“Thank you for the money!”
I stared at the words I wrote in red ink across the bill I didn’t know how I would pay. Desperate for a change in my financial situation, I was willing to try just about anything and this was a suggestion from the book “The Secret”.
“How is writing these words across a page going to change anything?” I thought. I quickly pushed the thought out of my mind and imagined the day that I would have bills on auto draft without having to stress and figure out what bills got paid and which didn’t.
Being a spiritual person, but also skeptic of everything and the type that loves facts, data, science, and psychology, I wanted to understand this “attitude of gratitude” theory.
I’ve now practiced this for over a decade and have had some amazing things happen in my life using the Law of Attraction and Gratitude. So, let’s dive into this gratitude thing and see how it’s not just about saying “thanks” but a whole mindset that has completely changed my life.
Berkeley college published the results of a study in an article called How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain (berkeley.edu). They took almost 300 adults who were looking for mental health help and separated them into three groups.
- The first group received therapy.
- The second group were also asked to journal about their negative experiences in addition to their therapy.
- The third group was asked to write weekly letters of gratitude on top of the counseling they received.
This study found that people who wrote letters of thanks were experiencing much better mental health than the other two groups. They also found that people who used positive emotion words (instead of negative emotion words) were the ones who experienced better mental health.
An example could be: “I am grateful that I have the savings to buy new tires” vs. “Augh, I feel like I just put tires on this car but at least I have the money”.
But how does this make your financial situation better? In my research and experience it seems to boil down to a few things:
Better Brain Function
In his book “What Happened to You”, co-authored with Oprah, Dr. Bruce Perry compares our brain to an upside-down triangle. The lower parts of this triangle are the parts of our brain that control our survival instincts and the higher parts control the creative and critical thinking aspects.
When we are stressed, those higher parts of our brains start shutting down and we move into “survival mode”. When we lean into gratitude and really feel it, we become more relaxed. This allows those creative and critical parts of our brain to function better, and we tend to be more optimistic. This can put you in a place where you may be more comfortable with taking chances like applying for a new job or asking for a raise.
Rewiring
I like to think of our brains like computers that have been programmed over the course of our lives. Biology gives us certain pre-programed systems, but a huge part of our brain is developed through the experiences we have over our lifetime.
Practicing gratitude helps rewire your brain. Whether you’re writing in a gratitude journal, doodling your dream house, or feeling how grateful you are to have a warm bed to sleep in, your brain starts paving a new, happier path. If you have constant negative chatter in your head, it will take some time to change your habits, but focusing on what is going right in life creates neural pathways and helps train your brain to look for the opportunities and why life is good.
Confirmation Bias
Our brains are designed to always be on the lookout for things that confirm our beliefs. It’s called “confirmation bias” and it is done so subconsciously, most of the time you never recognize that it is happening.
If you believe the world is unfair and you are always getting the short end of the deal, you’ll find things to confirm that. On the other hand, if you believe that you can have a life where you can be the best version of yourself and life will present opportunities to make that happen, you’ll find ways to create those opportunities.
Better Relationships
We all know someone who is chronically negative. The sky is always falling and they are always left holding the short end of the stick. We also know people who, even when things are hard, appreciate what they have and what other people do for them.
Who do you prefer to be around and work with? People who are grateful are more likely to create better relationships and opportunities they may not have otherwise had.
Tips for Getting Your Gratitude Game On
- Thankful Journal Time: Jot down what you’re thankful for regularly. I like to write down one thing I am grateful for each day and why I am thankful for it. That extra layer really helps you to appreciate what it adds to your life.
- Share It: Don’t hold back on the “thanks.” Whether it’s a text, a note, or a good old-fashioned chat, expressing gratitude not only lifts others but can make your day too.
- Mindfulness Moments: Take a breather with some mindfulness. Especially when you’re feeling the stress, take a deep breath. It keeps you in the now and helps you keep your brain from going into survival mode.
Writing “thank you for the money” probably won’t make money magically show up in your bank account but practicing gratitude is a secret weapon for your brain, problem-solving skills, and relationships which can help improve your happiness and money over time. So, on this Thanksgiving Day, let’s make gratitude a daily habit and watch it work its magic this next year.
Ready to unleash the power of gratitude? Let’s do this!
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