The Transformati

vePower of

Gratitude

KATIA SOL MADJIDI

Dreaming the Grateful City

Created by Karen Kearneywww.syracuseculturalwork

ers.com

Inspired by the Onondaga Nation, Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address

Stumbling upon Gratitude

California! (The Ecology of Leadership)

Daily Gratitude Practice

What’s so Special about Gratitude?

• Affirmation of life itself• Turns our focus from the negative to

the positive• Opportunity for reframing – new lens

on life• Connects us to something greater

than ourselves • Cultivates a sense of wonder and awe

How can Gratitude Transform?

• Our Personal lives• Our Marriages/Relationships• Our Children• Our Organizations• Our Communities/Cities?

Personal Happiness & Health

8-year study (Emmons- UCDavis) - Regular gratitude practice results in:• Progress toward important personal goals • Higher alertness, enthusiasm,

determination, attentiveness and energy  • Better health, sleep duration and sleep

quality• Greater energy, optimism and positive

moods• Greater sense of feeling connected to others

Greater Good Science Centre at UCBerkeley

The moment you shift from a mindstate of negativity or judgment to one of

appreciation:

• Brain function becomes more balanced, harmonized, and supple;

• Your heart begins to pump in a much more coherent and harmonious rhythm;

• And biochemical changes trigger a host of healthful responses throughout your

body.

(J & M Levy)

Marriage and Relationships

The 5:1 Ratio

Gottman Institute:• #1 Predictor of success in marriages:– 5:1 or greater ratio of positive to

negative encounters– The solution? Gottman suggests

practicing gratitude in marriage, with at least 5 expressions of gratitude or appreciation for every 1 negative interaction

Gratitude in our Families

Gratitude in our Organizations

Why DON’T we practice gratitude?

• Deceptively simple• Afraid of putting ourselves out there -

being vulnerable?• Assumption – people already know,

taking for granted• Old world values of greed,

competition, selfishness, stinginess

The Keys to a Gratitude Transformation

1. COMMIT – just do it!

2. Look for what’s true

3. What you appreciate appreciates

4. Do it TOGETHER

5. Give thanks for what is to come–as if it’s already done!

Why Gratitude & City 2.0?

– Gratitude is the fertilizer for creating resilient, regenerative communities & cultures

–What’s missing in cities – sense of community- sense that you know each other – core vehicle in creating a sense of community/common unity – gratitude, love, appreciation – unifying force as much as judgment is a fragmenting force

– Creating a field of love & appreciation, in which we are nurtured by what we appreciate in each other

http://katiasol.com

www.theecologyofleadership.com