6 months afterward, according to Martin Seligman’s latest book, Flourish. Astounding! For me, when I feed my curiosity daily by reading interesting articles on HuffPost or in my RSS feed, I enjoy it, learn new things and even share interesting tidbits with my family and friends, which boosts those relationships.

 

People are at their best when they are able to use their natural characteristics, traits and talents – the strengths in which they naturally excel. When I do what I am designed to do, putting my strengths, the best of who I am to work for me, then I am most likely to produce my best work. If you combine the reasons above of increasing energy, engagement, motivation, achievement and life satisfaction, it sure seems to form a recipe for success.

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