I am thinking about Thanksgiving in the U.S. For some time Leah Dieterich has been writing a blog (thxthxthx.com) giving thanks to ordinary aspects of life. In a recent posting, she wrote:
“Dear Not Drinking,
Thanks for being like drinking but with fewer calories, no hangovers and less chance of accidents.”
She also thanks her digestive system for working and so on. You might wonder what she gets out of all that thankfulness, but there is good evidence that gratitude is good for one’s health — it tends to aid sleep, reduce anxiety and depression, etc. See http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/22/science/a-serving-of-gratitude-brings-healthy-dividends.html?hpw.
I feel grateful for having family and friends, for good health, freedom, having a job, having abilities and opportunities, and — yes — for my digestive system working. All my systems are go for continued life.
Expressing gratitude to others for something they have done has special value. Why? Because expressing gratitude to a person rewards that person. Also, it may lead to a positive response from the person. It may strengthen the relationship, and it probably makes it more likely the person will help out you or someone else in the future.
For what you are grateful? When did you last express your gratitude to another person?
John Malouff, PhD, JD
Associate Professor of Psychology
I’m grateful that I can choose what I want to do in life and to relax.