So, you may recall that my new year's resolution was to take note of one thing each day for which I am thankful. Practicing gratitude can sometimes induce pressure. There's pressure to write thank-you notes. Pressure to appear as grateful as you are when given a gift. Pressure to remember to give thanks for the things we all take for granted. But I've found that consciously trying to be more thankful has kept me thinking more positively so far this year.I recently came across this article, which summarizes some research done by Jamie Kurtz. You can read about the methodology of her study if you click over, but basically she wanted to know whether focusing on the end of good experiences enhances one's gratitude in the present. And the answer was, basically, yes. The recap summed it up like this:
It is hard to admit to ourselves that life is finite: elderly parents won't be around forever, close friends will move far away and we will eventually grow old and die. Naturally we consider these sad facts of life depressing and guess that no good can come of their contemplation.
But what this study suggests is that thinking about endpoints as a way of stimulating gratitude can be beneficial. Finite ends seem to inspire people to think carefully about what it is they have, because soon enough, and usually sooner than we would like to think, it will be gone.
It's a new way for me to think about gratitude, but it fits well with the mindfulness approach to life - rather than being thankful for the things I have now while battling the nagging thought that these things won't last forever, I can allow myself to realize that these things will end. And, in turn, I can appreciate them more while they're here.
P.S. I have to plug my favorite poem here, since it fits with the topic. Enjoy. Oh, and the picture is your daily dose of Olive ;)
.
Comments