Gratitude comes from the Latin word, gratia, meaning grace, graciousness or gratefulness depending on the context. Gratitude is thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives and recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least in part outside themselves. Thus gratitude helps people to connect to something larger.

Gratefulness is a “chosen attitude.” To experience it, we must be willing to recognize and acknowledge that we are the recipients of unearned benefit. People must give up the “victim” mentality and overcome a sense of entitlement and deservedness to be grateful.
There is a difference between feel grateful and feeling indebted. People who feel grateful experience some of all the benefits I have listed already. Those who, instead, feel indebted have higher levels of anger and lower levels of appreciation, happiness, and love. People who feel indebted are less likely go approach or make contact with others. They are more cut off and lonely than those who experience gratitude.

In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associate with greater happiness, self esteem, and satisfaction with life in general.

However, it is not merely a positive emotion, it also is associated with better health. Grateful people have stronger immune systems meaning less colds and illness, fewer doctors’ visits. They sleep better and are more rested in the morning. They tend to engage in better-self care –choosing healthier foods and exercising more. One study showed that among people who experienced a heart attack, those patients who saw benefits and gains from their heart attack, such a s becoming more appreciative of life, experienced a lower risk of have another heart attack.

Grateful people have better self esteem. People who cultivate gratefulness also experience significant improvements in relationships, academics, energy levels and resilience .It is associated with better relationships and less divorce . They appear to be better able to deal with tragedy and crisis.

In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associate with greater happiness But as I am sure you are aware, scientist are latecomers to the concept of gratitude. Religions and philosophies have long embraced gratitude as an integral component of health, wholeness, well being and virtue.

The grater Good Science Center in Berkeley has a project called Expanding the Science and Practice of Gratitude. This project will – expand the scientific database of gratitude, particularly in the areas of human health, personal and relational well-being, and developmental science – promote evidence based practices of gratitude in medical, educational, and organizational settings. In schools, workplaces, homes, communities – engage the public in a larger conversation about the role of gratitude in civil society. For example, scientists have learned that gratefulness is correlated with increased altruism. It is correlated with acting with more compassion and feeling less lonely and isolated. Those who practice keeping a daily journal of things they are grateful for are more likely to report having helped someone with a personal problem or having offered emotional support to another compared to those that did not. Grateful people have an increased capacity to be empathetic and to take the perspective of others. They are rated as more generous and more helpful by people in their social networks.

– Gratful people are more likely to behave in prosocail manners, even when others are not They are less liekly to retaliate agaisnt others, and experiecne a decreased desire to seek revenge. Our society— indeed the workd, really needs this, does it not?!
Of interest as well, grateful people place less importance on material goods, They are less likely to judge their own or others success in terms of possessions accumulated. They are less envious of the wealthy and are more likely to share their possessions with others.
Other positive things that cultivating gratefulness can do: -increased relationships—grateful people meet people more easily and build relationships more easily -improves physical health -improved psychological health—reduced experience of toxic emotion such as ency, resentment, frustration and regret. Gratefulness increased ones ability to forgive—a crucial thing for a happy life. -Up til recently sciene thought there was a “set point” of happiness. This is a belief that, just like there is a set point for wieght, each person may have a predetermined level of happiness. The set point concept is supported by research tht shows that people retu;rn to a characteristic level of happiness a short time after bother unusually good or bad events occur. But the reseach on gratitude show that people can move their set point upward to some degree—enough to have a measurable effect on oboth their outlook on life and their health.
So remember, gratitude is a choice. It is cone possible response to ;our life experiecneds. Cultivating it in our lives and in our society as a whole can reap many many benerfits.

Ways to cultivate gratitude: 1. Journal — in comparisons, people who kept a gratitude journal on a weekly basis exercised more regularly , had fewer physical symptoms of illness, felts better about their lives as a whole and were more optimistic about he future.. They were also more likely to have made progress towards an important personal goal over a two month period compared to others not keeping the journal. Those doing a daily journal had higher levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness, and energy 2. Thank you note 3. Count blessings 4. Thank you letter to someone you have never really thanked. 5. Use visual reminders. 6. Change your self talk. We all carry on an inner dialogue with ourselves. When this is negative, our mod is low. We can change that mood by what we say to velours. Thinking thoughts of gratitude can be quite effective in lifting the mood and the happiness quotient.