Sometimes the topic of a blog is hard to come by – kind of like authors having writers block and then other times like last week, the topic falls into your lap. Gratitude comes in many shapes and sizes and Gratitude offers many positive attributes to one’s life but for today I am going to focus on how Gratitude creates and strengthens connections – human connections.
This realization hit me square on recently when I had the good fortune of coming across a group on LinkedIn called the Gratitude Ambassadors. This group was established by a gentleman named Kevin Monroe so naturally I had to reach out to him and the group. Within days of connecting online, we had a call where we shared each other’s story and talked about the power of Gratitude. Shortly thereafter, I joined Kevin and five other “Ambassadors” on a zoom call talking about all things Gratitude and sharing our thoughts and views on the power of Gratitude. Making these new connections with people from Iceland, Canada, England and other parts of the US brought a global perspective to the call. As we ended the call, it dawned on me that once again Gratitude had connected me with new people that I would never have met otherwise. It was further reinforced when Kevin showed us the results of a word cloud during a recent presentation. The participants were asked what were the benefits of Gratitude that they were experiencing and while Peace and Contentment lead the way, Connection was right there with them.
After the call was finished and I was reflecting on what I had learned I took note of when Gratitude had created other connections for me. Many instances of Gratitude from co-workers came to mind but I would think that to be common amongst us all as we aim to fit in and enjoy our time together at work – both giving Gratitude and receiving it. There were also several connections with guests of my hotels that put a smile on my face. In the hotel business, we are there to serve and there to make you feel like you are home when you are travelling so it is pretty common to receive thanks and Gratitude from your guests when you exceed their expectations. The smile was because I was thinking of the guests who have become friends – some for over 20 years – all due to being connected through Gratitude.
As the host of the Gratitude centered podcast, Tuesday’s Thanks, I interview senior industry leaders about their journey and provide them with the platform to thank those individuals that have helped them along the way. And you guessed it, this focus on Gratitude in the workplace has connected me to a global group of guests that I probably would never have met. They all have one thing in common and that is they had a need to thank people in their life for being a part of it and making a positive impact – truly an inspiring message for our next generation of leaders.
So while Gratitude has many benefits, I appreciate that my journey has been enriched through the many Connections I have made stemming from an act of Gratitude – whether I have been grateful for someone or done something for someone, and they were grateful for the act. When is the last time that you reflected on how Gratitude has made an impact on your life and what is the one Gift of Gratitude that you hold dear and near to your heart?
As they say, Gratitude is the Best Attitude so please go out and Harness the Power of Gratitude on a daily basis.
Brian Proctor is the CEO and Founder of Leeds Hospitality Group, LLC and the Host of the Gratitude Centered podcast, Tuesday’s Thanks where he interviews Senior Corporate Leaders about their journey and provides them a platform to Thank those who have helped them along the way.