Risk & Business Magazine Cooke Insurance Group Magazine Winter 2018 | Page 12

HAPPY TO BE HEALTHY
A Visit To The Hospital Reminds Me Of
How Happy I Am
To Be Healthy
A
ncient philosophers and
contemporary scientists
agree: gratitude is a key
ingredient to a happy life.
Research shows that people
who cultivate gratitude get a boost in
happiness and optimism, feel more
connected to other people, are better-liked
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Photo Credit: Harpo Inc. / George Burns
and have more friends, and are more likely
to help others. They even sleep better and
have fewer headaches.
Nevertheless, I find it… challenging to
cultivate a grateful frame of mind.
I find it all too easy to fail to appreciate
all the things I feel grateful for—from
pervasive, basic things like electricity and
elevators, to personal aspects of my life
such as the fact that I get to collaborate
with my sister on our podcast, to little
passing joys, like a funny thing my dog did.
I get preoccupied with petty grievances
and minor annoyances and forget just how
much happiness I already have.
One thing I forget to be grateful for? My