Robert Emmons: The Power of Gratitude

Being grateful is an attitude and it ranges from saying 'thank you' when receiving a gift...to a deeper sense of thankfulness for life, looking at life through gratitude glasses - considering everything good or bad in life as a potential gift.

Gratitude is the -

• affirmation of good things in our life existing alongside problems, challenges, & issues. Plus,
• acknowledgement or recognition of the sources of this goodness...where does that goodness come from.

Journaling about everything good happening to us is just the beginning... the first step towards making gratitude a way of life.

Gratitude has been shown to heal us of past hurts, energize us with hope, & change our life with inspiration for the future.

The powerful positive triad of looking at 

• the world, 
• at other people, and 
• at themselves 

with an attitude of gratitude brings more positive outcomes for grateful people than ungrateful (less grateful) people.

Studies have shown that when it comes to success in life, grateful people tend to be happier, more satisfied, more pro-social... but also more generous, compassionate, forgiving, & helpful.