Dr Emmons says in his book, Thanks, that “grateful people
experience higher levels of positive emotions such as joy, enthusiasm, love,
happiness, optimism, and the practice of gratitude as a discipline protects a
person from the destructive impulses of envy, resentment, greed, and
bitterness. We have discovered that a person who experiences gratitude is able
to cope more effectively with everyday stress, may show increased resilience in
the face of trauma-induced stress and may recover more quickly from illness and
benefit from greater physical health.” Emmons, Robert A.,
Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can
Make You Happier, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2007), 11-12.
Psychologist and author, Dr Brenda
Wade talks about gratefulness in this Youtube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEu-9ksoug0&list=PL8669D8BC4BEF2FBF&index=4&feature=plpp_video
Sharon, I would agree with this 100 percent. I do think optimistic people are healthier--maybe because they just choose to ignore pain or they make healthier choices because they want to be around longer. I can see the same thing with people who are greatful. Thanks for reminding us and happy holidays to you!
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