GRATITUDE
By Floriana Tullio / 18/01/2026
THANK YOU …
What a familiar, simple, subtle, and profound word. Simply thinking about it almost automatically propels us to a state of well-being, pleasure, and joy.
As Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”
Giving thanks is an invitation to search within ourselves for the most sublime emotions and feelings. It is connecting with what makes us happy, recognizing it, and being able to express it in some way. “Gratitude is focusing on what I have, not on what I lack,” Dr. Mario Alonso Puig reminds us.
Every time we take a moment to acknowledge what we have and give thanks, we transform our present into an instant of awareness, where we can observe and feel what makes us happy, where we create a space of warmth and love for others and for life, with fullness and inner peace, even if only for a moment.
Socrates described his perception of gratitude: “He who is not content with what he has will not be content with what he would like to have.” With this, he confirms that gratitude is an inherent state of being and is not subject to external conditions. On the contrary, it is intimately related to our very human essence, to the intrinsic capacity we living beings have to feel and value all the good that our lives hold.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that this sense of well-being is associated with and supported by physical well-being. Science has quantitatively verified the immense benefits of practicing gratitude. One example is the increased production of hormones associated with happiness and pleasure when we feel grateful, while the production of hormones linked to stress, such as cortisol, decreases.
“There are flowers everywhere for those who want to find them”, Matisse famously said. If we focus our attention on gratitude, on seeking out the things we are thankful for, we will surely find many more than we initially think we know. Below, we recommend some very simple daily practices to promote greater awareness of this great strength that is gratitude. If you practice them consistently, with discipline and regularity, you will realize that you have incorporated the habit of consciously giving thanks into your life and will soon be able to appreciate its benefits.
Habits you can incorporate (if you haven’t already) to deepen your gratitude:
Keep a gratitude journal, preferably at night before bed, where you write down at least three things you are grateful for that day. For this habit, it’s best to focus on specific things rather than general ones. For example:
- I am grateful to have had lunch with my friend this afternoon.
- I am grateful to have successfully organized the important papers in my office this morning.
- I am grateful to have given a simple and clear presentation at my work meeting, etc.
Practice gratitude in specific situations and moments throughout the day. For example:
- Verbally thank the person who serves you coffee at the cafeteria, give thanks with a gesture to the car that let you pass, verbally thank each time a coworker passes you a message or a report, etc.
Consciously express gratitude to your family members or the people you live with or see regularly. For example:
- Recognizes the value of positive daily gestures and actions such as helping with household chores, taking out the trash, cleaning the car, clearing the table, washing dishes, etc.
Remember that the most important thing is to do them consciously, consistently, and start with simple actions.
“If the only prayer you say in your life is ‘thank you,’ that would be enough.” – Meister Eckhart
With immense gratitude for your time and trust,
Always at your service,
Light on Work
(Written by me, without the use of AI for this blog)