One of the most guiding principles of Evolution Hospitality is to work with gratitude and humility. Listen to John Murphy’s perspective on gratitude. “I think there’s a relationship between joy and gratitude.” He speaks of being humble and grateful as being the keys to the kingdom.
As we come back to the holiday season, we have busy days and busy minds. Remember, gratitude rewires our brain for true happiness and joy. We will dive into how the brain processes and transforms with gratitude. I’ll also teach you the psychological principles of processing gratitude. Yes! There is psychology science, which shows how gratitude can cause this type of transformation.
What happens in your brain? First, think about what happens when you have pain, especially emotional pain and day-to-day stress. Did you know the emotional centers which process pain in our brain can only work if our pleasure system is deactivated? Temporary activities to create pleasure are eating chocolate or buying yourself something new and exciting. This gives you a temporary rush and can quickly transform into guilt, which lends your brain to experience pain.
True pleasure, which can block the pain center in your brain, come in the form of social connections as well as gratitude. Making a habit of giving and receiving gratitude can rewire our brains for a consistent feeling of pleasure. How can we do that? Take a pause and say something you are grateful for in the past week. To stimulate the pleasure center in our brain, we have to perceive that gratitude through our senses.
When you give thanks and gratitude, think of a specific memory that is associated with your gratitude. Think of someone on your team who you are grateful for and think of a moment with them.
As we move forward, let’s stimulate the pleasure centers of your brain by not only giving gratitude but receiving gratitude. My challenge for you: before the end of the month, find a person you work with and tell them or write them a note about why you are grateful for them.
Could you take a pause and express this gratitude to a fellow evolutionary?
Show Notes:
- [01:22] John Murphy speaks on gratitude.
- [02:07] Gratitude rewires our brain for true happiness and joy.
- [03:01] I invite you to pause for gratitude for someone in your workplace.
- [03:19] What happens in your brain?
- [04:30] The types of true pleasure you can have to block the pain center in your brain.
- [05:41] Examples of perceiving gratitude through your senses.
- [07:29] Think of a specific memory when you give thanks.
- [10:22] Dr. Romie’s role at Evolution Hospitality and taking time to pause and share gratitude for the teams at EH.
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