"The single greatest thing you can do to change your life today would be to start being grateful for what you have right now. And the more grateful you are, the more you get." - Oprah
Why Gratitude?
Research shows that expressing gratitude for aspects of life such as daily events, social relationships, and favors from others correlate significantly with high levels of well-being. Completing the following have been shown to result in increased alertness, enthusiasm, attentiveness, and energy.
Challenge #1: Three Good Things Journal
Every night for the next week, set aside ten minutes before you go to sleep to write down three things that went well that day and why. You may use a journal or your computer to write about the events, but it is important that you have a physical record of what you wrote. The three things may seem mundane but are still important. Next to each positive event, answer the question “Why did this happen?"
Challenge #2: The Gratitude Letter
When we feel gratitude, we benefit from the pleasant memory of a positive event in our life. When we express our gratitude to others, we strengthen our relationship with them. But sometimes our 'thank you' is said so casually or quickly that it is nearly meaningless. In this exercise, you will have the opportunity to experience expressing gratitude in a thoughtful, purposeful manner. Close your eyes and think of someone who said or did something that changed your life for the better; someone you may have never properly thanked.
Your task is to write a letter of gratitude to this individual. The letter should be concrete and specific about what that person did for you and how it affected your life. Once you have written the letter, either read it to them over the phone or in person. (Emmons & Stern, 2013)