I recently heard someone say they came to the realization that instead of complaining about everything, they needed to be grateful for being able to do the things that were required of them. They said they had lost many friends to accidents and death. It was a blessing that they were still here and able to carry out their daily activities. The individual expressed gratitude for what they could do. So what is gratitude and how can it help us.
It has only been recently that gratitude became the subject of scientific research. Dr. Emmons, an expert on gratitude and its benefits, states that appreciation can contribute significantly to an individual's life, making a big difference.
Gratitude offers many gifts ( benefits). When practiced regularly, it provides benefits that can be measured. The benefits include physical, psychological and interpersonal ones.
For example, when people change their attitude about themselves and their lives, they shift in how they interact with others, which becomes more pleasurable. The shift causes better feelings about oneself, and this is extended to other people. We could say that pleasant feelings become contagious.
The definition of gratitude, as defined by Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, is " the state of being grateful" or of thankfulness. It is one of many positive emotions.
The derivatives of this Latin root connect to the words, kindness, generousness, gifts and the beauty of giving and and receiving or getting something for nothing. This definition covers the way in which gratitude is expressed.
The practice of gratitude can bring on a good feeling and be a stimulus for motivation to complete task or goals that need to be finished. When goodness in life is acknowledged, gratitude is at the forefront of that goodness, and life takes on the purpose of living. It is more than a politeness or superficial feeling.
The best way to practice gratitude is to have a daily routine that includes reminding yourself of the gifts that come to you...
To read more, go to Amazon and purchase the book "The Gifts of Gratitude" by Theresa M. Ross
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