By Rev. Susan Wallace & Ali Denton

Gratitude changes lives. It sets right so many of the challenging situations we humans find ourselves in. Two simple words, “thank you,” can lift a low mood, diminish worries, lessen pain, and spread joy. Gratitude can be expressed to one’s self, to another person, to God, to nature, to an organization. Expressing thanks to the places or groups that we generally experience as impersonal can shift us out of a feeling of emptiness and into connection.

There is little question that we all want more of all the benefits an increase in gratitude can bring. Research suggests that gratitude is a habit that can be learned without a great deal of effort and with huge payoffs.

Dr. Robert Emmons and Dr. Michael McCullough conducted a study where they asked participants to write just a few sentences each week on various topics. One group wrote about things they were grateful for. Another group wrote about things that displeased them. A third group wrote about events that had affected them, with no emphasis on whether they were positive or negative. After only 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives.

Really, they became more optimistic from jotting down a few notes once a week!??! This tells me that gratitude is the way we are meant to live. A grateful orientation re-aligns us with our true self, which is happy, loving, empathic and expansive. Who doesn’t want to live in that world?

If you want more of what gratitude can bring to your life, but realize that it is not a muscle you are used to using, take heart. Building your capacity for gratitude is not difficult. It just takes practice.

We have all heard of keeping a gratitude journal. Whether you write daily or less often, recording the people and events that spark your heart helps make them more real and accessible.

Think about the people in your life, and ask yourself, “What have I received from them?” “What have I given them?” “What is left to do or say so they know I appreciate them?” Follow through and revolutionize your relationships!

Use your senses. Don’t just appreciate that you live in a nice house. Sit in it, look around, savor that favorite chair where you relax, enjoy the view of your backyard, feel the coziness of your bed at night. Mmmmmmm. Thank you, house, chair, yard, bed. Thank you, God, who provides for me.

Experiment with showing gratitude in unexpected situations. When talking with a service person on the phone to arrange a home repair, end the call by telling them how much you appreciate their time and efforts on your behalf. When checking out at the grocery store, look the cashier in the eye and let them know you are grateful they are there. When you get pulled over for rolling through a stop sign, thank the officer for their service, whatever the outcome. You can leave sparks of love all over our mundane world, and, as the song goes, “Sparks turn into flames, and love can burn once again.”

As you continue to practice gratitude, be prepared for your heart to expand, your health and happiness to increase, and your relationship with God to deepen. Recently, I bumped my toe into a door. It started hurting, quickly went to throbbing, and pretty much wiped out a good mood. To be honest, my first reaction was, “Damn!” Then the gratitude karma I had been building paid off, and I remembered in a flash that everything comes from God, and is therefore a gift of Love, meant for my good. My next utterance was “Thank you.” Within seconds, all pain was gone! Thank you, God!