Older readers may remember as a child reading the book series Pollyanna – one of the many rags to riches stories of its day, but with a twist.
Pollyanna is an orphan who gets brought up by an aunt who most decidedly does not want children around. However, before he died, her father – a church minister – taught her a game to find something positive in whatever situation she found herself. He said there were over 800 “rejoicing texts” in the Bible, so it must be important.
Well, this is only a story and there aren’t 800 rejoicing texts (one blog I read counted 138), but rejoicing or gratitude is important. Positive psychology provides empirical research about the impact of gratitude on people’s well being.
That said, there is a very important difference between gratitude (or joy) and pretending everything is fine when it isn’t. It is important to name the problems, and it is just as important to recognise those problems are not the whole story.
We can cultivate gratitude by the simple act of naming what has been good. It might be in a diary, or in prayer/meditation. You may share it with a friend each day. At the end of each day find a simple way to remember at least one thing for which you can give thanks.