I talk and write about gratitude a lot. I say that gratitude constitutes the most powerful prayer. I stress that only through an attitude of gratitude do we open ourselves to receiving the things we desire. However, today someone I know shared something with me that proves that gratitude is also good for you – physically as well as spiritually and emotionally. I’d like to share the information with you. It comes from Stephen Post, PhD, the author of Why Good Things Happen to Good People. In his bok he says:
The implications of this research have changed the way I look at my life all year ’round, but they’re especially meaningful to me during the holiday season. Here are five discoveries from our work at IRUL to keep in mind as you gather together to give thanks with your loved ones.
1. Gratitude Defends
Just 15 minutes a day focusing on the things you’re grateful for will significantly increase your body’s natural antibodies.2. Gratitude Sharpens
Naturally grateful people are more focused mentally and measurably less vulnerable to clinical depression.3. Gratitude Calms
A grateful state of mind induces a physiological state called resonance that’s associated with healthier blood pressure and heart rate.4. Gratitude Strengthens
Caring for others is draining. But grateful caregivers are healthier and more capable than less grateful ones.5. Gratitude Heals
Recipients of donated organs who have the most grateful attitudes heal faster.
Makes you stop and think doesn’t it? How often do you find yourself NOT in a place of gratitude? What does that do to your body?
Today, really try to achieve an attitude of gratitude. Not only will you become healthier if you can maintain an attitude of gratitude over time, but you will, indeed, find yourself receiving more of what you desire as well.
