Power of Gratitude
Posted on July 22, 2021 by Robert Main, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
Remember the power of gratitude when your partner’s efforts become commonplace and you start to wonder why your relationship has lost its spark.
The key to the success of my marriage is, and will always be, the conscious discipline of appreciation. Both my wife and I work hard at this and it is no surprise that we work harder for each other because of it.
When your partner’s efforts become commonplace and you unconsciously expect them to put energy into sustaining the marriage, it’s very easy to start over-looking and not appreciating their efforts.
For me, it was back at the beginning of our relationship. Tina noticed how long my hours had gotten at work and so one day when I returned home (we lived separately but at the same property) she asked if she could do a load of laundry for me. Well, I was totally taken aback, I didn’t know what to say. In fact, I turned her down initially but then she said “I just want to help you get something off your plate.”
There are no words to describe the level of appreciation I had for her. It was at that moment that I felt she truly cared for me. I felt that she understood and supported me, and what I really needed. She gave me the motivation to keep going, and it was easier, knowing there was someone else on my team.
As a result, I wanted to find some way to repay her. And repay her I did. And then she reciprocated and I reciprocated back, and so on and so on.
To this day the power of our love is based on the foundation we built, working on the conscious effort to show our appreciation for each other on a regular basis. This is also one of my main parenting principles and it is something we do every day at dinner as a family. Before we begin eating, we take a moment to say out loud something that one of us did during the day that we are grateful for. Sometimes it is only one of us contributing, but often we all have something noteworthy to add, especially because it has become a habit. It is always heard, felt and appreciated.
Being aware of appreciating each other motivates us to work hard at the relationships that matter most. In turn, it creates a fantastic cycle of giving and getting what you want most – to feel loved and appreciated. And it becomes your new normal.
