69. The power of gratitude. A Thanksgiving mediation.

Gratitude is a positive character trait, and from an evolutionary perspective, it holds great value.

When life gets tough, feeling and expressing a sense of gratitude facilitates emotion-focused coping - a critical process for anyone dealing with challenges.

Research illustrates that gratitude mitigates short-term, detrimental thought processes such as resentment, anger, and envy. Interestingly, gratitude also has long-term benefits.

According to broaden and build theory, a staple of emotion-based research, positive emotions can also broaden our awareness of self and others, which helps build out novel, growth-oriented mindsets.

Gratitude, in particular, has the capacity to help us see the big picture and reset our priorities, which helps us work towards accomplishing fulfilling goals.

This Thanksgiving, consider being grateful, not only because we’re supposed to, but also because it’s good for you.