Gratitude: An Inexhaustible Resource That Keeps on Giving

By Dennis Carman, President & CEO

United Way of Greater Plymouth County

Many of us have lived through days, months and sometimes years where the money coming in didn’t cover even the basic costs for food, heat and housing.  And if we’ve been fortunate enough not to have had to worry about that, it’s hard to imagine that we do not know family, friends or neighbors who have struggled to get by or who have fallen under the wheel.  Times have been very hard for quite some time now.  In the midst of these hard times and the frustrations that accompany them, we often fail to see one of the more valuable and readily available resources:   gratitude.

The online Oxford Dictionary defines gratitude as “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness”  But being grateful, showing appreciation or counting our blessings is certainly hard, if not impossible, in the face of our many troubles.   So, why do it?  Why be thankful?

Well, research conducted by Dr. Robert A. Emmons, PhD, Professor of Psychology at the University of California, and his associates clearly demonstrates the many powerful benefits of gratitude.  In 2010 they studied more than one thousand people, from ages eight to 80, and found that people who practice gratitude consistently report a host of physical, psychological and social benefits:

• Stronger immune systems
• Less bothered by aches and pains
• Lower blood pressure
• Exercise more and take better care of their health
• Sleep longer and feel more refreshed upon waking
• Higher levels of positive emotions
• More alert, alive, and awake
• More joy and pleasure
• More optimism and happiness
• More helpful, generous, and compassionate
• More forgiving
• More outgoing
• Feel less lonely and isolated.

Beyond these benefits, practicing gratitude has a number of additional pragmatic advantages.  First, it doesn’t really cost anything to be grateful, certainly not monetarily.  Nor is there any significant physical effort required to be thankful.  There may be time expended in thoughtfully counting our blessings, and some minimal effort expended in expressing our thanks to those who have either given us something or helped us in some way.  Certainly, for those who have received a great deal, there would be commensurately greater time and energy expended than someone who has not received as much, but still no strenuous effort is involved.

Second, being grateful or giving thanks for one thing does not in any way reduce our ability to be appreciative of other things.  For example, we can be thankful for a beautiful day without taking away our capacity to be grateful for a neighbor who helped us lift a heavy piece of furniture or who cooked us a meal when we were sick.  There is no finite or upper limit to gratitude.  If we are willing and able to count our blessings, we can be ever and endlessly thankful for them.

Finally, we respond very positively to someone who expresses gratitude to us, whether for just being who they are or for doing something good or generous.  People just plain like being thanked.  And whether or not it is the intention of the one offering their appreciation, very often receiving thanks encourages the giver to continue giving or helping, either in service of the person who just offered thanks or to others.  So good deeds done, kindnesses shone and generosities extended that are appreciated will tend to lead to more good deeds, kindnesses and generosity that will be appreciated.  Thus, there is a perpetual chain-reaction of good things happening.

So in spite of our individual and collective troubles, as we approach Thanksgiving, our other holidays and every day for that matter, we should seriously consider practicing and encouraging “gratitude”.  And to put into practice what I am preaching, let me say thank you to all who have made financial donations to our United Way and other charitable organizations, and thank you to our community partners and to all of our hundreds of volunteers for generously giving their time and talents to support our mission of “uniting people, ideas and resources to improve lives”.  And on a very personal note, thank you to my Lord and Savior for the gift of Creation, the gift of Forgiveness and the gift of His Grace and Love, thank you to my wife for her years of support and devotion, and thank you to my family and friends for putting up with all of my eccentrities!

Our times may be tough, and very likely many of us may not have all of what we need to have a good life, so we must keep working together to care for our family, our friends and our neighbors.  And in the meantime, we can express gratitude for what we do have!