You are happier by being grateful

"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others." - Marcus Cicero

It was proven
Psychologists Dr Michael McCullough and Dr Robert Emmons found that being grateful make people happier.

The Experiment
They asked volunteers to keep daily diaries for two weeks. One group recorded daily hassles, another group jotted down events, and a third, the ‘gratitude group’, listed five things they were thankful for each day. By the end, people in the gratitude group were so much happier, their spouses noticed a change.

Benefits of being grateful
People who frequently experience gratitude are also more optimistic and helpful, and have more determination and energy.

“Every good trait you’d want for yourself or for other people seems to go along with being grateful,” says McCullough.

Take a look at this story:

There was a story of a couple who had been fortunate to earn multi-millions and had chosen to continue to compete and indulged in many businesses, moral or immoral, legal or illegal, as their lusts for being the richest people in the world, they had continued to take risks, enjoyed their conquers, until one day, their empire of businesses burst, collapsed, and they had lost everything, and were bankrupted.

Then they had to live without proper shelters, and live by collecting from wastes. One day in a storm, they found a dime on the roadside, they picked it up and were so grateful for the dime, their tears rolled down in their cheeks, and mixing with the raindrops, there were feeling of joy for able to have a dime.

Only then, they learn how to be grateful and be happy. While in the past they had millions of dollars, they were not grateful, and continued to indulge in more activities to search greedily for more and wish to be number one in the world and be most powerful people in the world!

(Author: Unknown)

Therefore, as we are blessed with what we have now, let's be grateful and be happy and do not complain. Just make the most of what you have now.

"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

If you want to feel happier in as little as two weeks, write down four or five things you were grateful for each day.

What do you think? Are you going to try this exercise?

Photo 1 by TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³ taken from this source
Photo 2 by SeenyaRita taken from this source

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