December 9, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

 

We've got much to be thankful for - first of all, the election is over - Whew!  Politics and civic duty aside, did you know that being thankful and expressing  gratitude is good for you - your happiness and well-being? Sonja Lyubomirsky, in her book The How of Happiness, states "the research clearly demonstrates that you would be happier if you cultivated an "attitude of gratitude."  She advises eight reasons for people to practice gratitude:  1) Grateful thinking promotes the savoring of life experiences; 2) Expressing gratitude bolsters self-worth and self-esteem; 3) Gratitude helps people cope with stress and trauma and to be able to adjust and move on; 4) The expression of gratitude encourages moral behavior; 5) Gratitude can help build social bonds, strengthen existing relationships and nurture new ones; 6) Gratitude helps you quit thinking about what the "Jones" have and that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence; 7) Gratitude is incompatible with negative emotions - it's hard to feel resentful, angry or jealous when you're expressing gratitude; 8) Gratitude helps us from taking the good things in our life for granted. 

 

Now that we know the reasons for practicing gratitude, how do we actually go about it?  Well, here are some suggestions, again from Dr. Lyubomirsky.  Write down what you are grateful for, perhaps in a journal and on a daily basis.  Or, Contemplate your blessings and how your life has been enriched by them.  Or, Share with others what you love and see their appreciation through a fresh perspective.  Or, Express gratitude directly to another person, either by phone, face-to-face, or in a letter.  And, it's important to know that even the act of writing the letter, whether it is ever sent or not, can boost your sense of happiness.  In sum, there are a variety of ways to express gratitude, and you may want to vary those ways in order to keep the feeling of gratitude fresh and sincere. 

 

These are just some of the many ways to practice the strategy of gratitude - there are certainly others.  The main thing is to find what works for you.  And, the world will certainly brighten as you begin to share your sense of wonder, thankfulness and appreciation for life.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!  And let me know how it goes!