The inspirational author Sarah Ban Breathnach once wrote "Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world."
Can gratitude really change how we experience the world?
The field of positive psychology (the branch of psychology that teaches how to have positive mental health instead of how to treat mental illness) has found significant evidence for what sages and poets have long taught: that regular expressions of gratitude not only brighten the day of the recipient, but improve the happiness and resilience of the giver.
Indeed, the emerging scholarship on gratitude is exciting. People who report feeling and acting more grateful are far less prone to depression, addiction and disease.
Of course such correlations may not explain causality — after all, if you are depressed, addicted or sick you may not feel you have much to be grateful for. But psychologists are finding that feelings and expressions of gratitude, like a muscle, can be exercised and developed by anyone. And once rehabilitated, gratitude is then attended with increased happiness and constitutional fortitude.
So how can we develop gratitude that extends beyond the kind of expressions expected for a day like Thanksgiving?
Psychologists recommend three behaviors: savoring, serving and sharing.
Take time to savor the small blessings of life — the warmth of a hug, the tanginess of a pickle, the majesty of a mountain vista. By honing increased appreciation for the small wonders in our daily lives, we become more grateful people.
Find opportunities to serve those within our families or communities that have special needs. In doing so we step outside of ourselves and strengthen human relationships. We also begin to put any of our own concerns into proper perspective.
Finally, share your gratitude. Several experiments have shown that while counting our blessings improves mood, sharing sincere expressions of thanks has an even more powerful and lasting mood-boosting effect.
All face adversity, but few of us have faced the privation that stalked the Pilgrims in their first year in New England. Their legacy of pausing to offer thanks to God and helpful friends should spur us to greater mindfulness, service and gratitude.