Practicing gratitude (and having a positive attitude) is PHYSICALLY good for you!!
I've been doing a little research on this topic and I was incredibly excited in what I learned. Since not all of you have your PhD, I will "dumb things down" a little. (I'm personally not a fan of "fancy talk" anyway, but that is a discussion for another day). Practicing gratitude daily is healthy for your brain - it does all kinds of good things by sending good brain chemicals flying here & there. It also sets the stage for other good things to happen in your brain. That alone is exciting - but now hear this... people who have a generally pessimistic view towards the world die sooner. Having a negative outlook on life is flat out bad for your heart. There is something called a HRT (heart rate turbulence) that is apparently affected by your outlook towards the world (other things affect it, also). Being a pessimist lowers your HRT and puts you at risk for cardiac disease.
So, the question is...are you being a grateful optimist? Or are you a take-everything-for-granted pessimist? Here's a quick way to find out. Think of the last time someone told you..."We need to talk." Were you excited because you couldn't wait to hear what wonderful and exciting things that person wanted to talk about? Or did your stomach sink to your toenails & leave you dreading the impending conversation...
Unfortunately, I think many of us think we are optimists, when in fact we are actually pessimists - and pessimists typically live in fear - yikes. Not a sunshine & roses kind of thought, is it? But there is good news! It may not be the easiest thing in the world, but I believe it is possible to change yourself into an optimist. Simply becoming more aware of your attitude will help, for starters. Practicing gratitude daily and focusing more on others will also help get you on the right track. So, if you just diagnosed yourself as being pessimist, you CAN become optimistic - one half-empty - I mean, half-full glass at a time.
