Be Grateful -- It's Good for You

Robert Emmons, professor of psychology at University of California, Davis, says gratitude is good for you. "When people are grateful, they experience 'calm energy' -- they feel more alert, alive, interested, enthusiastic. They also feel more connected to others," he said. "Gratitude also serves as a stress buffer. Grateful people (are) less likely to experience envy, anger, resentment, regret and other unpleasant states that produce stress and thwart positive emotions."

Emmons was interviewed by Jo Ann Kirby of the Stockton (California) Record. Kirby also spoke to the Rev. Charles Hasegawa of the Stockton Buddhist Temple. "Gratitude is at the very core of the Buddhist teaching," the Rev. Hasegawa said. "In all forms of our rituals, we always are mindful of our indebtedness to not only individuals but to all living things and everything that enables us to be."