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"Saying thank you is more than good manners. It is good spirituality."
-Alfred Painter
Gratitude
 
Check out Research Highlights & write in our online gratitude journal (completely private)

I bet you know someone who seems to be always happy regardless of what’s happening around them.  Like everyone, they can be happy when things are going good, but they also seem to maintain their happiness when things are not going so well. They see the good in all people, they see the opportunity in a challenge, and they are grateful for what they have, even in the face of significant loss. Well guess what a positive attitude can be cultivated.  You can strengthen your mind’s natural tendency toward optimism if you work at it.  Cultivating gratitude is one of the simpler routes.
A gratitude journal is a way to consciously call attention to the things for which we are thankful each day. By focusing on gratitude we become more aware of things to be grateful for and thus we create a shift in our thinking to the positive. And experts say it is a way to boost not only your happiness, but also your overall health.  One of the best things about writing your gratitude down is being able to look back as a reminder of what brings you happiness.  This can be a great pick-me-up when you're feeling stressed or depressed. 

You can decide to write in daily, weekly, or monthly.  The most advised option is daily; right before bed.  However, studies show that majority of people get the most benefit out of the weekly option.  This may be due to the fact that it may become too much of a chore to do daily when you’re just starting out.  So don’t make it a chore!  Just make mental notes throughout the day - and if you can, in good spirits, write in your gratitude journal or fill out Happy Echo’s Gratitude Form. 

I recommend that no matter how often you chose to write down what your grateful for that you look for and take mental notes of what you’re grateful for all day every day.  I personally will not get out of bed until I have come up with 5 things and feel a genuine excitement for the day ahead of me.
 
Most importantly do not save your gratitude just for your journal or our form. Tell people directly how much you appreciate them.  Everyone likes to know that they're appreciated. So next time you get great customer service or your husband takes out the trash and your kids help around the house tell them that you appreciate what they’ve done.  And guess what they’ll probably do more of it! 

“The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated”
   -William James
Happy Echo’s Favorite Video
“Every adversity carries with it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit”
 - Napoleon Hill

  Gratitude Research Highlights

·         In an experimental comparison, those who kept gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events.

·         Participants who kept gratitude lists were more likely to have made progress toward important personal goals (academic, interpersonal and health-based) over a two-month period compared to subjects in the other experimental conditions.

·         A daily gratitude intervention (self-guided exercises) with young adults resulted in higher reported levels of the positive states of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness and energy compared. 

·         Participants in the daily gratitude condition were more likely to report having helped someone with a personal problem or having offered emotional support to another, relative to the hassles or social comparison condition.

·         A 21-day gratitude intervention resulted in greater amounts of high energy positive moods, a greater sense of feeling connected to others, more optimistic ratings of one’s life, and better sleep duration and sleep quality, relative to a control group.

 
·         Grateful individuals place less importance on material goods; they are less likely to judge their own and others success in terms of possessions accumulated; they are less envious of others; and are more likely to share their possessions with others relative to less grateful persons.

·         Those who wrote about the good things they were thankful for before bed said they fell asleep more quickly, got more hours of sleep and felt more refreshed in the morning.

·         Expressing gratitude is one of the most important factors in a successful marriage or partnership.

Source
Fun Idea
You can create a gratitude journal for others.  Like your spouse, children, parents, or special friends.

Start by buying a new journal with a specific person in mind.  Try to find a journal that matches their favorite color & interest.  You can always add decorations to the cover with colored markers or stickers.  But remember to keep it moderate since they may want to add their own personal touch.

On the insides cover you may wish to include a special person note.  Example:   Out of all the things, one could be grateful for it is YOU that I am most grateful for.  – Love Mom.

Then add the first entry to their journal. Date the entry and write about what you are grateful for about them. Describe events, memories, what you wish for them and how grateful you are for them in your life. 

Finally present your gift to your special person.  Telling someone you are grateful for them in your life, for what they have done, for who they are is a very powerful expression of caring and love.


Next Page:  Happy Echo’s Online Gratitude Journal