Gratitude is one of the most heavily researched attributes for contributing to personal happiness. Martin Seligman's original positivity studies found that keeping a daily journal of gratitudes for six provided immediate measurable uplift, and that participants reported higher levels of happiness months later after stopping. His more recent research found that if participants added a factor of how they'd contributed to the opportunity for gratitude, the effects were even stronger. Ex: "I'm thankful to know about the chance for auroras tonight. I keep an ear open to learn when these might happen."
Today's challenge is to up your chances for happiness by expressing appreciation in your life. You can
do a list or start your own journal. You can step it up by expressing gratitude directly to someone who has mentored, challenged, supported or enriched you.
I want to express gratitude today to Kathy Jensen, extraordinary teacher, who mentored my love for the natural world and let me TA for her throughout my years at Topeka High School. It's going to take some sleuthing to find out if I can show this appreciation more directly. I'd hoped to find a picture online to put up here; no luck. I think of her often and thank/blame her for my obsession with biology and science.Today's quote: “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Okay! I expressed appreciation today to Leah, for giving me her sandwich and drink and chips; Samantha, for being fabulous; David and Judy, for telling their story; Brian S., for his incredible emotional genius; Joe, for making dinner; Benjamin, for calling me; Ameli, for keeping going; Rosa Pup, for her waggle dance. Okay!
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