At this time of year, we hear a lot about gratitude. With Thanksgiving and the winter holidays almost upon us, it is a wonderful time of year to count our blessings and focus on all we have to be grateful for in our lives. But what about gratitude as a way of life?
Being in a state of gratitude all year long is good for our mind, body and soul. Expressing our gratitude not only improves our physical and psychological health, but it also deepens our relationships, helps us sleep better, motivates us to work harder, and supports our immune system. When we focus on gratitude, we are immediately in the present moment, which then reduces our stress, helps shift our perspective, and raises our energy.
One of my favorite resources on the importance of gratitude to our health and happiness is The Greater Good Science Center. In this article “Why Gratitude Is Good,” the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude, Robert Emmons, explains the physical, social and psychological benefits of expressing the goodness in our world and how it “allows us to participate more in life. We notice the positives more, and that magnifies the pleasures you get from life. Instead of adapting to goodness, we celebrate goodness.”
Think the world of business and commerce is blind to the value of our blessings? Well, think again. Even Forbes Magazine posted an article on “7 Scientifically Proven Benefits Of Gratitude That Will Motivate You To Give Thanks Year-Round.”
Still not convinced? Then take a look at what the Harvard Medical School has to say in “In Praise of Gratitude.”
As I ponder this holiday season, I know I have so much to be grateful for each and every day. I am grateful for each breath I take, for this life that I get to live, for the opportunities I’ve been granted like an education, an amazing career, to choose the person I want to marry and spend my life with. I am so blessed to live in beautiful Oakland, California where I can walk to stores, restaurants, cafes and my office. I have such gratitude for my body, for my ability to walk, to dance, to swim, to chase after my nephews, to hug the ones I love. I feel so blessed to have such an amazing husband who supports me, my wonderful father who is always there for me, my strong sister who somehow gets my weird sense of humor, and my adorable nephews who bring me such joy. I thank God/thegoddess/theUniverse every day for my wonderful friends who have been with me to not only share the joys but move through the challenges with as much grace as I can muster. I feel blessed by each every client I work with that they have trusted their health and well-being my guidance and I learn so much from them as well about grace, acceptance, openness, and heart. I choose to be grateful for this life, each and every day.
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