It's unfortunate, but in many cases creating a culture of appreciation in the workplace does require a culture change. Today, we are going to explore how harnessing the power of gratitude in both our business and our life can make a significant difference in our perspective, in our health, in all of our relationships, and in our personal and business prosperity. What exactly is gratitude? According to an article written by Dr. Oz, gratitude has five major attributes. First of all, gratitude is an emotion. True gratitude is not a casual uttering of the word "thanks," it is a heartfelt feeling that one experiences in appreciation of something or someone. Second, gratitude is in the details. More than expressing, "Thanks for your help," appreciation goes deeper. Remember, what gets recognized gets repeated. In more specific you can be in your expressions of gratefulness, the better the chances that those actions will be repeated. Third, gratitude is not an IOU. It is always better to thank them and be thanked. When someone does say, "Thank you" to you, always make sure to say, "You are welcome." When someone says, "Thank you," they are giving you a gift. By uttering phrases such as, "No problem", "It was nothing", "No worries," etc., you are taking the present bestowed upon you and throwing it back in their face. Fourth, gratitude needs to be a consistent practice. Think of gratitude as a muscle. When you incorporate appreciation into your life, even for just a few minutes a day, your gratitude muscle will begin to strengthen. Why would you need a hefty gratitude muscle? Because, according to Dr. Oz, the fifth attribute of gratitude is that it is not for wimps. It's very easy to be grateful when everything is going well. You just received a new job, you have met the love of your life, you are in the flow. It's not so easy to find gratefulness in times of distress. Today, we are going to explore gracious living from four areas. We will start with the Self and how a practice of appreciation changes our perspective and outlook on life. We will then move on to Health. What physical benefits does a practice of thankfulness have? You will also learn a few exercises that you can use any time you are not emotionally feeling at your best. Relationships with others is next. This pertains not only to friends and family, but to colleagues, bosses, and customers as well. And lastly, we will explore the impact of gratitude on our well. This includes both personal prosperity as well as business success.