The Multiple Benefits of Gratitude

As mentioned on the home page, science has discovered many benefits of gratitude.

This page will post articles on this topic, which I continue to research.

For now, I invite you to ponder some perspectives on gratitude, and then to explore the benefits of gratitude for yourself, by keeping a gifts journal.

PERSPECTIVES … ON GRATITUDE
 

"If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul."--Rabbi Harold Kushner

“I am often surprised when I think to count my graces, for the more I count, the more there seem to be. And if pride in my accomplishments is the emotion that I naturally feel when I focus on my gifts, gratitude is the emotion I feel as I become aware of the many graces that have shaped me and my gifts.”--Susan Wittig Albert

 "Joy is the simplest form of gratitude." --Karl Barth

 "Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation." -- Brian Tracy

"Just as millions of snowflakes pile up to create a blanket of snow, the 'thank you's' we say pile up and fall gently upon one another until, in our hearts and minds, we are adrift in gratitude." --Daphne Rose Kingman

"Gratitude is the heart's memory." --French Proverb

“Gratitude is a lens that sharpens our ability to see the gifts and the graces of our lives as more real than the material world to which we are often tethered. Gratitude energizes us for living more fully in the middle of the life we have been given as we become more practiced at finding God there.”—Ruth Barton 

"You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you." --Sarah Ban Breathnach

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." --Melody Beattie

"We ought to give thanks for all fortune: it is good, because it is good, if bad, because it works in us patience, humility and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country" --C.S. Lewis

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."--John Fitzgerald Kennedy

"True thanksgiving means that we need to thank God for what He has done for us, and not to tell Him what we have done for Him." --George R. Hendrick

 "When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself." –Tecumseh

THE "TASTE AND SEE" INVITATION

A. W. Tozer said that “God is inclined to bestow blessedness, and he takes holy pleasure in the happiness of his people.”

Do you ever long to feel that personal love of God that Tozer mentioned, but don’t know quite how? How do you “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8)?

The thing that has helped me most is to keep a “gifts journal.” Whenever my life starts to get out of balance, it’s usually because I’ve quit doing it. So I start up again. It’s very simple, only takes 9 minutes a day or less.

Get yourself a notebook, any size. It could be a simple spiral bound blank notebook, or one of those pretty blank books. At the and of the day, write the date down, and then “Gifts:” Then simply jot down anything that you can think of that felt like a blessing to you that day. Perhaps it was some encouraging words someone spoke to you, or a song that lifted you up. Perhaps the sun shone and that energized you. Perhaps you saw a prayer answered, or felt a lifting of your spirits when you read the Bible. Whatever blessed you, jot it down in just enough words that you will remember it later.

I promise you  that if you do this for one week straight, that will be enough to change your perspective. Once you begin to look for God’s gifts, his tokens of that generous spirit that loves to bless his beloved children, you will begin to feel loved unconditionally.

I’d love to know how this practice helps you. Please try it, and tell me what happens! I’d also love to hear your stories of God’s blessings. E-mail me at