Ep – 61 ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE WITH GORGIAN BENTA

Usually I do a solo for Thursday’s Attitude of Gratitude but today we have with us someone who helped me in forming my attitude of gratitude, Gorgian Benta. Gorgian has had a podcast, The Gratitude Podcast, going for three plus years now. It is all about how to practice and seek out opportunities of gratitude.

Gorgian came to gratitude not from the peaks of success but from the depths of failure. He was about 25, laser focused on his career and trying to prove himself. He was studying for an MBA and had a partner in a business. There was no time for relaxation, family, friends – for life. And then things took a nosedive down to the depths of failure. It was from that position that Gorgian found gratitude. He saw things that were good in his life and the things that weren’t apparently good and he was grateful for them. This gratitude created an inner happiness.

“Oprah and Anthony Robbins had spoken about gratitude and its impact. I searched the internet for more information about this phenomena and came up empty. I wanted to share what I had learned with others around the world and also learn from them. Since I began my podcast I have interviewed more than 160 people about gratitude. There is always new facets to be gleaned from others on the topic.

“I grew up with my grandmother who was understanding and caring. My mother had taught me to say ‘thank you’, but I had never been taught to feel the gratitude. Experiencing the feeling of gratitude was an answer to my prayer. Even if nothing changed on the outside, I felt happy on the inside.

“The first thing each morning I think of three things to be grateful for. They could be based on what happened to me yesterday, or what I am looking forward to today. I also enjoy breathing in fresh air. It is a powerful way to connect to nature and helps me feeli the gratitude. I believe that we should be practicing gratitude throughout our day. It will change your life. I also practice a gratitude meditation each day. It has been important for me to do what I want to do rather than what I have to do.

“A book that I read that influenced me in the area of gratitude was Viktor Frankl’s, A Man’s Search for Meaning. In the horrors of the concentration camps he realized that his tormentors may control his physical environment, but they could not take away from him his reactions and thoughts to his life. If he could do it in those hellish circumstances, i felt that it was possible for me to do it.

“Every year in the second half of December I invite the listeners to review the past year and find at least three things that they should be grateful for that took place each month. To help remember they can use Google photos or if they keep a gratitude journal it contains all they need or one can go through their photos on their phone. A calendar is also a convenient way to remind yourself of what happened.”

May we all learn from Gorgian to be grateful for the things in our life even when the going gets tough. It only enriches our well being. It is a gift that we should gift ourselves 24/7, 365 days a year. Let us know how your life has improved while practicing gratitude. That’s a gift you can give me! If you want us to discuss something that is meaningful to you, write us, so that we can do it for you!