We recently formed a faculty “theory into practice” book club. The group will read books that have some relation to our work as educators, discuss them, and then figure out if there are elements of their theories that we should put into practice. The first book the group decided to read is Happier, a work by Harvard professor Tal Ben-Shahar that shares findings in the field called “positive psychology.”
In this week before Thanksgiving, as I sat down to begin the book, I came across this sentence: “In research done by Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough, those who kept a daily gratitude journal – writing down at least five things for which they were grateful – enjoyed higher levels of emotional and physical well-being.”
This reminded me of a radio essay I had recently heard and that I had been meaning to download. When I found it, as it happens, the essay was also about Emmon’s work, and his findings that “people who remember to give thanks every day feel better, have more energy, are better liked, and are likely to be more successful.”
Google led me to a status report that Emmons, a professor at the University of California at Davis, and McCullough, a professor at the University of Miami, have prepared on their “Research Project on Gratitude and Thankfulness.” Through various scientific means, the team has found that those who regularly express their gratitude are more likely to
• make progress toward their personal goals;
• feel better about themselves and their lives;
• report higher energy levels;
• have helped someone with a personal problem or offered someone emotional support;
• report higher levels of positive emotions, life satisfaction, vitality, and optimism, and lower levels of stress and depression.
What an opportunity Thanksgiving offers us, not just on the fourth Thursday in November, but always. By taking the time to consider the extraordinary blessings in each of our lives, by centering on what is really important, by gathering perspective, and by expressing our love and our gratitude and our joy, we can powerfully impact our lives and the lives of those around us. Best Thanksgiving wishes to you and your family.