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| {a tiny turkey made by my tiny turkey} |
I love envisioning millions of Americans all doing the same thing today: giving thanks for the goodness in our lives. We’re united in gratitude today!
There are plenty of reasons to keep the momentum going after Thanksgiving. I love knowing that feeling genuinely grateful for life’s little gifts can literally improve our days. Wanna know how?
1. You’ll be happier
Breakthrough research by the Emmons Lab at the University of California-Davis shows grateful people have more positive emotions, life satisfaction, vitality, and optimism – and lower levels of depression or stress. Yep, gratitude’s like a miracle drug.
2. No need to keep up with the Joneses
Turns out people who regularly practice gratitude place less importance on material goods. They’re less envious of other people’s possessions and and more willing to share their own belongings with others.
3. You’ll stress less
Emmons told the New York Times this week that gratitude is an awesome antidote to stress. He said, “Grateful people are less likely to experience envy, anger, resentment, regret and other unpleasant states that produce stress.” Sign me up!
4. Gratitude cancels out fearOkay, so this doesn’t have scientific proof behind it; you’ll have to do your own research. 🙂 But I swear you’ll find you can’t be paralyzed by fear and feel thankful for something at the very same time. I love this thought so much that it inspired a painting for Art Every Day Month. Fear and gratitude cannot exist within the same breath.
Have you seen any of these gratitude benefits at work in your own life? I’d love to hear about them! Have a beautiful holiday, all, and THANK YOU for being part of my life.
