I'd Rather Be Grateful. You?

 Wisdom Nugget: "If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get."
                                                                                                                           - Frank A. Clark

Sun Salutation
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'God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today.  Have you used one to say "thank you?"' - William A. Ward.

Our world is pretty messed up. No doubt. There's certainly no shortage of justification for disappointment and cynicism. But what you are grateful for could change your life.

Very recently concluded studies show that the expression of gratitude can have profound and positive effects on our health, our moods and even the survival of our marriages...(huh?) Gratitude is really amazing in its physical and psychosocial benefits." In one study, Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D. of the University of California at Davis, and Mike McCullough of the University of Miami randomly assigned participants one of three tasks. One group kept a journal in which they were told to briefly describe five things they were grateful for that had occurred in the past week, another five recorded daily hassles from the previous week that displeased them; and the neutral group was asked to list five events or circumstances that affected them, but they were not told to focus on the positive or  negative. Ten weeks later, participants in the gratitude group felt better about their lives as a whole and were a full 25% happier than the hassled group. They reported fewer health complaints, and exercised an average of 1.5 hours more.

In a later study by Emmons, people were asked to write every day about things for which they were grateful. Not surprisingly, this daily practice led to greater increases in gratitude than did the weekly journaling in the first study. But the results showed another benefit: Participants in the gratitude group also reported offering others more emotional support or help with personal problems, indicating that the gratitude exercise increased their goodwill towards others, or more technically, their "pro-social" motivation.

Several studies have shown depression to be inversely correlated to gratitude. It seems that the more grateful a person is, the less depressed they are. Philip Watkins, a clinical psychologist at Eastern Washington University, found that clinically depressed individuals showed significantly lower gratitude (nearly 50% less) than non-depressed control.

This world would give us a plethora of reasons to despair. But when we cultivate instead an attitude of gratitude, things don't just look better - they actually get better. Hear Frank A. Clark "If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get." And Henry Ward Beecher adds that, "The unthankful heart...discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!"

Gratitude made the leper whole, multiplied 5 loaves and 2 fishes, gave Solomon wealth & wisdom. It preserved Winston Churchill's life, brings good health...etc. Listen to this, "He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has." - Epictetus. Wouldn't you rather be grateful?