10 Reasons Why Being Grateful is Good for You
This is awesome!
Did you know that being grateful is so good for you … you might want to consider making gratitude a priority purely for selfish reasons!
Seriously, it’s that beneficial!
10 Reasons Why Being Grateful is Good for You
1. Being grateful will make you happier.
You and I get to choose … thankful and appreciative or unappreciative and dissatisfied. I know it is impossible for me to be happy when I focus on what isn’t rather than what is.
“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” ~Denis Waitley
Mental health professionals say:
“Feeling and expressing gratitude turns our mental focus to the positive, which compensates for our brains’ natural tendency to focus on threats, worries, and negative aspects of life.” ~Psychology Today
2. Being grateful will bless your relationships.
We all prefer to spend our time with happy grateful people. They’re not only more fun, they’re more encouraging.
No one can be happy 100% of the time and I’m not encouraging disingenuous cheerfulness, but … even when you and I aren’t happy there are always things to be thankful for.
“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” ~Albert Schweitzer
We have so much joy before our God because of you. We cannot thank Him enough for all the joy we feel. 1 Thessalonians 3:9
3. Being grateful will help you succeed at work.
Employees work harder if their efforts are appreciated and bosses are more likely to encourage them if their positive leadership is greeted with enthusiasm.
And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Colossians 3:17
4. Being grateful for what is, will make you more hopeful about what may be.
When you and I enjoy and appreciate what we have today, we are more likely to believe that tomorrow will be blessed as well.
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise. Hebrews 10:23
5. Being grateful will increase your empathy and a willingness to help.
When you and I are truly satisfied and appreciative in our own lives we are more likely to want to help those who are less fortunate.
“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.” –Henri Frederic Amiel
6. Being grateful will make you feel more satisfied.
When you and I are thankful for what we have we will end up being less concerned about those things we don’t have.
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~Melody Beattie
You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. Psalm 63:5
7. Being grateful will make you more resilient.
People who live with thankfulness get over setbacks and disappointments more quickly than those who are unappreciative.
“Just an observation: it is impossible to be both grateful and depressed. Those with a grateful mindset tend to see the message in the mess. And even though life may knock them down, the grateful find reasons, if even small ones, to get up.” ~Steve Maraboli
8. Being grateful will lower your stress levels and make you less anxious.
Thankful people worry less. When you and I celebrate what is going well we will be less inclined to feel anxious about those things that could go wrong.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6–7
9. Being grateful will help you forgive the people who hurt you.
People who celebrate God’s gift of forgiveness with gratitude … let go of the past and learn from it, forgive others more easily, and have the strength they need to forgive others.
Instead, be kind to each other, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32
10. Being grateful makes you more attractive. How cool is that!!
Thankful people smile more. Enough said!
“Choosing to smile even when you are having a bad day doesn’t mean you are being fake. It means you are choosing to focus on all the reasons you have to be thankful instead of the reasons you have to be stressed.” ~ Dave Willis
Thank God…
- for His love.
- for His grace and mercy.
- for His faithful forgiveness.
- for His provision.
- for peace, hope, joy, patience, strength, and…
Thank your spouse…
- for the little things they do.
- for their love.
- for their forgiveness.
- for making you laugh.
- for the blessings they bring to your family.
Thank your children…
- for helping.
- for being kind.
- for making good choices.
- for making you laugh.
- for being a blessing to your family.
Thank your friends, your boss, your neighbors, and yes, even the stranger who helps you. You’ll be surprised at how much gratitude will bless you.
Here are a few simple ways to say “thank you.”
I appreciate your help.
I love the way you do that.
Thank you, that really made me happy.
Thank you for being there when I needed you.
That was wonderful. Thank you.
That was amazing. You bless me.
And if those aren’t enough ideas…
Here’s a great post on Shari’s Berries Blog. (Just click on the title or graphic!)
85 Ways to Say Thank You + Printables for Your Message
I love the printables and with 85 ideas … I’ll never be at a loss for words of thanks again!
A HUGE thank you to Julissa for telling me about this and for inviting me to share it with all of you!
Okay, now it’s your turn…
What’s your favorite way to say “thank you?”
Remember a time when saying “thank you” blessed you.
And before you go, let’s stop and thank God simply because He is loving and good!
Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 106:1
Leave your prayer requests…
and pray for others who have left requests.
I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts in the comments below.
And if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Maybe a friend, family member, coworker, or through the links below…
Deb, it was in a former post you had about being thankful that I began keeping a gratitude journal. Oh, what a difference it makes for me on a daily basis! Yes, I choose gratefulness to God, family and friends.
Blessings to you!
I’m so glad keeping a gratitude journal has blessed you. Being mindful of the ways God works in the daily and keeping track of it really does help me remain grateful and joy-filled. And even when struggles work to bring me down, I’ve learned they don’t last as long when I’m making an effort to remain blessing and gratitude focused! God bless you, Martha!
I tried and something went wrong..I cast my cares and burdens which are many,many to our Lord or God and have great days one day at a time..I pray a lot and it brings me so close to God and enjoy the day… God Bless I also listen to K-Love radio at 106.9
Mary Ellen, it sounds like you are doing many things to live with gratitude. Life is full of distractions and frustrations that work to pull our grateful hearts down to despair. Praying God will meet your every need and fill you with all you need in Him. Many blessings!
Gratitude has so many wonderful benefits!
I know, Barbie! Now if I could just remember to consistently live gratefully! Blessings, my friend!
What wonderful reminders! Thank you, Deb!
Thank you, Rachel! Praying your Thanksgiving is happy and blessed!
I never realized there were that many benefits for being grateful. Thanks for the list, Deb! All I knew was, it did my heart good to be thankful and express gratitude.
I have enjoyed coming across this website and I really enjoyed this particular article on being grateful. GOD has really been speaking to me lately, all this year actually on the importance of gratitude!
Peace and Blessings in CHRIST!
LLoyd
Thank you for visiting, Lloyd. I’m so glad you were blessed and encouraged. May the Lord be with you and give you much peace and joy as He fills you with gratitude. Blessings!