Great or Grateful?
Chip Conley wrote an article at the Huffington Post that was very interesting. One short paragraph says a lot:
There’s a growing body of research that shows it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but it’s gratefulness that makes us happy. Doing just a few hours of writing in a gratitude journal over three weeks can create a positive effect that last six months or more. And, psychologist Robert Emmons has shown that practicing proactive gratitude can increase happiness levels by 25%.
Remember – Happiness does not make you grateful, Gratitude will make you happy!
Be Well.
(Note: this post was updated from a previous post)
This ‘Great or Grateful’ post is especially meaningful today. At 12:30am I returned from a family union in Trier, Germany. We celebrated life in memory of my brother-in-law who recently transitioned to the world of ever-lasting peace.
Six years have passed since I had seen my two sisters and a brother (ages 59-77) and extended family. On my flight back I reflected about our respective lives – harsh often – and all the gifts that have shaped and formed us. As such, upon departure we embraced in a shared unity of happiness and gratitude. It has brought us close and adds deeper meaning to our sunset years.
Sounds like you had a wonderful time, Ute! Welcome back to the states! When will you be seeing your family next? You need to keep those visits going!