The Power of Gratitude
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

Psychologist Martin Seligman has recently received notoriety for his focus on what he calls Positive Psychology. In his writings Seligman points out that traditional mental health treatment has focused on emotional disease and what’s ‘wrong’ to the point that we’ve lost touch with the positive elements of life like joy, compassion, and enthusiasm.

Gratitude is one of the elements of positive psychology which Seligman promotes. Gratitude is recognition that we have been given many wonderful things in life and that if we’ll allow ourselves, we can live a life of deep thankfulness. As we choose to recognize the good in life rather than just the disappointing, we begin to feel more satisfied, to be more engaged with life, have higher hopes, and enjoy life more regardless of our circumstances.

Here are some ways to promote gratitude in your own life. First, think of a person from your past or present who has had a positive influence on you. Write them a letter detailing how they’ve helped you and express to them your gratitude for their influence. If you really want to give this an extra boost of power, read the letter aloud to the person either on the phone or face to face.

Another exercise to try is to end each day by listing three things for which you were thankful that day. These don’t have to be big things – we can be grateful for sunshine, rain, apple pie, or naps. Take a moment to savor the enjoyment you received from these things and to allow yourself to feel gratitude that these things came into your life.

As we grow in our ability to be grateful we often find that our spirits lift and life’s heaviness fades. A grateful life is one which is not only more pleasurable to live but one which brings greater joy to others.


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