Our Most Powerful Human Emotion is Gratitude

The strength of simple gratitude is an incredible feeling.

 

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name”—Psalm100:4 (NIV).

One of the things I like about technology is being able to stay connected with others. While I sometimes groan about our fast-paced world, I love keeping up with like-minded individuals through Facebook. On November 1, I noticed a 40-Day “thanks”-giving challenge. Each day in November, people began to post those things and people for which they are grateful. I joined the challenge and began posting daily.

During November, we celebrate a national day of thanksgiving, always the last Thursday of the month. This American holiday is a time to remember and give thanks for all of our blessings. For many, however, it’s the only day of the year they feel led to express their gratitude.

Did you know that one of humanity’s most powerful positive emotions is gratitude? 

Several years ago, psychologists started studying the science of giving thanks. What they discovered might surprise you. When you count your blessings, it makes you happier, even during difficult times. 

Psychology professor Michael McCullough has studied people who were asked to be thankful on a regular basis. “When you stop to count your blessings, you are sort of hijacking your emotional system.”

Research by McCullough and others has revealed that giving thanks is a powerful emotion, feeding on itself. McCullough says, “Psychologists used to underestimate the strength of simple gratitude. It does make people happier. It’s an incredible feeling.”

Another psychologist, Maryann Troiana, has her clients keep a gratitude journal. By listing daily what they are thankful for, it changes their attitude and outlook on life. 

Agreeing, psychology professor Robert Emmons says, “It is important to focus more on the people for whom you are grateful. By concentrating on what life would be like without the good things, especially people like our spouses, you begin to realize just how grateful you are.”

Grateful people “feel more alert, alive, interested and enthusiastic,” Emmons says. “They also feel more connected to others.” Emmons, who has written two books on the science of gratitude, often studies the effects of using a gratitude journal.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul writes, “Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.”

Thank God no matter what happens?

 Thank God no matter what happens? Surely, Paul was joking. What if we lived each day in gratitude for what we do have? What if we recalled the ways He has taken care of us in the past? Instead of complaining about those things we lack, what if we began to take an inventory of our simple treasures and conveniences like 

• family
• friends
• food
• shelter
• electricity
• a vehicle
• our health 

The list would be endless if you stopped to write it down.

While we can be blindsided by life’s unexpected burdens, we can choose to give thanks in all circumstances. Each day should be a day of thanksgiving to God and a lifestyle among God's people. 

What are you thankful for today?

Please feel free to share your gratitude list below. Also, check out my blog and books at www.carolaround.com for more inspiration.

What are You Teaching Your Children?

As Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’”—Acts 20:35 (NIV).

“Cash, which doughnut do you want?” 

The question came from my 8-year-old grandson, Brennan, while we were at a rodeo concession stand. It was after lunch and doughnuts were being given away free. All you had to do was ask.

After getting my permission, my grandsons were handed two doughnuts, each different. One was chocolate and the other plain vanilla. I could see a squabble brewing over the first—after all, what kid doesn’t like chocolate? Instead, I was blessed by the thoughtfulness of my oldest grandson who let his younger cousin choose first. Of course, Cash chose the chocolate one. I wasn’t surprised nor was I disappointed when Brennan contentedly ate the other one.

As a grandparent, I am seeing the fruits of the lessons I taught their parents. Do they always get it right? No, but when they do, I praise them for their thoughtful choices. As Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

With the current focus on being the first store to open and offer bargains on Black Friday—and now Thanksgiving Day—I am amazed by the number of people who camp out overnight to be first in line for limited merchandise at rock-bottom prices. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in buying Christmas gifts for loved ones, but the commercialism of this sacred holiday continues to grow as retail giants entice consumers earlier each year. 

What does it teach our children and grandchildren?

While we can’t do anything about the commercials enticing us with bargain mania, we can teach our loved ones the true meaning of this wonderful season. Last year, a grass-roots movement called “Giving Tuesday” was born. The brainchild of the 92nd Street Y, a nonprofit cultural and community center in New York and the United Nations Foundation, “Giving Tuesday” is a movement created as a national day of giving. 

To kick off the giving season, the organization wanted to create awareness of the non-profit needs across the world. Because of the economy, nonprofit giving has gone down. By adding the Tuesday following Thanksgiving to the calendar, organizers saw nonprofit donations increase. 

Last year, approximately 2,500 nonprofits participated. With millions of people in need, corporations are also partnering with non-profits to help “Giving Tuesday” become as widely recognized as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, a day when online retailers offer special prices.

To make your holiday more meaningful and to teach your children and grandchildren the real meaning of Christmas, I would like to suggest you give either money to your favorite charity or volunteer your time. 

Some simple suggestions include 

• volunteering to be a Salvation Army bell ringer
• taking some of your non-perishable food items to a local food pantry
• donating unused clothing and household items to Goodwill or another charitable organization
• volunteering to serve a meal at a local homeless mission
• adopting a needy family and providing everything they need for a holiday dinner or helping the purchase Christmas gifts

It is more blessed to give than to receive. What are you teaching your children and grandchildren?

If you choose to participate in "Giving Tuesday," please share what you decided to do to give back.