"A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken."  (Proverbs 15:13)

"A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones."  (Proverbs 17:22)

Robert A. Emmons, a psychologist at the University of California at Davis and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Positive Psychology, shares his thoughts about happiness phenomenon in his book, Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier.

Emmons concludes from his extensive eight-year research that people who decide not to be consumed with the daily grind and who focus on what they have been blessed with do in fact live more satisfying lives.  “Gratitude research is beginning to suggest that feelings of thankfulness have tremendous positive value in helping people cope with daily problems, especially stress,” Emmons says.

It’s no secret that stress can make us sick, particularly when we can’t cope with it. It’s linked to several leading causes of death, including heart disease and cancer, and claims responsibility for up to 90 percent of all doctor visits. Gratitude, it turns out, can help us better manage stress. “Gratitude research is beginning to suggest that feelings of thankfulness have tremendous positive value in helping people cope with daily problems, especially stress,” Emmons says.

Grateful people tend to be more optimistic, a characteristic that researchers say boosts the immune system. “There are some very interesting studies linking optimism to better immune function,” says Lisa Aspinwall, Ph.D., a psychology professor at the University of Utah.  In one, researchers comparing the immune systems of healthy first-year law students under stress found that by midterm students characterized as optimistic (based on survey responses) maintained higher numbers of blood cells that protect the immune system compared with their more pessimistic classmates.

In like manner optimism contains a health boosting effect on people with compromised health. Separate studies revealed that patients confronting AIDS as well as those preparing to undergo surgery received better healing effects when they maintained attitudes of optimism.

Emmons, along with Michael McCollough, a professor at Southern Methodist University, conducted a study involving hundreds of participants who were divided into three experimental groups.  The first group kept daily journals of the day’s events. The second group kept journals of their unpleasant experiences during the day, while the third group kept journals of a daily list of things which they were thankful for.  

The results of the study proved the third group, the people who practiced intentional gratefulness, showed an overall healthier lifestyle.  The people in this group reported to exercising more regularly, feeling decreased physical ailments, feeling increased optimism about upcoming events and making progress toward personal goals. 

Gratitude has forever been promoted by a Christian community all over the world due to its tangible effects on a thanksgiver's life.  Now it has also been recognized by the science community as a solid fact.

Proverbs 15:15 reminds us that, "All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances]."

How is it that some people manage to feel grateful in the face of challenging life circumstances, while others sink into despair? “So much of gratitude is about one’s perspective and framework for looking at the world and at self. People who tend to be more mindful of the benefits they’ve received tend to focus their attention outward,” Emmons explains.

You don’t need to have a lot to be mindful of what you’ve got, according to Edward Diener, Ph.D., a psychology professor at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, who has studied extensively life satisfaction of people from various cultures. Not surprising, he found that people in India living in poverty report low levels of life satisfaction. However, a high percentage of people in affluent Japan do, too. Diener suggests that, for the Japanese, their culture’s emphasis on materialism is to blame.

Who, then, has a high level of life satisfaction, if not the very poor or the very rich? The middle class do, according to Diener’s findings — particularly those who have risen from poverty. Moreover, he reports that the people of Ireland, a country boasting a “count your blessings” culture, report high levels of life satisfaction.

...As for a group of multimillionaires from the Forbes 400 list? They weren’t much happier than the average suburbanite.

After coming to the scientific conclusion that grateful people live comparatively better lives, Emmons makes several recommendations on how to achieve and maintain a healthy and beneficial level of gratitude:  

• Keep a gratitude journal. 

• Remember the bad. Contrasting the good with the bad will encourage gratitude.

• Ask yourself three questions.  Choose a person that you know and ask yourself what you received from them, what you have given them and what trouble you have caused them.  

• Pray.

• Use your senses.

• Use visual reminders of your attitude of gratitude, like a sign on your mirror.  

• Make a vow to practice gratitude. 

• Think grateful thoughts. 

• Acting grateful will result in being grateful.

• Be creative, like try being grateful to your enemies. 

Why is a glad heart so important?  After all, we are living in a difficult time!  The book of Nehemiah talks about such a similarly troublesome time, reminding us and cheering us on, “And be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold.” (8:10b)

I feel no joy!  I have so many needs!  Can joy help me get my needs met, You may ask.  Here is the answer:

"Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!  Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants know to God.  And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 4:4,6,7)

I dare say that prayer without thanksgiving is not real prayer - just faithless, fear-filled crying to God we do not trust.  We are taught in the Bible to go to God boldly, knowing He will receive us with joy and answer our prayers when we trust in Him.  He is happy, ready, more than willing to help us in any situation we might be in... but He can only move when faith is revealed.  Thanksgiving shows faith.

So, whether You celebrate Thanksgiving in Your part of the world or not, lets consciously make an effort to give thanks for all the wonderful blessings in our lives daily!  Even if we do not feel happy and blessed in the beginning, we will be elevated by the time we finish... and hey, we should never finish giving thanks.  Lets make thanksgiving our daily goal and we will all be living longer, healthier and happier lives... making this world a better place.

Happy Thanksgiving to You,

Eve

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