An Attitude of Gratitude Helps Lead to Happiness

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances." -- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Your attitude really does matter. Tyler Cowen agrees. Of course, I learned most of this in Sunday School...

These are from the new and noteworthy Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, by Robert Emmons:

1. Keep a Gratitude Journal

2. Remember the Bad

3. Ask Yourself Three Questions (What have I received from...?, What have I given to...?, and What troubles and difficulty have I caused ...?

4. Learn prayers of gratitude

5. Come to your senses

6. Use visual reminders

7. Make a vow to practice gratitude

8. Watch your language

9. Go through the motions [of showing gratitude, thanking, smiling, etc.]

10. Think outside the box [TC: this one should have been left out]

I didn't learn anything from this book, but in terms of both truth and importance it is one of the most significant books you can find. Ever. Provided you live enough above subsistence, gratitude is the single most important key to personal happiness. And how commercial society affects gratitude is one of the great underexplored questions of economic science and sociology.