Not all happy people are grateful, but all grateful people are happy. Having gratitude and practicing gratitude has been proven to increase happiness by 25%. A whopping 25% boost in happiness for simply writing down five things that went well once a WEEK. That’s it! 

Boosting happiness is just one of the many benefits of practicing gratitude. Practicing gratitude also aids in falling asleep and lowering blood pressure. It boosts energy and resiliency while decreasing impulses of envy, greed and resentment.  

In positive psychology, it is understood that we are born with a happiness range and setpoint. Some folks are naturally and biologically happier. Gratitude, however, is something we learn and work on, and we can grow the amount of gratitude we have. By doing so, it becomes almost like a hack into your happiness quota. You can boost your range and setpoint by practicing gratitude. 

As you open yourself to gratitude, you recognize our interconnectedness. I am writing this article on a computer that was created by several individuals. I send my article to the editor. It then takes a team of other individuals to proof and lay out the Nonahood News. Once it is done, it takes another team to print the paper and then another team to deliver the paper. This article, coming from my mind, needs various individuals to reach YOU. And that’s not including all the people it took to create the paper and ink and printing devices! Without any of these teams, it creates a break in the seamless chain.

Recognizing our interconnectedness may bring a sense of vulnerability. That feeling is uneasy, so it is easier to ignore than embrace. Showing gratitude, however, buffers the discomfort and boosts the appreciation for everyone involved. 

Living with gratitude is living as if each moment, each item, each event is a gift. It means living life AS GRANTED instead of FOR GRANTED.

The biggest obstacle to gratitude is entitlement. Entitlement is believing you are owed something or you deserve something. It’s the opposite of treating life as a gift. The remedy to entitlement is boosting your humility. Humility is a character strength where you have a clear sense of your abilities and your limitations. Humility allows you to be open to new ideas and appreciate the value of all things as well as the many ways that people and things can contribute to our world. 

Creating a gratitude journal is an excellent way to boost gratitude. Practice noticing the good that happened throughout the day. Take 5-10 minutes to write it down. Notice the people that you are grateful for. Notice the gifts you were born with or have inherited. Our minds get bored, so aim for newness each day. When in doubt, imagine the absence of a blessing and write what life would be like without that gift. As you begin to grow your gratitude, see how you can give back. Feeling gratitude and not giving back can be like wrapping a present and not giving the gift. Let your gratitude grow and express it! 

Thank you! Thank you for reading. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your energy. Thank you!