Be Countercultural, Be Grateful

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Sitting on the front porch drinking my morning coffee, a visiting Aunt startles me by bursting out the door, lifting her hands in the air, saying “Thank you Jesus for this beautiful day!”

Although we may not share the same spiritual beliefs, I couldn’t help but admire her gratitude practice that involved her whole body. Every time I think of it, I smile. It reminds me to amp up my own gratitude practice.

Researchers have demonstrated that gratitude creates a healthier, happier and more fulfilling state of being. According to The Institute of HearthMath , sustained feelings of gratitude have real health benefits, including:

Biochemical changes – Favorable changes in the body’s biochemistry include improved hormonal balance and an increase in production of DHEA, the “anti-aging hormone.”

Increased positivity – Favorable changes in the body’s Daily gratitude exercises can bring about a greater level of positive  feelings, according to researchers from the University of Miami and the University of California, Davis who studied this process in 157 individuals over 13 days.

Boost to the immune system – The IgA antibody, which serves as the first line of defense against pathogens, increases in the body.

Emotional “compound interest” – The accumulated effect of sustained appreciation and gratitude is that these feelings, and coherence, are easier to recreate with continued practice. This is because experiencing an emotion reinforces the neural pathways of that particular emotion as it excites the brain, heart and nervous system.

Robert Emmons offered an intriguing question in What Must We Overcome as a Culture or as Individuals For Gratitude to Flourish? Part of the Big Questions Online, a John Templeton Foundation forum where questions, ideas and respectful debate can be found, Emmons lifts out the question of whether gratitude is in fact countercultural for Americans:

We live in a nation where everyone is on the pursuit of happiness… A society that feels entitled to what it receives does not adequately express gratitude. Seen through the lens of buying and selling, relationships as well as things are viewed as disposable, and gratitude cannot survive this materialistic onslaught. The lack of gratitude is contagious, and is passed from one generation to the next. Conversely, the act of gratitude is also viral and has been found to greatly and positively influence not just relationships, but one’s own emotional status.”

Thank you, Dr. Emmons, for this hopefulness as I sometimes despair about our American culture where materialism, self-aggrandizement and greed seem to rule. Imagine, when we as individuals practice gratitude, and show it openly like my Aunt did for me, it can be contagious.

Be countercultural, be grateful. Spread it! #Gratitude