Gratitude

A couple of years back, I was going through a rough time.  It seemed like everything was falling apart.  I wanted to emphasize the good in my life.  So I started a daily gratitude list and posted it on my personal Facebook page. 

Research shows that gratitude along with other positive emotions has beneficial affects on our health.  The more one experiences positive emotions, the more our immune system is strengthened and the less stress we feel.

As I started to write my daily gratitude lists, I found that I felt better.  I was happier.  I tended to be more optimistic.  The more I looked at what was good in my life, the less the negative seemed to be in my thoughts.

Gratitude is just being thankful; thankful for the people in one’s life, one’s health, one’s talents, anything that makes life enjoyable.  I don’t always emphasize big things like family, friends, work or my health in my lists.  Sometimes I am just thankful someone invented ice cream or that my fish made me smile or that the sun is out.

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to start a gratitude list. Looking at the things for which you feel gratitude will make you feel better and if nothing else,  it will just make you smile.

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© 2016 – Cheryl Fillion