Developing an Attitude of Gratitude

Mike Jacquart

“When we fail to notice the positive, our brains naturally emphasize the negative.”

I ran across this statement in an article in Time magazine. I read it. Then I re-read it. Then I thought about it. BINGO. What a perfect post for Thanksgiving! Why do we need to have a holiday each year to remind us to be thankful for all of the good things in our lives? Shouldn’t that just come naturally? Sometimes it does, sure.

Unfortunately, studies reveal that negative emotions involve more thinking, and that information is processed more thoroughly than positive ones. “Thus, we tend to ruminate more about unpleasant words – and use stronger words to describe them – than happy ones,” states Professor Clifford Nass, co-author of The Man Who Lied to His Laptop: What Machines Teach Us About Human Relationships.

But as anyone knows who has read Pastor Brad Hoefs’ landmark book, Fresh Hope: Living Well in Spite of a Mental Health Diagnosis, or attended a Fresh Hope support group, all is not lost.

Far from it. But don’t pay attention to what society says. Our affluence as Americans too often drowns out the everyday blessings in our lives – like food and shelter –that poor people in Third World countries would love to have. The upcoming Thanksgiving holiday provides a perfect opportunity to change thoughts of selfishness to ones of appreciation.

Contemplating “wants” versus “needs” is a big help for me in this regard. We “want” a new car. We “need” transportation. We “want” a newer, larger house. We “need” a roof over our heads. We “want” a kitchen as nice as the one neighbor Bob just redid. We “need” food in whatever kitchen we do have.

You get the idea.

What would our world be like if we paid more attention to “needs” instead of “wants,” than the associated negativity that comes much more easily to us?

Being thankful isn’t a one-day thing, it’s a lifestyle. I’m going to give it a try. What about you?

Mike Jacquart is the author of Climbing out of Darkness: A Personal Journey into Mental Wellness. For more information, contact Mike at madjac@tds.net