综合教程3课文翻译 The Power of Gratitude

PAGE

综合教程3课文翻译ThePowerofGratitude

ThePowerofGratitude

DeborahNorville

RobertEmmons,PhD,aprofessorofpsychologyattheUniversityofCalifornia,haslongbeeninterestedintherolegratitudeplaysinphysicalandemotionalwell-being.AlongwithpsychologyprofessorMichaelMcCulloughoftheUniversityofMiami,Emmonstookthreegroupsofvolunteersandrandomlyassignedthemtofocusononeofthreethingseachweek:hassles,thingsforwhichtheyweregrateful,andordinarylifeevents.Thefirstgroupconcentratedoneverythingthatwentwrongorwasirritatingtothem,suchas“thejerkwhocutmeoffonthehighway.”Thesecondgrouphomedinonsituationstheyfeltenhancedtheirlives,asin“Myboyfriendissokindandcaring—I’mluckytohavehim.”Andthethirdgrouprecalledrecenteverydayevents,asin“Iwentshoeshopping.”

Theresults:Thepeoplewhofocusedongratitudewerejustflat-outhappier.Theysawtheirlivesinfavorableterms.Theyreportedfewernegativephysicalsymptomssuchasheadachesorcolds,andtheywereactiveinwaysthatweregoodforthem.Theyspentalmostanhourandahalfmoreperweekexercisingthanthosewhofocusedonhassles.Plainandsimple,thosewhoweregratefulhadahigherqualityoflife.

Othersaroundthemrecognizedthattoo.“Theynoticedthatthesepeoplehadmorejoy,moreenergy.Theycouldseethattheywerebecomingmoreoptimistic,”saysEmmons.Thegratefulgroup“evenseemedtobeperceivedasmorehelpfultowardothers,goingoutonalimbtohelppeople.”Emmonswassurprisedbythisresult.“Thisisnotjustsomethingthatmakespeoplehappy,likeapositive-thinking/optimismkindofthing.Afeelingofgratitudereallygetspeopletodosomething,tobecomemorepro-social,morecompassionate.”Thisdidnothappenineitheroftheothertwogroups.

EmmonsandMcCulloughtooktheirstudy,publishedin2003,onestepfurther.Ratherthanfocusonhasslesorblessingsonjustaweeklybasis,theyroundedupcollegestudentstodoiteveryday.Rightoffthebat,Emmonsandhisteamrecognizedthattherewassomethingpowerfulaboutaregulargratitudecheck.Andinafollow-upstudy,thosewhofoundsomethingtoappreciateeverydaywerelessmaterialistic—lessapttoseeaconnectionbetweenlifesatisfactionandmaterialthings.Theyweremorewillingtopartwiththeirpossessions.Thebumperstickerthatreads“Theonewiththemosttoyswins”wasunlikelytobefoundonanyoftheircars.

Sohowdoweuseallthisscienceofgratitudeinourlives?Thepowerofgratitudetakesjustafewminutesaday.Butitrequiresconsistencyandanopenmind—anddedication.SaysEmmons,“Ithinkgratitudeisademandingquality,arigorousquality.It’sadiscipline,anexercise.”Itmaynotcomeeasily,butitcanbedeveloped.Here’show:

Recordyourthanks.

Takeamomentduringtheday—rightbeforebedtimeisusuallybest—tojotdownthreethingsthathappenedthatdayforwhichyouaregrateful.Anythingthatmadeyoufeeluplifted,thatbroughtasmiletoyourfaceoryourheart,orwillcontributetowardyourfuturehappiness,works.

Aftereachsituationoreventforwhichyoufeelthankful,writedownwhythiswasgoodforyou.Perhapsyoureceivedane-mailfromanoldschoolfriendwhohadn’tbeenintouchforyears,andthisremindedyouofthegoodtimesyouhadtogether.Itforcedyoutorealizethatpeoplethinkofyoueventhoughyou’rehadnocontactwiththem,whichmustmeanyou’reaprettyspecialperson.

Also,makeanoteofwho,ifanyone,playedaroleinwhatyou’rerecalledforthedayandhowthatpersonhadanimpactonyourlife.

Noneofthissoundshard,right?Giventhechoicebetweenthisexerciseand50sit-upsplus25push-ups,you’remuchmoreinclinedtopickupapen,aren’tyou?

Thegratitudejournalmakesyoulookatlifeinapositive,concreteway,remindingyouofitsinterconnectednessinafast-paced,impersonalworldandhowmuchothersaddtothequalityofyourlife.Itforcesyoutofocusonwhatwentrightinsteadoftheinevitablethingsthatwentwrong.Anditenhancesyourself-esteem.

Seethepatterns.

Overtime,you’llnoticeaconsistencywithinthelistofitemsyou’regratefulfor.Manyentrieswillunderscoretheimportanceofpeopleinyourlife.Otherswillhighlightmeaningfulexperiences.Stillotheritemswillbethingsthatbeganwithyou,thingsyoucreatedthatyoucanpointtowithprideandsay,Imadethathappen.It’scalledeudaemonia,thehappinessorfulfillmentthatcomesfromtheactionitself,nottheresultofit.Anyotherbenefitsthatcomealong—someoneisgrateful,yourprojectisasuccess—areicingonthecake.

Catchtheboomerang.

Gratitude,whenexpressedtoothers,almostalwayscomesbackaround.Peoplewhofeelappreciatedaremorewillingtomakeaneffortforthosewhomakethemfeelvalued.Inonestudy,waitresseswhosimplywrote“thankyou”onthecheckbeforehandingittotheircustomersreceived,onaverage,11percentmoreintipsthanthosewhodidn’t.Waitresseswhowroteamessageaboutanupcomingdinnerspecialonthechecksalsoreceivedhighertips—onaverage,17to20percenthigher.Inaworldwherepersonalconnectionsseemincreasinglylimited,andsometimesstressfulwhentheydooccur,gratituderesonates.

Seizethemoment.

Lookaroundyou:What’srightwithyourworld?Ifyouhaveahobby,practiceit.Ifyoudon’t,findone.Reachouttoothers;sharesomething.Asmallgesturetowardanoth