6 Long Term Effects of Choosing Gratitude

There are SO many immediate benefits of a gratitude practice – a positive outlook, affirmation of your abundance, feeling good – that it's not even a question of why, but when to practice. Researchers in the field of Positive Psychology have discovered, in recent studies, that gratitude aficionados experience some profound long term effects, too.

Whether it's the research led by Robert Emmons at UC Davis, or the studies done by Dr. Manuel Pereira da Silva at the Universidade do Porto, here are 5 areas in your world sure to change, when you invoke the power of gratitude in your world:

1. A Grateful World View. In the Emmons studies, most people report an average rating of nearly 6, on a 7 point scale, of being grateful. Related studies also indicated that the happiest people are also the most grateful.  They are quick to thank others, quick to cite a large number of people as factors in their success, and they are focused on what is going well in their world instead of what is not going well.

2. Enhanced Well Being.  Grateful people report higher levels of positive emotions, life satisfaction, vitality, optimism and lower levels of depression and stress. The disposition toward gratitude appears to enhance pleasant feeling states more than it diminishes unpleasant emotions. Grateful people do not deny or ignore the negative aspects of life.

3. Deeper Community Connection. People with a strong disposition toward gratitude have the capacity to be empathic and can engage the perspective of others. They are experienced as more generous and more helpful by people in their communities.

4.  Experience the Oneness of Life. Those who have a spiritual practice are more likely to be grateful. Grateful people are more likely to acknowledge the interconnectedness of all life and a commitment and responsibility to others. Gratitude does not require religious faith, but faith enhances the ability to be grateful.

5. High Value on People, Not Stuff. Folks who are grateful value the material stuff a lot less! They are less likely to judge their own and others success in terms of accumulated possessions. They are also more likely to share their possessions with others.

6. Easily Embody Success. Gratitude is a positive emotion that is a foundation for success. Contrary to popular belief, recent research has found that success comes from happiness, not the other way around. If you want to accomplish great things, it  makes sense to enhance your well being. You can easily do that with gratitude.

The bottom line is that being more grateful not only gives you instant access to feelings of abundance and possibility but they also re-program the fabric of your being so that the goodness of life can take up residence in your world… permanently.

Make it a point to embody gratitude every day.  You can silently thank someone, write a quick email, pick up the phone, or thank someone who helps you with something. It feels awesome and it's contagious.

Gratitude! It does a body, and a person, good!

Image: Joost J Bakker