Today’s post by Dr. Daniel Tomasulo on PsychCentral recounts how
he had alleviated his depressive states 25 years ago by learning
to practice gratitude on an ongoing basis. Upon waking, Dr. Dan
considers all the people, circumstances and objects in his life
that he’s thankful for (Tomasulo). This has conditioned his mind
to focus on the positive, and this “gratitude practice” has
become habitual, helping to begin the day with a sense of
tranquility and thanksgiving, instead of anxiety and dread.
Feeling gratitude concentrates the mind on the present —
focusing on what is instead of what might be. Definition of
Terms Gratitude, as defined by the Random House Dictionary, is
“the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful,” while
Robert A. Emmons and Michael E. McCullough, editors of the
collection The Psychology of Gratitude by Oxford University
Press, elaborate: [Gratitude is] a felt sense of wonder,
thankfulness and appreciation for life. It can be expressed to
others, as well as impersonal (nature) or