«Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you» (1 Thessalonians 5:16—18).
ACCORDING TO RECENT STUDIES carried out at the University of California by Rene Dickerhoof and Sonja Lyubomirsky, people who express their gratitude constantly are significantly happier, more satisfied, and have a more positive attitude toward life than those who are not usually thankful and demonstrate it verbally. As you can see, experts in positive psychology emphatically say that being thankful has the power to increase our feeling of happiness and personal well-being and to strengthen our relationships with other people. These two benefits are not insignificant, right?
In another study done in 2003 by Robert A. Emmons of the University of California and Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami, the researchers arrived at the conclusion that writing five things every day for which we are thankful can increase the level of happiness in people by up to twenty-five percent. That percentage is not small. Something as simple as writing down (perhaps in a diary of gratitude) situations that have happened to you during the day, giving thanks them and elevating the positive, will help your mind to feel fuller. I believe that it is worth trying this, don’t you think? Being thankful the rain, the sun or the wind, for the food on your table, for your family; even being thankful how the trials of the day have made you grow and improve is an exercise that brings extraordinary benefits. In current times, when depression, anxiety, and sadness abound, it is well worth the trouble to invest so as not to fall into them.
It is not easy to define what gratitude is exactly. An emotion? A virtue? A value? An attitude? A personality trait? What is clear is that it can be worked on, and this is the point that is worth stressing. We can—and must—change gratitude into a life habit, knowing that it will bring benefits. It has to do with teaching the mind to center on the good that comes to our path, being conscious that it comes from God, and expressing gratitude within and without. It has to do with learning to give thanks to God in all we do, in word or in deed (see Colossians 3:17).
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Take From: Daily Devotions for Women’s 2020
«One Day at a Time»
From: Patricia Muñoz Bertozzi
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Magda Sanz T
