David J.
Pollay
Read David's bio and previous columns
June 30, 2008
A Gratitude Moment: The
Letter
I
checked on Dawn and the girls. Dawn was sleeping. Eliana and Ariela were
sprawled across our bed fast asleep. We let them stay up a little later
than usual (sometimes we let them fall asleep on our bed, and then I
carry them upstairs to their rooms).
As I was heading from our bedroom to the kitchen, I stopped in the foyer
to look at two pieces of mail that were opened and sitting on a shelf. I
reached for the one on top. It was a letter. It was addressed to Dawn. I
read the first two lines.
“Thank you for your recent visit to our facility. Your digital mammogram
shows no evidence of cancer.”
I stopped. I didn’t read the rest of the letter. I just thought about
what it could have said. And then I thought about all the other letters
that were opened today, and the letters that would be opened tomorrow.
Many thousands of women would be blessed with good news. I also thought
about all the women around the world who had received or will receive
the news they fear most.
Then I had what I call a “gratitude moment.”
I headed to a window. I looked outside and took in the big world. And I
said thank you. Thank you for blessing the health of my wife, children,
parents and all of my family. Thank you for caring for my friends and
colleagues. And I said thank you for everything that is good in my life.
I know letters and phone calls could come at any time with news I would
never want to hear. So, when I am reminded of the good in my life, I
stop and say thank you. I want to always appreciate the abundance in my
life.
The science of positive psychology now points us to the psychological
and physical benefits of feeling grateful. Robert Emmons of the
University of California at Davis and Michael McCollough of the
University of Miami found in their research, published in the Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology: “There do appear to exist
benefits to regularly focusing on one’s blessings. The advantages are
most pronounced when compared with a focus on hassles or complaints . .
.”
In
one study Emmons and McCollough “. . . found that a weekly benefit
listing was associated with more positive and optimistic appraisals of
one’s life, more time spent exercising, and fewer reported physical
symptoms.” In another study they discovered: “People led to focus on
their blessings were also more likely to report having helped someone
with a personal problem or offered emotional support to another . . .”
And in one more study the research pair found that people induced to
feel gratitude experienced “. . . greater levels of positive affect,
more sleep, better sleep quality and greater optimism and a sense of
connectedness to others.”
The evidence is in: Gratitude pays dividends to all who practice it.
So, would you join me this week on a special journey?
This week look for the reminders of the good in your life. And when you
find them, stop and say thanks. You have much to celebrate in your life.
David J. Pollay is the author
of “Beware of Garbage Trucks!™ -
The Law of the Garbage Truck™ (www.bewareofgarbagetrucks.com).”
His book, The Law of the Garbage Truck™, is due out this Fall. Mr.
Pollay is a syndicated columnist with the
North Star Writers Group,
creator and host of The
Happiness Answer™ television
program and DVD, and an internationally sought after speaker. He is the
founder and president of The Momentum Project, LLC (www.themomentumproject.com).
© 2008
David J. Pollay. Distributed by North Star Writers Group. May not be
republished without permission.
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