Perpetuating Merriment

Gratitude and how we express it has always been important, and not just for those we express it to, but also for ourselves. By now, it’s well-known that expressing gratitude makes us happier, as evidenced by studies such as Emmons and McCullough’s Counting Blessings Versus Burdens. Given the tribulations of the past couple years, gratitude could also be more impactful to those around us.

Discussed in this episode of podcast series Radical Candor, appreciation fortifies our relationships, making everyday interactions more enjoyable and meaningful. With the modern working world still shifting under the undulations of the Great Reshuffle and offspring movements like Quiet Quitting, showing genuine gratitude for those we work with is crucial not just for encouraging our teams, but for keeping them.

Further illustrated in The Tragic State of Work in America by Google’s Dart Lindsley and psychologist Barry Schwartz, the pandemic somewhat reduced the gleam and glamor of money as an end-all incentive. Despite the concerns of inflation, modern teams care less about the traditional pay-for-performance model of motivation and retention. While money satisfies bills, purpose is what satisfies people.

Conveyed in this video by Participant Media, expressions of gratitude are what build mutual happiness. Telling someone how their specific contributions matter, or how they helped us, goes a long way to adding happiness to their day, whether they’re a loved one at home, a colleague at work, or a clerk at the grocery store.

This holiday season, don't just add to the atmosphere of merriment—perpetuate it. Gratitude shouldn’t be exclusive to a specific time of year. Rather, it should be given and shared throughout the year.

“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
- Marcel Proust