Have you every seen a bitter old woman? She’s grumpy, complains about her life and has no joy. Are you holding onto bitterness or un-forgiveness toward someone today? Did someone do something bad to hurt you that you need to forgive? Un-forgiveness can make you physically sick.
When we develop a heart of gratitude we acknowledge the good things, the blessings of life, and give thanks. Gratitude has a powerful impact on our emotional wellbeing. In a landmark study, two groups of people were selected. One group was asked to count their blessings, write them out, think about them on a regular basis…The others were asked to write down their disappointments and problems and think about them on a daily basis. The group that focused on their blessings felt happier, had significantly fewer physical complaints, and slept better than those who focused on unhappy and disappointing things in their life.
Bene’ Brown, TED Talks, has found that there is a relationship between joy and gratitude, but with a surprising twist. “It’s not joy that makes us grateful but gratitude that makes us joyful.”