Finding Gratitude and Joy: What the Bible Says About GratitudeSample

The Happy Pill

Imagine if the big Pharma companies created a happy pill that increased happiness by 25%.

You would see one of those ads with a happy couple and a happy family walking on the beach together, and then you'd hear the voiceover say, "side effects may include headaches, rashes, anger, violent outbursts, cruelty towards animals and plants, sudden urges to pick fights on social media, and in rare cases death."

And yet they would still go on to make billions with it.

But what if there was a way to increase our happiness by 25% without taking a pill and with no side effects? Dr. Robert Emmons concludes that there is. According to his research, "regular grateful thinking can increase happiness by as much as 25 percent." The simple act of intentionally choosing to be grateful for what we have not only causes us to enjoy what we have currently, but it also provides many other positive side effects. No headaches, no rashes, and no sudden urges to pick fights on social media. Just all the benefits.

According to Heather Craig, a psychologist from Melbourne, Australia, "research on gratitude has shown that it is associated with positive emotions including contentment, happiness, pride, and hope." And the benefits actually go way beyond that. According to another study of 1,000 participants by Dr. Robert Emmons, those who consistently practiced gratitude found a host of benefits:

• Stronger immune systems
• Lower blood pressure
• Better sleep and more energy
• Higher levels of positive emotions
• More joy and pleasure
• More helpful, generous, and compassionate
• Feel less lonely and isolated.

What we see here is that there is an antidote to discontentment. While the temptation to feel discontent is always likely to be in our lives, we can overcome it. The secret is to be intentionally and consciously grateful for what we have.

So let’s try to increase your happiness today by 25% simply by intentionally choosing to be grateful for what you have!