Wise Mind, Wise Life: Gratitude

It’s that time of year for us in the USA to turn our collective attention toward Thanksgiving. At least the holiday itself, perhaps even turning our attention toward thanksgiving proper. And whether or not you can attune to the broad and deep nature of gratitude in this season, or become swept away by moral and spiritual despair over the commercialized and monetized elements of American holidays, saying nothing of the history of our indigenous peoples of whom most of us know absolutely nothing, and what they lost through the last two centuries as we have evolved toward our modern day Thanksgiving, there is something you should know: Gratitude is good for you.

That’s right. Gratitude is good for you. Gratitude brings health, reflects health, expresses health and reciprocally can be cultivated as a general attitude toward the world, that is toward life. Gratitude connects you with others, opening new opportunities for new friendships or opportunities for employment, and gratitude has a way of deepening connections with your friends, family and co-workers. Evidence implicates gratitude as a factor in reduced aggression and increased empathy among the grateful. Dynamics that of course affect relationships.

There are a number of studies that show a strong correlation between gratitude and bodily health. Perhaps this is because people who practice gratitude tend to exercise more, take better care of themselves and generally eat healthier. These daily habits of course, contribute to longevity. And not just longer life, but longer quality life. On a side note I wonder if all of this orbits mindfulness practices and the cultivation of trait-mindfulness. Gratitude’s effects on bodily health also manifest as expedited healing, as has been noted among post-surgical patients observed during hospital recovery. Grateful people sleep better than those whom are holding fast to grudges or resentment.

All of the benefits aside, gratitude is wired into our DNA, something essential to the soul. Wisdom tells us gratitude is good. It is very good, and we know this as we have those moments in life when we do feel grateful for the small mercies of the grocery clerk at the express check-out who assists us even when we are over our items quota. Gratitude swells within us, sometimes with tears of joy, when someone stands by us in our darkest hour and all others seem to have abandoned us, or a friend gives us badly needed money, alleviating the stress of meeting bills. Gratitude alights upon our faces when a stranger holds a door for us. Gratitude surprises us with levity when someone let’s us bump the queue during a busy lunch hour. On a grander scale we may experience astonishing gratitude as we encounter the ocean for the first time, or visit a mountain range, even a sea of tall grass on the prairies.

Beauty, awe, wonder filling us, prompting gratitude, confirming gratitude.

It is in our nature to give thanks. And when we pay attention in mindful recollection, we are attuned to the goodness of gratitude as we are open to receive all of it’s nourishing effects that run through our whole being. If any of us are stifled with a grudge or resentment, we can counter them with simply saying out loud, “Thank you.” Or, “I’m grateful for... (shoes, sight, food, stars). If any of us hail from the country of childhood invalidation where we we were formed to favor fear and resentment as default responses to the world and life, we can counter these with giving thanks. And when it feels impossible to say thank you, return to breath. Open your heart. Speak gratitude. You have nothing to lose in the practice and everything to gain in your wise life.

Disclaimer: The content provided here is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or psychological condition. In Wichita, persons seeking mental health assessment, consultation and treatment may contact Scott Spradlin and the therapists of Haus of Clarity at 316.972.3010.

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