Hajja Salesjana

Marlene Cauchi D.CounsPsy We have all encountered people who are seemingly perennially unhappy. No matter what their life circumstances are, they seem to be extremely adept at identifying what is wrong, flawed, or insufficient in their life. We might also question why it is that, no matter how much they receive, they never feel they have enough. They might see other people as constantly failing them. Such persons are missing what we refer to as gratitude. Psychologists, clergymen, and lay people have hailed gratitude as the fundamental attitude underpinning a fulfilled life. So what is this emotion that scientists think is so crucial to our happiness? According to Dr Robert Emmons (2003), the feeling of gratitude involves two stages: 1. First comes the acknowledgment of goodness in one’s life. In a state of gratitude, we affirm that overall, life is good, and has elements that make life worthwhile. The acknowledgment that we have received something fills us with gratitude, both in relation to what we have received, as well as to the giver’s effort inproviding it. 2. Secondly, gratitude is the result of us recognising that some of the sources of this goodness lie outside the self. We can be grateful to other people, to a higher power, and to the world, but not to oneself. At this stage, therefore, we are able to recognise the goodness in our lives and also who we have to thank for it. In other words, who made sacrifices so that we could be happy? The two stages of gratitude, therefore, comprise the recognition of the goodness in our lives, and the fact that the source of such goodness lies outside of us. Through this process, we acknowledge the gifts that we have been gratuitously given over the course of our lives. One might argue that, what is important is not the actual circumstances of our lives, but the kind of attitude we have towards such circumstances. In fact, gratitude is Let’s Talk about Gratitude Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash 23 Ottubru - Diċembru 2022 hajja