From the Author: Surprising Findings from the Science of Gratitude
The science of gratitude has revealed a number of surprising and counterintuitive findings. Among these:
Thanking is Thinking
Students who practice gratitude increase their grade point average.
Less is More
Occasional gratitude journaling boosts well-being more than does the regular practice of counting blessings.
Remember the Bad
Remembering one’s sorrows, failures, and other painful experiences is more beneficial to happiness than recalling only successes.
Seize the Day
Becoming aware that a very pleasant experience is about to end enhances feelings of gratitude for it.
The George Bailey Effect
Thinking about the absence of something positive in your life produces more gratitude and happiness than imagining its presence.
The Eccentric Privilege of Life
Reflecting about one’s own death produces an increase in gratitude in comparison to two control conditions.
Pass the Tissues
Watching a tear-jerker increases gratitude more than does watching a comedy film.
Gratitude Deficit Disorder
Although women are more grateful than men, people who benefit most from gratitude journaling are those men who are initially less grateful before they begin to journal.
"Gratitude Works! is a must read! Robert Emmons, the world's leading gratitude researcher, offers a science-based prescription for transforming our lives personally and professionally through the power of gratitude. Gratitude Works! is one of those books you will want to share with all the people you care about. It is a gift to us all."―David J. Pollay, author of The Law of the Garbage Truck: How to Stop People from Dumping on You
"Everyone on this planet has one common wish: to be happy. When I allowed gratitude to enter my everyday life, I found my happiness and my performance skyrocketed. I always enjoy listening to Dr. Emmons talk about this amazing topic. Read this book!"―Ed Tseng, author of Game. Set. Life. - Peak Performance for Sports and Life
From the Inside Flap
"Gratitude is important not only because it helps us feel good, but also because it inspires us to do good. Gratitude heals, energizes, and transforms lives...
Gratitude takes us outside our scope so we see ourselves as part of a larger, intricate network of sustaining relationships, relationships that are mutually reciprocal."
From the Preface
From Robert Emmons, the best-selling author of THANKS!, comes a vital resource that shows us how to tap into the power and grace of gratitude. Emmons draws on a wide array of research, including his own, to show that the practice of gratitude can have dramatic and lasting effects on and in our lives. It can lower blood pressure, improve immune function, promote happiness and well-being, and spur acts of helpfulness, generosity, and cooperation.
The organic metaphor of "growing gratitude" is a powerful image for conveying basic truths of how we reap the benefits of a more gratitude-filled life. We do not acquire gratitude; we cultivate it through daily practices that make it a deeply ingrained disposition. This accessible book provides a twenty-one-day, step-by-step guide for cultivating gratitude practicesthe concrete things you can do to grow your mind and direct your actions toward a more grateful worldview. Through practice, giving thanks grows from the ground of one's being. Grateful feelings, once buried, can surface if we take the time to notice and reflect.
A French proverb states that gratitude is the memory of the heartit is the way that the heart remembers. If you want to be a grateful person then you must remember to remember. Gratitude Works! will show you how.
From the Back Cover
“Gratitude is important not only because it helps us feel good, but also because it inspires us to do good. Gratitude heals, energizes, and transforms lives...
Gratitude takes us outside our scope so we see ourselves as part of a larger, intricate network of sustaining relationships, relationships that are mutually reciprocal.”
―FROM THE PREFACE
From Robert Emmons, the best-selling author of THANKS!, comes a vital resource that shows us how to tap into the power and grace of gratitude. Emmons draws on a wide array of research, including his own, to show that the practice of gratitude can have dramatic and lasting effects on and in our lives. It can lower blood pressure, improve immune function, promote happiness and well-being, and spur acts of helpfulness, generosity, and cooperation.
The organic metaphor of “growing gratitude” is a powerful image for conveying basic truths of how we reap the benefits of a more gratitude-filled life. We do not acquire gratitude; we cultivate it through daily practices that make it a deeply ingrained disposition. This accessible book provides a twenty-one-day, step-by-step guide for cultivating gratitude practices―the concrete things you can do to grow your mind and direct your actions toward a more grateful worldview. Through practice, giving thanks grows from the ground of one’s being. Grateful feelings, once buried, can surface if we take the time to notice and reflect.
A French proverb states that gratitude is the memory of the heart―it is the way that the heart remembers. If you want to be a grateful person then you must remember to remember. Gratitude Works! will show you how.
About the Author
John McLain is an actor, professional voice talent, and Earphones Award-winning narrator. He has been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. On stage, he has appeared in The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, Amahl & the Night Visitors, and The Music Man.
