How Gratitude Can Change Your Life

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, the holiday that has its
origin in the Puritan’s tradition of giving thanks for a good harvest.
The Puritans weren’t the first in this regard. Many religious and
societal traditions are based in the concept of gratitude. What all
these traditions may or may not have known is that recent scientific
studies point to a direct link between gratitude and a deep
satisfaction with life. Not only is it good to give thanks, it is good
for you to do so!

Benefits of Keeping a Gratitude Journal
In a study at the University of California at Davis, Professor
Robert Emmons came up with some very interesting and illuminating
results from his research project on gratitude and thankfulness.
Professor Emmons found that people who kept gratitude journals on a
weekly basis exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical
symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more
optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded
hassles or neutral life events. In addition, participants who kept the
journals were more likely to make progress towards their personal goals
in life.

People with a strong disposition toward gratitude have the capacity to be empathic
The study also notes that people with a strong disposition toward
gratitude have the capacity to be empathic and to take the perspective
of others. Grateful individuals place less importance on material
goods; they are less likely to judge their own and others success in
terms of possessions accumulated; they are less envious of wealthy
persons; and are more likely to share their possessions with others
relative to less grateful persons.

Look directly at your own life in order to be truly grateful
If the practice of gratitude is so beneficial to our overall
well-being, how can we learn to cultivate it more? My gut feeling is
that the type of gratitude we normally experience when we see others
that are less fortunate than ourselves is not enough. If it were, we
would all be much happier as we are surrounded by evidence of the
suffering of so many people in the world today. It seems that we need
to look directly at our own lives in order to be truly grateful and
thereby reap the benefits of gratitude.

Concentrate on what you have versus what you don’t have
The concept of gratitude is directly related to the idea of the
power of positive thinking. Concentrating on what we do have versus
what we don’t have seems to be the key. Reminding ourselves on a daily
basis of all the things that come our way keeps us grounded in
gratitude instead of want. At any given moment during the day we can
stop in the moment and be thankful. Keeping a record of these moments,
journaling, is what Professor Emmons recommends. When life becomes
overwhelming we can look back at our musings and see just how lucky we
really are.

Positive states of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness and energy
Indeed, further results of the University of California’s study show
that a daily gratitude intervention (self-guided exercises) with young
adults resulted in higher reported levels of the positive states of
alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness and energy compared
to a focus on hassles or a downward social comparison (ways in which
participants thought they were better off than others). There was no
difference in levels of unpleasant emotions reported in the three
groups.

The little moments can help you become attuned to gratitude
As we are told not to sweat the small things so too can we be very
grateful for the little joys in our lives. I just got back from running
to school to drop-off something for my daughter. Upon entering the
house, which is warm and toasty compared to the rainy, cold day
outside, I was greeted by my three dogs with tons of kisses and love.
They now lie by my feet as I type away. The house is peaceful and quiet
like my own personal sanctuary. I glance out my windows and see nothing
but the foliage that envelops my home. These are the little moments
that that we can become attuned to in gratitude. There are hundreds of
such moments in any given week if we are mindful of them. They add up
and build upon one another to create a more centered, content and
positive perspective on life.

Grateful people do not deny or ignore the negative aspects of life
Furthermore, the research reports that grateful people do not deny
or ignore the negative aspects of life. Again, my intuition tells me
that given the perspective that gratitude gifts us, we are undoubtedly
more equipped to handle life’s challenges. One’s attitude can determine
how effective one is in coping with what life throws in our direction.
Our perspective on life determines our reality. If we approach things
with a perspective grounded in say the belief that life is unfair,
everything that turns up will look unfair. But as we practice
gratitude, we are endowed with its gifts of optimism and the necessary
energy required to take on our lives.

How can you start to practice gratitude?
Begin with the art of mindfulness, being totally present in the
moment. Notice all the little things that surround you, things you
might take for granted if you hadn’t stopped to really look. Offer
acknowledgement of these small gifts much like my moment in a warm and
peaceful home with my dogs. Write them down in a gratitude journal. The
little things make up the fabric of our days, our months, and our
years. Oftentimes we hardly notice them because we are so caught up in
the task of living. As they say, stop and smell the roses.

Stop and consider what you have been given in life
Are you blessed with financial security? Do you have loving
children, a supportive family? A nice home? Are you in good health? Do
you enjoy your work? Do you have wonderful friends? What does nature
give to you? Do you have a supportive and loving mate? Concentrate on
what you do have and not what you lack.

The act of gratitude and the act of giving back reinforce each other
Research also tells us that the act of giving back to the world has
much the same effect as gratitude. Interestingly enough, Emmons study
also found that participants in the daily gratitude condition were more
likely to report having helped someone with a personal problem or
having offered emotional support to another. The act of gratitude and
the act of giving back therefore reinforce each other and lead to the
inevitable more fulfilling, meaningful and happy lives.

Start practicing gratitude today
These are things that we all know to be true in the abstract and yet
we can take them from the abstract into the specifics of our own
existence. Start practicing gratitude today. Pull out a notebook and
write down just one thing. Commit to adding to this journal everyday. A
good time might be before bedtime when you have time to reflect back on
your day. Think of all the good things that occurred. Perhaps a brief
but meaningful exchange with a child or a friend. Maybe a great cup of
coffee.