I have finished recently listening to the audio book called the Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor, who is a Psychologist from Harvard University. While the very name can obviously make one very skeptical, it was a very well rounded book that gave clear scientific and psychological examples and studies to back up its claims. It was not like many self-development manuals which is full of mere ideology that the author has created. The basic thesis is that happiness creates success and not the opposite which is usually taught in society that success creates happiness. There were many powerful aspects to the book which I will be dealing with in future posts, but one of the most intriguing parts of the book was the link between happiness and gratitude. Now, we all know the basic idea that gratitude makes us have a better view of the world and therefore, we become happier. However, Achor goes into more depth and points out the scientific studies that actual show this reality. In one study he cites, a group of individuals are asked to write down the things in their life they are grateful for every afternoon for just a few days. The results are astounding as the participants are not only much happier when the study is being done, but continue to be much happier after the study compared to the control group who did not write down what they were grateful for. The simple act of remembering ones blessings had a large impact.
In the end, gratitude is not just something we should practice; it is essential for our well-being and our happiness. It allows us to get out of the rut of only looking at the negative in our lives and actually begin to see the positives that are all around us, but that we usually miss. Today, a great activity you could start would be to simply write down the blessings of the day, no matter how small, you may see your view on the world start to change and your happiness grow.
Essence Restored 