Gratitude.  Appreciation.  Semantics.  What is it that we are really talking about?  Today, we get closer to a scientific definition.   

Transcript:

Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in 2-ish minutes a day,  through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life. 

I'm your host Katie Jefcoat and according to Dr. Robert Emmons the world’s leading scientific expert and thought-leader on gratitude, says the feeling of gratitude involves two stages (2003):

“First comes the acknowledgment of goodness in one’s life. In a state of gratitude, we say yes to life. We affirm that all in all, life is good, and has elements that make [life] worth living, and rich in texture. The acknowledgment that we have received something gratifies us, both by its presence and by the effort the giver put into choosing it.

Second, gratitude is recognizing that some of the sources of this goodness lie outside the self. One can be grateful to other people, to animals, and to the world, but not to oneself. At this stage, we recognize the goodness in our lives and who to thank for it, [for example] who made sacrifices so that we could be happy?

The two stages of gratitude comprise the recognition of the goodness in our lives, and then how this goodness came to us externally lies. By this process, we recognize the luck of everything that makes our lives—and ourselves—better.”

A study done by Emmons in 2011 showed that “[g]rateful people report higher levels of positive emotions, life satisfaction, vitality, optimism and lower levels of depression and stress. The disposition toward gratitude appears to enhance pleasant feeling states more than it diminishes unpleasant emotions. Grateful people do not deny or ignore the negative aspects of life.” 

This goes to show just how important gratitude is, when we feel the gratitude, we can create new neuro-pathways in our brains to see the good, while not diminishing the negative.  It kind of goes back to the idea of rational optimism from episode 326. 

Until next time, remember, kindness is contagious and we would be so grateful if you subscribe to this podcast wherever you like to listen, and do us a favor and follow our Instagram feed @everydayhappinesswithkatie because we are about to share some exciting news and we don’t want you to miss it. 

Inspired by: https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-appreciation/

https://emmons.faculty.ucdavis.edu/measuring-gratitude/

https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-appreciation/

Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: an experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of personality and social psychology, 84(2), 377.

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