The foundation of happiness is gratitude so does that mean that the Danes and the Finns are more thankful than we Americans? They are, stats tell, the happiest countries in the world. They are also among the most well-off, but it appears that only being better off than others without being grateful does not lead to increased levels of happiness. Emmons and McCullough did an interesting experiment in which three groups of people were asked to write lists and then had their relative levels of happiness compared. The lists were:
(1) What I’m thankful for (gratitude condition)
(2) What Is a Big Hassel (hassel condition)
(3) Anything I feel like writing down (control condition)
Group number one just by virtue of writing down a short list of what it is that they were thankful for at the end of each week for 10 weeks ended up 25% more happy than the other groups. Even when in a subsequent experiment with a new group added that wrote down how much better off they were than others (the comparison group) the gratitude group still came out significantly happier.
So, come on, what are you waiting for? Be thankful; write out your list today and continue to do so every week from now on. Be thankful for what you have and what you have will make you happy - much happier than what it is that you think you need but don’t have. It’s what’s in your hands that makes you happy; hold it, hug it, smile, and be thankful. Big Frank is - he’s smiling - Big Time!
1 comment:
That was a nice blog. I am thankful for my husbznd my children and grandchildren. I am also thankful for being able to live this long and not be incapacitated. love, Mom
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