Gratitude Tennis

Gratitude is a magic emotion.

When you feel gratitude, you can’t feel anger or sadness at the same time.

Gratitude is the antidote to contempt. It is the only emotion that can cut through the black cloud of negative thoughts.

Gratitude is fantastic for your health. You should make every attempt to express and receive more gratitude in your day-to-day life.

There's a very simple game you can use to harness the power of gratitude and it can literally change your life. It’s called Gratitude Tennis.

It only takes 3 minutes to play. Here’s how:

1. Set a 3 minute timer on your phone
2. Player 1 starts and serves up something they are grateful for
3. Player 2 must “return” the gratitude with something they are grateful for
4. Repeat “serving” gratitude's back between players until the 3-min timer goes off

You can win bonus points by sharing something you are grateful for related to the person playing the game with you. Gratitude is especially powerful to receive and Gratitude Tennis creates a structure where everyone involved has a chance to receive it.

The game works at home with your spouse, family and friends. It even works on Zoom with remote work colleagues. If you don't have someone to play with, don't despair. Either play with yourself in the mirror (seriously!) or try gratitude journaling.

If someone resists the idea or thinks it’s cheesy and awkward, lean on the short 3 minute timer. Resistance to the idea of Gratitude Tennis occurs because the game forces the sharing of authentic emotions. Unfortunately, that is not the norm for many people and many relationships.

Breaking that norm is uncomfortable. But fortunately, the game provides a structure to break through that norm and get into deeper connection. If you have resolve and highlight the brevity of the game, most people will come around quickly.

With Gratitude Tennis, I’ve never seen a game finish without wall-to-wall smiles.

The Takeaway

Set a reminder in your phone to play Gratitude Tennis at the same time everyday. I recommend playing it with your spouse just before bed. Play for a while and watch it change your life.

You made it to the end! Here’s a surprise 🎁

I’m humbled that you read my entire post. If that’s because you liked it, please consider joining my free email list and I’ll send you new posts every time I find a new idea. To sweeten the deal, I’ll send you to a secret page with my three favorite ideas after you confirm your email.

“I look forward with great anticipation to receiving each of your new ideas, they are the only email I haven’t unsubscribed from” — Ben, Sydney