Heart Full of Joy

One of the easiest ways to become happier is to become more grateful.

A study performed by Dr. Martin Seligman, showed that practicing gratitude for one week resulted in 92% of people feeling happier, and 94% of those who were depressed feeling less depressed. In other studies, 90% of people found that expressing gratitude made them more joyful, 84% said it reduced stress, and 78% said it gave them more energy.

Here is an even more amazing statistic: when you factor in all the benefits of practicing gratitude, it adds 6.9 years to your life. That’s right: regularly expressing thanks has been proven to have an even more positive impact on your health than exercising or quitting smoking. Even in the darkest and hardest times in your life there is always something to be grateful for.

Here are some of my favorite quotes to keep you inspired:

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” – Epictetus

“Who does not thank for little will not thank for much.” – Estonian Proverb

“The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet.” – J. Robert Oppenheimer

“Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” – Lao Tzu

“Let not your mind run on what you lack as much as on what you have already.” - Marcus Aurelius

“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” - Oprah Winfrey

Everyday, from now on, write down 25 thins you are grateful for and why you are grateful for it. You will be walking around with a heart full of blessings an joy!

XOXO

Lori