I received a summary prepared by Suki Reed, president of Orange County Hiking Club Meetup, of a research project from UC Davis and University of Miami, theorizing that gratitude is the “forgotten factor” in happiness research for health and longevity. Suki’s main points from the study:

60 second gratitude inventory – life basics
• Can I feel my breath?
• Can I feel my heart beating?
• Can I feel my fingers (or any part of my body) moving?
• Can I feel immediate surroundings; chair, ground, tree, etc…?

60 seconds to broaden the gratitude field – M.E.O.W.
• Feel gratitude for Me (aka yourself)
• Feel gratitude for the Earth on which you stand
• Feel gratitude for Others who are making a contribution to your life; people, pets, etc…
• Feel gratitude for the World around you

Read Suki’s complete summary of the study. Also check out the study’s site here.

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and don’t forget to take gratitude breaks all year long!

Among the many really important things to be thankful for — loved ones, your health — let’s not forget some of the little things that make life better. When I hear my automatic icemaker drop some new ice, I’m grateful I didn’t have to mess with those darned ice trays!

What are you thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Doing your job well and connecting to people will bring results in your business and in your life. People will tell others about their great experience with you and remain loyal to you.

If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful.
— Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder