The Numbers Behind Gratitude

Gratitude is a feeling of gratefulness and appreciation. It should be the practice of every Singaporean and the world. Giving thanks and counting our blessings are two elements that make the world a better place to live. The University of California’s Robert Emmons led a research project called Expanding Science and Practice of Gratitude in collaboration with Greater Good Science Center.

Robert Emmons released an infographic that lists compelling reasons why it is better to live gratefully. Here are the compelling reasons why it is better to live gratefully:

• Charity: Grateful people are famous because of their charitable or philanthropic spirits. In fact, there are at least 20% of grateful people who give to charities and other causes.
• Age: Gratitude is linked with age because for every ten years, gratitude grows by 5%.
• Health: About 12% of grateful people who are physically active have low blood pressure. It does not end there because grateful people have less stress – about 10% lower compared to their non-grateful counterparts.
• Work: Grateful people at work have 7% higher incomes compared to their non-grateful counterparts because they are happy in their job.

• Youths: Practicing gratitude has a positive influence in the lives of youth. For instance, in the study conducted by Emmons, grateful youths have 13% fewer fights. Another good thing is that grateful youths are 20% more likely to get good grades.
• Where: It will help you to know the countries where people are most grateful. The most grateful countries include South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Philippines and India. The least grateful countries include Netherlands, Denmark, Hungary, Czech Republic and United Kingdom.
• Life: Feeling of gratefulness can create a positive impact in your life. In fact, it is said that grateful people have seven more years to their life.

Now that we know the  numbers behind gratitude, it is important that as parents, we are role models when it comes to portraying gratitude. Expressing gratitude by thought or action is the best thing here on earth. It will deepen the bond and connections between Singaporeans and the community.

Counting blessings are easy, you only need to look within but giving thanks is not a practice of everyone. There are people who find hard to even express ‘thank you’. It is crucial that we inspire change and promote a community of grateful people. Remember that gratitude is born with love and it will grow because of love. At the end of the day, it all boils down to love.