When our mom’s taught us the magic words (please and thank you for those that have forgotten), the lesson was doubly valuable. Not only did we learn to mind our manners, we may have also learned an important insight into our own happiness.
This week’s feature study explored the relationship between gratitude, health, moods and relationships.
How it worked:
- Two participant groups were tasked with keeping a weekly journal
- Group 1: Noted 5 things for which they were thankful each week
- Group 2: Noted 5 things that irritated them each week
The Results:
Group 1, the positive-things-thinkers, generally felt better about their lives and was found to be 25% happier than Group 2, the negative-note-takers. Similar studies support these findings.
Implications:
Work and home life can be stressful enough without emphasizing what’s wrong with the world. Maybe it’s time to remember the lessons Norman Vincent Peale shared with us back in 1952, when he published his book The Power of Positive Thinking. Or better yet, let’s take it back a decade to the Father Devine’s sermon that reminded his followers that, “you got to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative” – the sermon that inspired lyricist Johnny Mercer’s 1944 classic “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive”.
Fortune Cookie Bottom Line:
This Thanksgiving don’t be a turkey, give thanks graciously… your mama’s watching.
Featured Research Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ocean-robbins/having-gratitude-_b_1073105.html
