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Research has shown that gratitude is really good for us. It’s associated with greater optimism, enthusiasm, energy and other positive reactions. And I think it also helps in quieting our inner body-basher.

In honor of Thanksgiving, here’s what I’m seriously thankful for:

• Amazing Weightless readers. Thank you so much for continuing to come back and read my posts and for your kind and supportive words.
• My relationship with my mom and our fun days shopping and watching fashion shows.
• My boyfriend for his big heart and the lessons I continue to learn about myself and relationships.
• My body for letting me practice Pilates and helping me to get through a yucky cold.
• Memories.
• My Pilates teacher, who’s super kind and always challenges us (but not too much).
• My family in NYC for their unconditional support, laughs and lessons.
• My close friends from all over the country who make it a priority to stay in touch.
• Long bike rides with a crisp breeze. (Doesn’t happen often here in the sunshine state.)
• Hours of cookie-baking with my neighbor Joan who’s become a grandmother to me.
• Being able to do what I LOVE.
• Being able to read beautiful books and blogs.
• The food we’re about to eat and enjoy.
• Sunny and rainy days.
• Weekends spent writing.
• Red lipstick, which makes me feel girly and pretty.
• Apples, grapes, orange juice, spaghetti, veal marsala, pizza and potatoes.
• Cheese, dark chocolate and ice cream.
• Pretty journals to write in. (I’m seriously obsessed and have 10 too many.)
• Old books and new globes, which I love collecting.
• Art and museums, which always put a smile on my face.
• Etsy, where you can get anything and everything you want lovingly handmade.
• Writers who write their hearts out and make us feel less alone.
• My nose and fingers, which are miniature versions of my dad’s.
  
  

Additional Resources on Gratitude

• Want to get creative? Brandi, one of our associate editors, created a beautiful gratitude collage on her blog The Inspiring Bee. (Check out her whole blog; it’s awesome!)
• Great advice from various gratitude studies and leading researcher Robert Emmons on keeping a gratitude journal . One of my fave parts is that Emmons suggests seeing the items on our lists as gifts.
• 5 steps to gratitude from Psych Central’s blog Mindfulness and Psychotherapy.
• Cultivating gratitude to increase life-satisfaction from Adventures in Positive Psychology, another PC blog.
• An utterly breathtaking post from Anna at Curvy Yoga on gratitude and grief. I can relate to this so much.

What are you thankful for?

Have a beautiful Thanksgiving and weekend!

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    Last reviewed: 24 Nov 2011