IF ONLY PEOPLE WERE AS GRATEFUL AS DOGS . . . by Pauline Wallin, Ph.D.

IF ONLY PEOPLE WERE AS GRATEFUL AS DOGS . . .

As I gave my dog a small morsel of toast the other day, I reflected on how grateful a creature she is. Abby is just as thrilled to receive a crumb as she is to get a huge bone. She never complains that the crumb is too small, or too cold or too moldy even! She always wants more, but if I don't offer it she gets over it quickly. No sulking around for what she didn't get.

Wouldn't it be nice if more people were that way? Not that people are never grateful, but most of the time it's after an accident or a disaster. For example, after a fire you’ll often hear the victims say, "We lost everything. But at least we're alive and still have each other." People are also grateful when they're frightened, hurt or down on their luck, and someone comes to their aid. Being on the receiving end of kindness when you need it most, always evokes feelings of gratitude.

When you're in a grateful state of mind, your inner brat is essentially disabled. You feel open and receptive. You feel connected to the world.

Being grateful for what you have is not just a more pleasant state of mind for the moment. There are lasting benefits, both mental and physical. Dr. Robert Emmons, a psychologist who specializes in research on gratitude, found that:

* People who kept a daily "gratitude journal" reported higher levels of alertness, enthusiasm and energy, than those who journaled about hassles or neutral events. This was the case even among people with neuromuscular disease.

* Grateful people report higher levels of life satisfaction and optimism.

* They also are more likely to share their possessions and to help others in need, thereby increasing their feelings of involvement and being appreciated themselves.

* They are less envious, less resentful, less bitter, and less neurotic. They are also less materialistic.

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BIO:

Pauline Wallin, Ph.D. is a psychologist in Camp Hill, PA, and author of "Taming Your Inner Brat: A Guide for Transforming Self-defeating Behavior" (Wildcat Canyon Press, 2004)

Visit http://www.innerbrat.com for more information, and subscribe to her free, monthly Inner Brat Newsletter.

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