The Practice of Gratitude

Updated: Jun 2

Gratitude has the power to do three things:

Heals of past hurts

Gives hope and inspiration for the future

Turns our minds toward what is good

Dr. Robert Emmons, PhD. University of California, Davis: The Power of Gratitude

Gratitude affirms that life is good. Life is not perfect without hurts.

But, there is always goodness in life.

We can still name tragedy as tragedy.

But we choose with our minds, hearts, and souls to also see the Good.

We see simple gifts. We savor the moment and thank God for those gifts we still have.

We must attribute these gifts to a Giver behind the gift.

We must acknowledge a Source of goodness that is outside of ourselves.

We admit our humble dependence--that others did something for me and that there is a Higher Being that provided for me.

A grateful person can receive gifts that other people are providing for them. A grateful person can see life itself as a gift.

Grateful people have advantages when it comes to success,

Dr. Laurie Santos, Yale University, The Science of Well-Being

Experiencing gratitude can:

increase your mood
lower your stress levels
strengthen your immune system
lower your blood pressure.
make you feel a stronger social connection, which itself has this whole host of positive benefits