It's been said that, “When you appreciate all that you have, what you have, appreciates.”

The turkey’s been eaten and it’s been a crazy day of rushing, doing, visiting, family and food. I am so thankful for all of it and sincerely hope your Thanksgiving was a wonderful love filled day of thanks.

It's been said that, “When you appreciate all that you have, what you have, appreciates.”

In honor of Thanksgiving, I wanted to write a post on the incredibly powerful ways giving thanks and truly living from a place of gratitude can benefit us directly and everyone around us. Because there are just so many ways, so many studies, I will expand upon the following list at a later date. The list is based on over 44 studies! So, for the time-crunched and attention challenged I’m giving you the abbreviated version to start. For those of you who like all the details, or at least a whole bunch more, I'll revisit this again. Be sure to let us know if you have any comments or habits of your own to add in the comments below.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! WE ARE SO VERY THANKFUL FOR YOU!

~Fredricka 😊

33 Things Gratitude Does for Us:

So many reasons to GIVE THANKS.

1. Gratitude makes us happier.

2. Gratitude makes us better people.

3. Gratitude improves ur relationships, at work, at home and in the world.

4. Gratitude can boost our Careers.

5. Gratitude makes you a more effective manger/leader.

6. Gratitude helps you network.

7. Gratitude increases our productivity.

8. Gratitude helps us make friends.

9. Gratitude deepens friendships.

10. Gratitude strengthens our emotions

11. Gratitude akes a difference in the world and lives around us.

12. Gratitude improves decision making skills.

13. Gratitude increases you goal achievement.

14. Gratitude Makes you look good.

15. Gratitude helps your marriage.

16. Gratitude makes you friendlier.

17. Gratitude helps us relax.

18. Gratitude reduces feelings of envy.

19. Gratitude makes our memories better.

20. Gratitude makes us feel good.

21. Gratitude helps us bounce back.

22. Gratitude makes you more likely to exercise.

23. Gratitude increases you energy levels.

24. Gratitude helps you live longer.

25. Gratitude helps keep you away from the doctor.

26. Gratitude improves sleep.

27. Gratitude increases self-esteem.

28. Gratitude makes us less self-centered.

29. Gratitude increases spiritualism.

30. Gratitude reduces materialism.

31. Gratitude makes us more optimistic.

32. Gratitude develops our personality.

33. Gratitude makes life sweeter.

5 Ways to Live In Gratitude:

1. Be thankful for what DIDN'T happen.

No matter how bad things are, they could almost always be worse. Start finding gratitude for what could have happened but didn't. Sometimes the most power thing we can do is be grateful for what we did not get, what we do not have and what didn’t happen to us. That can be just as powerful as focusing on what we do have. It’s all about giving thanks and being grateful.

2. Don't hold on to anger or hurt.

You may not realize it, but you are always choosing between two ways of perceiving: Looking to the world for reasons to be upset, or looking in your heart for reasons to be happy. You can't be angry, upset, resentful etc. and grateful at the same time, and life is too short to look for reasons to be upset. Remember that patience and tolerance bring you happiness, while anger and hatred bring you suffering.

3. Savor life's little moments.

Italian poet and novelist Cesare Pavese once said, "We do not remember days; we remember moments." With today's hectic pace we often forget to live in the moment, to just be. By just being, by just soaking up a beautiful moment, we can find some of life's greatest pleasures.

4. Express your gratitude by living it.

Expressing gratitude brings even more things to be grateful for, no matter what's going on around you. Look for things to appreciate, and then express your appreciation. Why not tell someone, “I really appreciate you.”? You don't spread gratitude by preaching or scolding—you spread it by living it. Every moment. Every hour. Every day.

John F. Kennedy said it best, "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

5. Keep a gratitude journal.

Starting and ending your day by jotting down, even just one thing that you are grateful for sets the tone for everything in between. So much research supports this one habit and how will improve your life.

6. Ask the question…

The next time you are having a meal with your family, friends or even potential in business, take a moment and ask, what their greatest moment was for the day, the week, etc., their high, what they loved the most…this will be what they are grateful for and set the tone for your meal.

The power of gratitude could be arguably, immeasurable but based on the over 44 research studies on gratitude, here are just some of the reasons to make a point of giving thanks. Of course it's easy to think this way on Thanksgiving day but just imagine how your life might change if you consciously practiced giving more thanks, each and every day...On that note, we are so very thankful for you!!!

The power of gratitude could be arguably, immeasurable but based on the over 44 research studies on gratitude, here are just some of the reasons to make a point of giving thanks. Of course it's easy to think this way on Thanksgiving day but just imagine how your life might change if you consciously practiced giving more thanks, each and every day...On that note, we are so very thankful for you!

Studies in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2009 to list a few showed…

Keeping a gratitude journal caused participants to report:

• 16% fewer physical symptoms 19% more time spent exercising 10% less physical pain 8% more Sleep 25% increased sleep quality
• The emotions of appreciation and gratitude shown to induce the relaxation response
• A gratitude visit reduced depressive symptoms by 35% for several weeks, a gratitude journal lowered depressive symptoms by 30%+ for as long as the practice was continued
• Patients with hypertension were instructed to count their blessings just once a week. There was a significant decrease in their systolic blood pressure
• Gratitude correlated with improved sleep quality, less time to fall asleep and increased sleep duration.
• Levels of gratitude significantly correlated with vitality and energy.

BOTTOM LINE: