GRATITUDE

Gratitude. Appreciation.  Thank You.  Gratitude enhances relationships, health, and well-being.  Thank you for choosing the attitude of gratitude.

Gratitude is the perception that one has benefited due to the actions of another person.  It is the acknowledgement, appreciation, and recognition of the value of a gift or benefit.  Gratitude can be expressed toward others, inanimate objects, nature, animals, the universe, etc.   

Gratitude is a positive emotional state and is intrinsically rewarding; that is, gratitude leads to other positive experiences.  Consciously focusing on gratitude makes our lives fulfilling, meaningful, peaceful, and productive.  Gratitude also evokes other positive emotions, such as happiness, contentment, pride.  Appreciation for life is believed to be a core characteristic of self-actualizing individuals.  What’s more, we can feel grateful over and over for the same event and experience the benefits exponentially.   

Being thankful does not require material possessions; we can be grateful for life regardless of our life circumstances.  What’s more, gratitude is an antidote to materialism and the negative emotions that accompany materialism, such as envy, resentment, disappointment and bitterness. 

Research has found through gratitude interventions that people who express gratitude frequently are:

• Happier
• Healthier
• Optimistic
• Empathic
• Enthusiastic
• Generous
• More satisfied with life
• More satisfied with their interpersonal relationships 
• More likely to have made progress toward important personal goals (academic, interpersonal and health-based) 
• Less stressed
• Less depressed
• Less materialistic

GRATITUDE.  Try it on for size.