A friend on facebook tagged me recently to participate in “the gratitude project”. It seems to be among the latest meme craze on facebook. Everyone’s posting about stuff they’re grateful for. Obviously, there are people who think it’s a great idea – they’re doing it after all! But there are others who are cynical about it.
I figured that if I was going to do it, I should try to find out a little more about it so I can get the most out of it…
“Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.” – Alphonse Karr
What is the Gratitude Project?
There are a lot of variations to it, but the essential idea is not new – Anthony Robbins had made mention of it in “Notes from a Friend” and so does Michael Losier in “Law of Attraction“. The basic idea is to keep a journal where you record what you are grateful for everyday. The particular challenge I was assigned was to record 3 things (or more) that I am grateful for for a week. However, if you really want a challenge, you might want to consider committing to the year long challenge.
What is it Supposed to Achieve?
According to preliminary research, scientists are finding that people who practice gratitude consistently report a host of benefits:
- Stronger immune systems and lower blood pressure;
- Higher levels of positive emotions;
- More joy, optimism, and happiness;
- Acting with more generosity and compassion;
- Feeling less lonely and isolated.
And here’s a short experiment from Soul Pancake demonstrating how gratitude makes you happier:
Interestingly, they found that it worked best for people who were the most unhappy to begin with. It was also more effective when you are able to express your gratitude directly to a person.
Maybe this is what I should be getting G1 to do…
Related:
- 10 Scientifically-Backed Ways to Raise Happier Kids
- How to Raise a Happy Child
- Raising Happiness – are you giving happiness or teaching happiness?
- The Real Key to Happiness
Nurture for the Future 