By Michael French

“Grateful,” as defined by Webster’s, is “feeling or showing appreciation of kindness; thankful”.

During the twists and turns of the day, some of us are tempted to feel overwhelmed by what’s “wrong” with life instead of taking stock and being grateful for the good we experience each day. The longer we live, the more ups and downs we will have. Our perception of life’s daily routine, events (those planned or unexpected), each triumph and defeat, dictate their impact on our emotional and physiological health. Life is a roller coaster full of peaks and valleys.

Too many of us focus on the things we want to achieve in life, the things we have not yet achieved, and/or the things we do not yet have. We chase after them, gripe about not having them and wish we had what we think we don’t have. We wonder when we will get what we think we lack, and scheme to have it. It is all well and good to have goals, to visualize and work towards them, but it is critically important to your happiness and health to take time and appreciate what’s good in your life and what you have already accomplished.

Gratitude is under-rated and under-utilized. To quench our thirst, we turn the faucet and we have clean water to drink; we want light and we flick a switch; when we’re hungry, we open the refrigerator to find a cornucopia of choices to fill our belly. Do you take all that for granted or do  you quietly remind yourself there are more than a billion people we share this planet with who don’t have those luxuries? When someone lets you in a line of traffic, holds the door for you or compliments you, do you glibly ignore this random act of kindness with an indifferent, obtuse sense of entitlement? Or, do you bask in the moment of this positive experience that you should feel grateful to have come your way? When your partner treats you wonderfully in every way but leaves the cap off the toothpaste, do you forget the romantic dinner he lovingly prepared for you the night before and make sure you admonish him for that more than you showed your gratitude for the delicious meal? When you aren’t grateful for the positives in your life, and acts of kindness are taken for granted or ignored like some leaf blowing down the street, you are missing out on an important component of happiness. Why? Being grateful immediately increases your satisfaction with life and allows you to feel happier. In turn, you will accomplish more because you won’t be anchored down by negative thoughts. Instead, you’ll be more likely to let your heart and mind set sail. Focusing on things to be grateful and appreciative for reminds us of our priorities and what is fundamentally important in our lives.

Showing gratitude is healthy; it’s easier to be thankful. Practicing gratitude and thankfulness is good for your blood pressure, a foe of bulge encouraging cortisol, a friend of anti-aging, inside and out.

Gratitude, like misery, is contagious. You do feel better when you act grateful.  Demonstrating your feeling of gratitude, send a hand-written (yes, the kind for which one uses a pen!) and write a “Thank You” note for a gift, favor, dinner party or, heaven forbid, ”just because”! You can make a real difference in some else’s day, giving them a reason to feel grateful by letting them know they are appreciated. Pay attention to the uplifting impact on your mood when you feel thankful and when you show your thankfulness. Doing so makes you a kinder and more likable human being. Wearing a smile of gratefulness is very attractive. You’ll be surprised at the results.

There are very few things in life that have the power to encourage, inspire, provide peace of mind and bring happiness all at the same time. Being overtly grateful is one of them.

This is an old cliché, but its message holds true, now more than ever. “Stop and smell the roses!”

Do it every day! You’ll be grateful.

Michael French, is Agenda’s Home from Home columnist. Contact Michael at mf7954fla@gmail.com