Attitude of Gratitude

The warm afterglow of Thanksgiving has been slow to fade. Last Thursday, as many families do, we went around the table and talked about the things that we were thankful for. Yes, there are qualifiers for each item, but....we and most of our loved ones are in good health (and we have a health plan!), we are financially stable, and our personal relationships are good. Objectively speaking, our situations are not much different from those in previous years [other than the Giants winning the World Series after a 56-year hiatus!!], but our attitude is.

Cultivating an attitude of gratitude not only imparts happier feelings, it also creates a virtuous circle that is likely to improve our circumstances.

Adults who frequently feel grateful have more energy, more optimism, more social connections and more happiness than those who do not, according to studies conducted over the past decade. They're also less likely to be depressed, envious, greedy or alcoholics. They earn more money, sleep more soundly, exercise more regularly and have greater resistance to viral infections.

Now, researchers are finding that gratitude brings similar benefits in children and adolescents. Kids who feel and act grateful tend to be less materialistic, get better grades, set higher goals, complain of fewer headaches and stomach aches and feel more satisfied with their friends, families and schools than those who don't, studies show.

Regularly counting our blessings, like exercising, results in all kinds of beneficial effects. According to an academic study,

Those who listed blessings each week had fewer health complaints, exercised more regularly and felt better about their lives in general than the other two groups.

Yesterday I spoke to an executive who was resentful about the way he’s been treated by his company. He’s always made a lot of money, but cutbacks have resulted in him having to adjust his plans. What he’s most upset about is that, while he’s performed well and his employer appears to be recovering nicely from the recession, the “temporary” belt-tightening in his compensation plan now appears to be permanent.

I didn’t have anything to offer but sympathy, because I’ve walked his path before. If his company doesn’t make things better, he’ll have to. Meanwhile he’ll also have to deal with his feelings of disappointment and anger. Counting his blessings—a nice family and a nice house in a nice neighborhood—will help. He just needs to see them.

30 days after the event some of the happiness is still around in our house