Inside Parkinson's

It’s Thanksgiving week and many of us will say a prayer of thanks before eating Thanksgiving dinner. I’ve been thinking about gratitude. More and more, I hear that gratitude has a positive effect on your life, and it seems that being grateful is an intention. You deliberately make a point to feel gratitude. So, what is gratitude?

Benedictine monk, Br. David Steindl-Rast, suggests that two qualities belong in our basic definition of gratitude. The first is appreciation: You recognize that something is valuable to you, which has nothing to do with its monetary worth. The second quality is that gratitude is gratis: freely given to you.

Robert Emmons, perhaps the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude, also argues that gratitude has two key components: “First, it’s an affirmation of goodness. We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts, and benefits we’ve received.”

In the second part of gratitude, he explains, “ recognize that the sources of this goodness are outside of ourselves…We acknowledge that other people…gave us many gifts, big and small, to help us achieve the goodness in our lives.

https://gratefulness.org/resource/what-is-gratitude/

Last week, I attended a webinar entitled Growing through Gratitude.  The presenter Melissa Kirkpatrick, is a speaker, author, and life coach. She always has a positive attitude and believes that gratefulness will help you grow. When you are thankful for someone or something, look deeper inside yourself into why you are grateful. For example, if you give thanks for a place to live, be thankful for the builders who built your home. If you have groceries and food, thank the grocery store clerk and the truck driver. You will find that goodness and gratitude will not only lift your spirits but will remind you that kindness continues in the world.

Gratitude begins by looking at all the good things in life. Psychologists have found that gratefulness will improve your mood, your happiness, and your health. (See Psychology Today Gratitude) When you are grateful, you are reducing your negative thoughts and feelings. Grateful people are less depressed, less stressed, and have fewer mental health issues. Feelings of gratefulness bring gladness to your heart and chase away the blues. 

This Thanksgiving, we all may feel like there is little to be grateful about. Many of us will be staying home instead of visiting with family. That may make us feel depressed and sad. I encourage you to look for what you can be grateful for: your health, your home, your spouse, your family, the food on your table. Go one step further and give thanks for the ones you love, and remember why you are grateful for them. Do they bring you joy? Have they provided for you in your life? Will they be there for you no matter what? When you are grateful for someone or something, your focus changes; you see goodness and kindness, not irritation or anger. Make a practice of gratitude and see how you feel.

I am going to commit to writing down three things I am grateful for every day. They will be different things each day. I can tell you that my spirits feel lifted just writing about gratitude. We find joy inside when we are grateful. This week, when you prepare your meal, think about the things or people you feel gratitude for and why. Share with your family or friends and encourage them to share what makes them feel grateful. May this bring peace to you and your family. Happy Thanksgiving.