It Is Important To Be Grateful!

I’ve had several conversations over the past couple of weeks in which the discussion very naturally turned to gratitude. I didn’t suggest the topic or force the topic it simply came up on its own.

When the topic arose, my friends communicated this basic message to me: “I’m grateful for certain things in my life.”

I recognize this to be a very good attitude on the part of my friends. In fact, in recent years there has been serious academic research on the subject of happiness and it is now known that being grateful increases a person’s happiness.

Want to be happier? Be grateful for the good things you already have in your life.

Gratitude improves happiness because gratitude involves intentionally noticing and acknowledging good, positive, beneficial things in our lives. It makes sense that noticing good things in our lives would increase our happiness, doesn’t it? Some of the books on the subject of happiness even recommend keeping a gratitude journal as a specific action a person could take to increase happiness.

Even when I have difficulties and challenges going on in my life, I do not have to think too hard to come up with many legitimate reasons for being grateful. I suspect that is true for you, too.

Most of us are very blessed. Have you noticed?

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

It's Really True That Money Can't Buy Happiness

Research has shown that after a person achieves a certain minimal amount of money—basically enough money to pay the bills and not be in constant financial stress—having additional money beyond the minimal amount will not significantly increase the person’s happiness.

So, think of it this way:  If you live a fairly comfortable middle class type of lifestyle and you are not in a position in which you are constantly worried about whether or not you will be able to pay your bills, then winning a $100 million dollar lottery might bring some temporary happiness—and a few more toys—but it is unlikely that it will significantly increase the joy and happiness you experience in life.

“It is good to have money and the things money can buy, but it’s good too, to check up once in a while and make sure you haven’t lost the things money can’t buy.” 

(Origin of quote unknown)

When Are We Happy?

Research on the subject of happiness has discovered that people are usually most happy and joyful when they are engaged in some type of meaningful work or project in which they lose track of time and are fully challenged.

Being Challenged Is Way Better Than Doing Nothing

In research that’s been done on the subject of happiness it’s been discovered that people tend to report being happiest when they are involved in an endeavor that requires a high level of attention and focus, and which challenges them in significant ways—and yet is not totally beyond their capabilities. For the vast majority of people this kind of engagement is more likely to result in happiness than sitting around doing nothing.