Gratitude Works!

A purposeful guide for cultivating gratitude as a way of life

Recent dramatic advances in our understanding of gratitude have changed the question from "does gratitude work?" to "how do we get more of it?" This book explores evidence-based practices in a compelling and accessible way and provides a step-by-step guide to cultivating gratitude in their lives. Gratitude Works! also shows how religious, philosophical, and spiritual traditions validate the greatest insights of science about gratitude.

• New book from Robert Emmons the bestselling author of Thanks
• Filled with practical tips for fostering gratitude as a way of life
• Includes scientific research as well as religious and philosophical insights to show how gratitude can work in our lives

From Robert Emmons, the bestselling author of Thanks, comes a resource for cultivating a life of gratitude practices.

Preface v

Acknowledgments xi

1 The Challenge of Gratitude 1

2 Journaling for Gratitude 19

3 Beyond the Journal: Gratitude Letters and Visits 49

4 Growing Gratitude Through Spiritual Disciplines 75

5 The Biggest Obstacle to Gratitude—and Its Remedy 105

6 Gratitude, Suffering, and Redemption 131

7 The Twenty-One-Day Gratitude Challenge 159

Notes 173

Additional Readings 185

About the Author 186

Index 188

Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., is professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis. He is past president of the American Psychological Association’s Division 36, The Psychology of Religion. Emmons is founding editor and editor-in-chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology.

“Gratitude is important not only because it helps us feel good, but also because it inspires us to do good. Gratitude heals, energizes, and transforms lives...

Gratitude takes us outside our scope so we see ourselves as part of a larger, intricate network of sustaining relationships, relationships that are mutually reciprocal.”

—FROM THE PREFACE

From Robert Emmons, the best-selling author of THANKS!, comes a vital resource that shows us how to tap into the power and grace of gratitude. Emmons draws on a wide array of research, including his own, to show that the practice of gratitude can have dramatic and lasting effects on and in our lives. It can lower blood pressure, improve immune function, promote happiness and well-being, and spur acts of helpfulness, generosity, and cooperation.

The organic metaphor of “growing gratitude” is a powerful image for conveying basic truths of how we reap the benefits of a more gratitude-filled life. We do not acquire gratitude; we cultivate it through daily practices that make it a deeply ingrained disposition. This accessible book provides a twenty-one-day, step-by-step guide for cultivating gratitude practices—the concrete things you can do to grow your mind and direct your actions toward a more grateful worldview. Through practice, giving thanks grows from the ground of one’s being. Grateful feelings, once buried, can surface if we take the time to notice and reflect.

A French proverb states that gratitude is the memory of the heart—it is the way that the heart remembers. If you want to be a grateful person then you must remember to remember. Gratitude Works! will show you how.

"Gratitude Works! is a must read! Robert Emmons, the world's leading gratitude researcher, offers a science-based prescription for transforming our lives personally and professionally through the power of gratitude. Gratitude Works! is one of those books you will want to share with all the people you care about. It is a gift to us all."—David J. Pollay, author of The Law of the Garbage Truck: How to Stop People from Dumping on You

"Everyone on this planet has one common wish: to be happy. When I allowed gratitude to enter my everyday life, I found my happiness and my performance skyrocketed. I always enjoy listening to Dr. Emmons talk about this amazing topic. Read this book!"—Ed Tseng, author of Game. Set. Life. - Peak Performance for Sports and Life