28 Nov How gratitude leads to happiness
I frequently post here about gratitude and appreciation for one reason and one reason only…it's such a powerful contributor to health and happiness and wellbeing.
So assuming people reading this blog are interested in generating more happiness in their lives (a reasonable assumption, I would have thought, for a happiness blog on The Happiness Institute website!) I'm pleased once again to share with you this article elucidating on the reasons why the habit of gratitude leads to more hapiness…
by Barton Goldsmith from Psychology Today
I love the Thanksgiving holiday because it is a reminder to us all that we need to be grateful for what we have—and the Pilgrims didn’t have much. Mostly they had hardships, but they still believed in gratitude.
The thing that eludes most of us is that this feeling of gratefulness needs to be part of our daily lives and be reflected in our behaviors, especially with those we love. Unfortunately, with the rigors of daily life, we can easily forget that we need to be thankful for whatever we have—even if our life isn’t what we think it should be.
You can’t bargain with gratitude. For example, it doesn’t work to say, “I’ll be grateful when I get this deal done or when he or she says they love me.” If gratitude isn’t a constant in your mental universe, then you may be pushing away some of what you want. Even if what you’re thinking goes unspoken, others will pick up on your attitude.
Creating the habit of gratitude is something that will serve you in all areas of your life. Those who are grateful have less resentment and are usually happier people. The benefits can even extend to your physical wellbeing, and nothing says “I love you” to your partner more than being grateful that he or she is in your life…
…keep reading the full & original article HERE
and PS: although this article focuses on the American holiday of Thanksgiving, the principles are, I believe, relevant to us all no matter where we live (and I hope you think so too).