“Giving, receiving and even witnessing gratitude can improve your well-being.” says Christina Caron in an article on the benefits of gratitude in the “New York Times.” In recent times there have been many studies on gratitude and research shows that it has many benefits for our life.
- What is Gratitude?
Robert A. Emmons who has done much research on gratitude says that gratitude is a two-step process: i) acknowledging that one has obtained something good is one’s life and ii) recognizing that the source or sources of this goodness are at least partly outside oneself. The sources of this goodness could be other people, animals, nature, and/or God. The American Psychological Association (APA Dictionary of Psychology) describes gratitude as “a sense of thankfulness and happiness in response to receiving a gift, either a tangible benefit (e.g., a present, favor) given by someone or a fortunate happenstance (e.g., a beautiful day).” Gratitude involves the intellect, will and emotions. We recognise (intellectually), we acknowledge (willingly) and we appreciate (emotionally). “Only when all three come together is gratitude complete.” Gratitude implies humility – an acknowledgement that we are what we are or where we are because of the contributions of others.
Jose Kuttianimattathil, sdb
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