Posted on November 20, 2017
In case you missed it, I recommend this wonderful article that tells a beautiful story about gratitude in action: http://online.wsj.com/public/r.... The "in action" part is important, according to UC-Davis psychologist Robert Emmons, who is quoted. When we take gratitude from feeling to doing - by keeping a gratitude journal, for example - we stand to gain in ways we might never expect: sleeping better, having a stronger immune system, reducing our stress and even depression, and opening the doors to relationships.
My guess, although the article doesn't quite say so, is that gratitude needs to be our driver, not the health benefits themselves. I'd be surprised if we could gain those health benefits by treating this like a trip to the gym: "I'm going to do a gratitude workout today to reduce my stress." But when gratitude is heartfelt and sincerely expressed in action, as it was by Yolanda Avram Willis, the subject of this article, then we may experience these collateral benefits.
So try putting your gratitude into action this holiday season. And may you receive many benefits in return!