Mom was right! If you say thank you, for even the smallest gift or slightest show of kindness, you'll fell happy. Gratitude , says Robert A. Emmons, a professor of psychology at the University of California, is an extremely important element of happiness, In his most recent book, Thanks! (Houghton Mifflin, $30.95), Emmons uses the first major study on gratitude to prove mom's point. In acknowledging and promoting this much-ignored expression of thankfulness, he explains how people have benefited --even improved their health. As one of the leading scholars of the positive psychology movement, he admits gratitude may be difficult to express. He recommends you begin by acknowledging that life is good and full of events and elements that make daily existence a wonder. Second, recognize that the source of life's goodness is more than just you. That source may be your mom, a friend, partner, child, colleague at work or play, a caregiver or God --or any combination of these. Expressing gratitude should not be a reaction. Instead, it should be a state of mind, To feel grateful when life is a breeze and you have more than what you need is easy, To be grateful in times of crisis --anger, hatred and bitterness--is easier. Also, too many people are aware of life's blessings only after these are lost. It's crisis and chaos--danger, disease, disability and death -- that bring many individuals to realize just how dependent they are on others. Yet it's the way each of us begins life and ends it. It's too hard that so many people waste those decades in between laboring under the illusion  that they are self-sufficient, says Emmons. I'm not a reader or advocate of self-help books, but I am thankful for the reference I found in a newspaper article to the research Emmons was conducting on gratitude involving organ donors and recipients . The chance discovery led me to this book. Mom implied that kindness seems to find its way back to the giver because life really is all about giving, receiving and repaying. So I'll follow her advice and say: Thank you, Professor Emmons. Mom may most probably agree with the following point that  _  .
it is easy to express your gratitude kindness may somehow be repaid people should always think of giving rather than receiving only deeds like organ donation are worth your gratitude