G-Force Living: How to Accelerate Your Well-Being

“What’s in a name”—or this case a letter, the letter “G”?

G is the seventh letter of the alphabet. Its origins date to around 1200 BCE with the development of ancient alphabets.

Over time, G has taken on broad meaning and symbolism—from spiritual associations like God and the Holy Spirit in Christianity, to the Great Spirit in certain Indigenous cultures; Osiris, god of fertility and death, in Egyptian philosophy; and the Grand Architect of the universe for Freemasons. G also appears in numerology, signifying introspection, intellect, and wisdom. In STEM fields, G stands for gravitational acceleration in physics; a variable in algebra; and global connectivity in tech like Gmail. Even reproductive anatomy used “G” to describe a woman’s erogenous Gräfenberg zone or “G” spot.

The Miriam-Webster dictionary has nearly 10,000 words that begin with G. Of them, four especially stand out as essential wellness words to accelerate your mental health and well-being.

Gratitude

Gratitude is sensing happiness and acknowledging goodness in response to a fortunate experience or cherished gift. It has been suggested (Jans-Beken et al., 2020) that gratitude is both a state and trait, meaning gratitude can be experienced in a specific moment or over the long term as a character quality or attribute.

It's also been suggested (Emmons & McCullough, 2003) that gratitude has two aspects: a global affirmation of the potential for goodness in life; and recognizing that such goodness lies outside the self—that an external actor or force would consider us worthy of receiving their efforts or resources and being thankful for them.

Classical philosophers who spoke of “the good life” believed in cultivating gratitude both for individual and social well-being. At the personal level, gratitude promotes positive attributes such as joy and affection and quells harmful ones like greed and jealousy.

Research (Sansone & Sansone, 2010) shows that when we express gratitude, our brains release dopamine and serotonin, two important neurotransmitters that regulate our moods and emotions. This deluge makes us happier, less stressed, and more content, and improves general health.

Gratitude is also beneficial because it helps us connect with others and strengthens existing relation­ships. When we’re grateful, we are more likely to feel empathy and work for the common good.

How to bring more gratitude into your life:

• Start a gratitude journal. Research (Nawa and Yamagishi, 2021) found that completing a gratitude journal can increase motivation and achieving goals.
• Write letters of gratitude. Research (Iodice et al., 2021) also shows that writing about what you’re grateful for can lead to better mood, coping, and physical health.
• Nightly gratitude prayer or meditation: Before going to sleep (or if you can’t sleep), reflect on six things you’re grateful for.

Grace

Grace is the feeling of undeserved goodwill, compassion, kindness, or self-sacrifice and being blessed beyond what you might reasonably expect. Grace is often associated with divine gifts or influence, though it does not have to be.

The benefits of grace are many. Research (Bronte & Wade, 2012) shows that grace is associated with positive emotions like feeling alive, surprise, awe, wonder, and love. Like gratitude, grace also releases torrents of “feel-good” chemicals that positively affect mood.

Grace empowers us to do and be what we might not, if left to our own devices, propelling us forward to make positive change. Its healing effects awaken latent resources and direct them into purposeful action. Grace’s voice is small and still, reminding us of truth, worthiness, and love. All of us could use the motivating power of grace.

How to bring more grace into your life:

• Practice “benevolent honesty.” In my book Holding Onto Air: the Art and Science of Building a Resilient Spirit, I talk about benevolent honesty as a clear-eyed, no-exaggeration view of life, but doing so with kindness and compassion—an embodied gentleness with ourselves and others as we absorb new realities. Speak softly. Listen humbly. Avail yourself always.
• Allow for imperfection and uncertainty. Life will sometimes disappoint, fall short, or throw you a curve ball. Forgive the faults. Accept actualities. Honor the human condition.
• Try a weekly “Give and Receive” meditation. At the end of the week, reflect on four times you willingly gave someone grace and how it made you feel and four times you willingly accepted grace and how that made you feel. You can also journal your responses.

Generosity

Generosity is abundant, selfless giving—a spirit free from force, grudges, or resentment and being open and willing to share without expectation of receiving something in return.

The French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir considered true generosity as “giving your all and always feeling as if it costs you nothing.” Psychologists have called this feeling a “helper's high,” a euphoric state that results when people engage in generous or charitable activities.

Gratitude Essential Reads

How Our Emotions Dictate the Way We View Time

Research Finds That Hearing "Thank You" Really Matters for Parents

Research (Allen, 2018) shows that human beings are hardwired for reciprocity. Even a small gift activates our desire to respond in kind. Being generous, too, releases “feel good” chemicals in the brain like serotonin (regulates mood), dopamine (increases pleasure), and oxytocin (creates connection). It also lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, anxiety, and pain, and boosts the immune system.

How to bring more generosity into your life:

• Give from your wallet. Buy a grocery or gift card and give it to someone else in line. Refill a parking meter when it’s running low. Pay off a layaway during the holidays. Take part in “Giving Tuesday” by supporting your favorite charity or “do good” organization.
• Give your time. Volunteer for a cause or at an organization whose mission you support. Become a mentor. Bake food for someone who needs help. Show up when needed.
• Give soulful inspiration. Compliment when people least expect it. Send a text or email with an encouraging quote. Leave a kind review in support of an experience you enjoyed. Take note of when you see someone having a hard time and share compassionate thoughts.

Grit

Grit is a combination of perseverance and passion to achieve a particular long-term goal. Without passion, perseverance leads to burnout. Without perseverance, we simply give up.

Grit helps us endure adversity without losing confidence, prevents us from falling prey to a victim mindset, helps us to be more consistent and learn from our mistakes, and focuses us on expressing self-command, rather than clenching control.

Research (Dautu, 2021) suggests several benefits of grit: reduced stress and depression, increased positive feelings like optimism and self-efficacy, better performance, higher levels of life satisfaction, meaning, and sense of coherence, prosocial behavior, happiness, and improved overall psychological well-being.

Grit takes character, courage, conscientiousness, creativity, and commitment, often in the face of difficulty and uncertainty. It’s a growth mindset that approaches challenges with a positive and practical mindset. While grit may come naturally to some, grit can be developed over time through self-discipline, self-advocacy, stress management, shifts in attitude, focused effort, and dedication.

How to bring more grit into your life:

• Identify and follow your passions. List the top three areas of interest or activities that spark passion. For each, identify actionable steps to expand this passion and commit to a timeframe. And remember, you’re in it for the long haul.
• Expect and leverage obstacles/setbacks. Don’t get distracted by frustrations or disappointments; remind yourself they’re part of the process. Sometimes it’s necessary to “fail wildly.” Quiet self-doubt. Look to the horizon. Celebrate small successes. Take appropriate breaks. The only way you achieve your goals is by overcoming adversity—and the triumph will be that much sweeter.
• Take healthy risks and challenge yourself. Like Frodo and Samwise Gamgee leaving the Shire in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, grit comes from stepping outside comfort zones, challenging assumptions, choosing a course that is new to you or partners who might surprise you, and having faith and hope even when it’s hard.