Seriously? What Do I Have To Be Grateful For?
Have you seen me lately?
Have you looked at what a wreck my life is?
There is very little that is working right now.
And then I get a research study that tells me that if I started making the decision to be grateful, then I’d feel better – physically and emotionally.
researchers found that the practice of gratitude can increase happiness levels by around 25%. Second, this is not hard to achieve — a few hours writing a gratitude journal over 3 weeks can create an effect that lasts 6 months if not more. Third, that cultivating gratitude brings other health effects, such as longer and better quality sleep time.
Some ideas to get started: Keep a “Gratitude Journal” where you write something you feel grateful for. Doing so 4 times a week, for as little as 3 weeks, is often enough to create a meaningful difference in one level of happiness. Another exercise is to write a “Gratitude Letter” to a person who has exerted a positive influence on one’s life but whom we have not properly thanked in the past, and then to meet that person and read the letter to them face to face.
Come to think of it, when I think about the wonderful friends I have, the dog who adores me, the way my new socks feel, I have a lot to be grateful for.
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