Is
it possible for an individual to feel grateful if she or he is badly sick, or has
lost a job, or has a family member who recently departed?
I
remember in my evening prayers, sometimes I say, “Lord, what is there to thank for today? My day hasn’t been
pleasant…I’m totally devastated” … blah blah blah. Yet, I end up saying, “Forgive me Lord…the fact that I woke up
alive today and saw the sunrise and smelled fresh air is a very big thing to
express my gratitude”… blah bah.
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But, gratitude works and in reality,
it can help us cope with the hard times. According to Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., the world's leading scientific expert on gratitude, “Not only will a grateful attitude
help—it is essential.
In fact, it is precisely under crisis conditions when we have the most to gain
by a grateful perspective on life.”
So, what does he mean by this? Emmons elaborates by
saying further that:
“In
the face of demoralization, gratitude has the power to energize. In the face of
brokenness, gratitude has the power to heal. In the face of despair, gratitude
has the power to bring hope. In other words, gratitude can help us cope with
hard times.”
Please don’t misinterpret my copying his words
verbatim because I simply don’t want to miss a thing. I am just so captivated
by his perspective on gratitude that I am sharing his views here. Yet, he warns
us that “gratitude will not come easily or naturally in a crisis.” So true!
Emmons
has made various researches to prove that these things are all true. Crisis
situations in life can make us more thankful. When being grateful has become a
way of life, we actually have built some kind of psychological immune system
that’s like a soft pillow to support us when we collapse.
Learn more about how gratitude works. Register
now in one of our seminars and we assure you your participation will be all
worth it.
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