Gratitude is the Attitude!

 grat·i·tude  

Noun:  The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness

Synonyms:  gratefulness, thankfulness, thanks, appreciation 


We are all familiar with gratitude.  We use it all the time - thanks for helping out, I'm grateful you showed up when you did,  I really appreciate that you came in to help me today!  It's a good attitude to have and one that God wants us to have but did you know why it is so healthy for you?  Feel free to show your gratitude later, but I did the research for you!

First of all, what is gratitude?  According to Robert Emmons, (who is described as perhaps the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude) there are two key components:

1.     It’s an affirmation of goodness.  We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts and benefits that we have received.

2.     We recognize that the sources of this goodness are outside of ourselves; that they may be from other people or higher powers (in my case, God).

And let’s not forget the social aspect of all this because gratitude allows us to see how we have been supported and affirmed by others and encourages us to not only appreciate the gifts we receive but to repay them or pay them forward.  One sociologist, Georg Simmel (and, no, I didn’t misspell his first name!), called gratitude the “moral memory of mankind”.

Now to the why!  There are some really good reasons to practice gratitude and the benefits are available to almost anyone, even in the midst of adversity:

• Gratitude brings us happiness.  It boosts feelings of optimism, joy, enthusiasm and other positive emotions.
• Gratitude reduces anxiety and depression.
• Gratitude is good for our bodies – it can strengthen our immune system and make us less bothered by aches and pains.
• Grateful people sleep better.
• Gratitude makes us more resilient.
• Gratitude strengthens relationships with friends and loved ones.
• Gratitude promotes forgiveness.
• Gratitude is good for kids – they feel more connected to their community.
• Grateful people are more helpful and compassionate.

That’s a lot of benefits!  Did you know that just by recognizing things you have to be grateful for, you are improving your own standard of living – not to mention the recipients of those you repay or those who receive your pay it forward! 

Finally, what are some techniques for acknowledging our gratefulness?  I always remember Oprah Winfrey talking about keeping a gratitude journal.  She suggested writing down 5 things you are grateful for each night and promised that this one exercise (done daily) will make positive changes in your life!

In my Daily Guidepost reading for today, I read about a husband and wife that used a similar exercise when one or both of them had a bad day.  They would challenge that person to name 7 good things about the day which they could thank God for.  It could be as simple as having a good breakfast, a friend called, or there were no bills in the mail today.  (and I do bet that if you are a faithful reader of this blog that you thought about the number 7... you did, didn't you!)

Teach children to show and think about gratitude, write to an important someone you have neglected to properly thank, and savor (take time to really reflect and appreciate and enjoy) the good things in your life!  

Let's end with a short verse from Psalm 119 (that's right, the longest chapter in the bible I do believe....)  

"Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous ordinances."  Psalms 119:164