Note: Various colleagues are filling in while First Things First President and CEO Lauren Hall is on maternity leave. The following was written by Mitchell Qualls and published at firstthings.org in November of 2021.
Have you ever wondered how to make life better? How can you be happier, healthier or more fulfilled? Having an attitude of gratitude could be one answer. You may have heard this little catchphrase before. It’s possible you just rolled your eyes, too.
But does being thankful work? What is gratitude anyway?
Gratitude is the state of being thankful. It’s showing appreciation for what you have or receive.
Dr. Robert Emmons, the gratitude guru, takes the definition further. He describes it using two key components: