Gratitude Essay

2011 Words5 Pages

Elsie Reinemer
Positive Psychology & Personal Resiliency
Final Paper

Final Paper: Gratitude

Introduction

“Gratitude defies easy classification. It has been conceptualized as an emotion, an attitude, a moral virtue, a habit, a personality trait, or a coping response. The word gratitude is derived from the Latin root gratia, meaning grace, graciousness, or gratefulness. All derivatives from this Latin root “have to do with kindness, gener- ousness, gifts, the beauty of giving and receiving, or getting something for nothing” (Pruyser, 1976, p. 69). Gratitude is an amazing thing that can be small and simple but show such tremendous results in the end. Scientists have been studying gratitude for many years and in recent research, those who …show more content…

Why exactly is expressing gratitude a problem for some? Therapist Dr. Terence Real and author of the book “I Don’t Want to Talk About It”, believes that there are three reasons people lack the ability to express gratitude towards others. These reasons include feelings such as negative emotional baggage, a sign of weakness, and having expectations. Research has shown that when we strive to find happiness in the things we lack, we may actually be holding ourselves back. The process of practicing, noticing, and appreciating what we already have is what brings true …show more content…

We are all tested everyday to overcome unique challenges and obstacles that are presented in our lives. By realizing what we are grateful for we can enjoy great blessings, successes, and experience great wonders and happiness in our lives. However, none of us are immune to the difficulties and challenges that will occasionally come our way, to make the journey difficult at times, and to test ourselves. The three runners depended on a camaraderie to help them through difficult times, just as we depend on one another, our families, our leaders, and our friends to help us through challenging

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