The purpose of gratitude

Gratitude keeps us connected to what is working, rather than dwelling on what is not working.

When used in its purest form – as a celebration – gratitude keeps us connected to the natural joy of giving that comes spontaneously when we are connected to how powerful we really are in our capacity to enrich each other’s lives.

Besides being a form of celebration, receiving gratitude also serves the function of feedback, and lets us know that we have hit the mark. Most of us want our words or actions to serve or contribute to life, and without this feedback, we can be tempted in certain situations to stop trying. Who wants to put energy into something that seems to bear no fruit?

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This post is an excerpt from my upcoming home study course, Empower Your Communication: A step-by-step introduction to Nonviolent Communication (NVC).