HH : Module 4: Emotional Balance and Spiritual Connections: What is Gratitude? =

Module 4: Emotional Balance and Spiritual Connections

What is Gratitude? =

Both Iva and Meda speak about the connections between mind, body, and spirit. One way to strengthen those connections is to consciously express gratitude for our lives and the people in our lives.

Gratitude is the act of being thankful and of showing appreciation and kindness to others. Robert Emmons, one of the leading experts on gratitude explains:

We affirm that there are good things in the world,

gifts and benefits we’ve received…
We recognize that the sources of this goodness

are outside of ourselves …
We acknowledge that other people—or even higher powers,

give us many gifts, big and small,

to help us achieve the goodness in our lives.³

- Robert Emmons

Learning Partner Button

Watch the Sam Berns video

After you watch the video, think about how you can apply the video to your own life, then share your experience with your learning partner. Be prepared to give your learning partner feedback on their reflection. Agree what to share with everyone during the class.

Robert Emmons’ research suggests that if we can give up a “poor me, victim-mentality”, and overcome any sense that we are entitled to special things or opportunities, we’ll find that our relationships, energy level, ability to learn, and ability to deal with tragedy and crisis all improve.^4,5

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