Why Is Gratitude Such A Big Deal In The Self Help Realm?

When it comes to self development advice, we’re bombarded.

One thread comments on the importance of setting actionable goals. Another strand emphasises the role of visualisation and acting ‘as if.’ A third route professes the strength behind gratitude and just letting things naturally form in their own way: finding the opportunities and just saying Yes.

Today I want to talk about gratitude.

It’s a big deal in the self-development and wellbeing arena. But on it’s own, it can sound wishy-washy. We know that imagining rainbows and unicorns will not conjure them into being. What good is it to focus on positives, especially ones that are gone? What power is there in ignoring the difficulties, when we need to problem-solve them?

The human brain is ingrained with something called “negative bias.”

This was a crucial survival tool. Thinking of us as cave-people, remembering and putting a lot of emphasis on the threats, the poisonous berries, the grizzly bear instead of the beautiful sunrise was actually a survival…