by: Evelyn Lolis
The ancient Greek word charis means grace, goodwill, and the kind of beauty that arises from generosity of spirit. When we live with charis, with attentiveness, openness, and a gracious stance toward the world, we enter a state of deeper receptivity. It is from this place of attunement that feelings of profound gratitude can enter into our daily lives.
Psychological research highlights many physical and mental health benefits of practicing gratitude daily including increased positive mood, increased longevity and heart health, better immunity, increased feelings of social connectedness, decreased anxiety and depression, and overall improvement in daily living. These findings hold true across generations, from children to the elderly, suggesting that those who consistently commit to and exhibit gratitude are generally happier, more connected, peaceful, and healthier.
Interestingly, receiving is the hallmark experience for the Greek-American child, whether young or old. Tender acts of love like having your favorite meal prepared for you, receiving a to-go container overflowing with homemade food or dessert, finding a small icon somehow embedded in your bag or pillow case at camp, or being given solicited (and often unsolicited) words of wisdom that will transform your thinking and make your education and fancy credentials seem like tiny seedlings in the shadow of a towering tree. In fact, to be a first- or second-generation Greek-American means to fully envelop an indebted care to the generation(s) before you. From them, we receive and continue to receive a legacy of love, sacrifice, and limitless blessings. The common Greek greeting, “pianou eisai” or “whose are you?” says it all; it reveals an interconnected identity that is etched in our collective Hellenic ethos and Greek Orthodox faith. You belong.
As a researcher who has conducted studies on gratitude with both child and adult populations, I can say with confidence that being aware of all the daily gifts that unfold in our lives (i.e., practicing mindful gratitude) requires a concerted focus and alertness to the world around us. Do we recognize and sit with our blessings (in positive psychology also known as savoring the good), and align our hearts and spirit to scanning the environment for blessings? Do we take the time to notice the quiet moments of tenderness, connection, and centeredness that can ground our anxiety and level us daily?
In a world that is riddled with busyness, noise, and competing priorities, gratitude requires tremendous grit. We mistake busyness and performance culture with success and personal importance. This is both a fallacy and a trap. The evidence? Last year, the former Surgeon General published a report declaring loneliness an epidemic in this country. What is loneliness? Although many confuse it with physical isolation, in truth, loneliness is the deeper sense of feeling alone in your experience, even when surrounded by others.
November is the month where gratitude takes center stage. I encourage us to use it as an opportunity to take time daily to name our blessings explicitly as they unfold on a daily basis.
Here a few tips grounded in psychological literature for increasing your capacity for gratitude in your life:
- Notice and Pause. Blessings evoke feelings in us, ranging from physical sensations of soothing, calmness, or awareness to emotional indicators such as joy, wonder, and connection.
- Savor the good. This simply means, let it linger. When you are in the presence of a blessing (small or large), lean in to your body, its senses, and your feelings. Spend time savoring the enjoyment, peace, and/or mini-bliss that you encounter. Soak it in.
- Share and connect. Want the positive emotions or calm state to last even longer or ripple into your surroundings? Share your blessing with someone else. Share the experience verbally or extend it physically to another human being. Gratitude is a master connector. We are always grateful to someone or for something we receive. Gratitude is, by design, a relational act. Share it generously.
- Give. Write the thank you note (or text/email). Offer compassion to someone in need. Grateful giving is a way to connect deeply with your blessings so as to desire a means to express your thanks in a way that tangibly betters someone else (or the environment or any cause).
Gratitude is meant to be given.
As the holiday season approaches, let us take a moment to acknowledge the busyness and flurry that disrupt our peace for what it truly is, a contributor to anxiety, loneliness, and sadness that often arises when we move through the world overwhelmed. Instead, let us make a commitment to walk through the world, inviting charis…deeply recognizing all that we receive and how enriched our lives, and our Greek community, are because of it.
Please wait...