Gratitude is not a bunch of airy fairy hippie nonsense.
I see people who are very lucky and healthy and bemoan their fate. There is nothing worth being grateful for in their eyes. Their world stays small. No matter what they accomplish, it is always not enough.
When I suggest a bit of gratitude to people who are in a hell of complaining, I am often met with anger and disgust, even outrage.
But, gratitude will change your life in dramatic ways. Millions of dollars and many years of research is proving this scientifically.
(The Community Mandala Project is so very cool, as is this mandala by Donna Gentile)
At UC Berkley & UC Davis, Expanding the Science and Practice of Gratitude is multi-year study all about Gratitude and well being.
The Greater Good Science Center at Berkeley explains:
“Recently scientists have begun to chart a course of research aimed at understanding gratitude and the circumstances in which it flourishes or diminishes. They’re finding that people who practice gratitude consistently report a host of benefits:
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Stronger immune systems and lower blood pressure;
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Higher levels of positive emotions;
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More joy, optimism, and happiness;
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Acting with more generosity and compassion;
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Feeling less lonely and isolated.
THIS article in Happier Human details many studies on gratitude, all finding a marked increase in all things good when people practice gratitude. the results:
“A one time act of thoughtful gratitude produced an immediate 10% increase in happiness and 35% reduction in depressive symptoms, but the effects disappeared within six months and three months, respectively.
On the other hand, instructing participants to write down three things that went well and their causes every night for one week had a long-lasting impact.
After one week, participants were 2% happier than before, but in follow-up tests, their happiness kept on increasing, from 5% at one month, to 9% at six months. All this, even though they were only instructed to journal for one week. Participants enjoyed the exercise so much, that they just kept on doing it on their own.” (read more HERE)
How we express our gratitude is personal.
That we express our gratitude on a daily basis seems to be a universal need.
You can keep a gratitude journal, following the simple study above. You can donate to others. You can say thank you more often. You can be more sincere. You can have a little more patience. You can quit complaining.
Expanding your life might just be as easy as saying thank you for it, all the time, no matter what.
xoxo Dana
P.S.: The Catalyst Camp is coming, and it kicks off with a FREE feng shui video series to help you declutter your home in amazing ways! You can sign up HERE to get started!
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This is amazing! I have been keeping a gratitude journal for the past couple of months and I really do see a difference in every aspect of my life! Yeah, science!