By Lisa Dingeman

As we step into the month that stakes claim to Thanksgiving, we find that our appreciation for others becomes more apparent, and our hearts open a little wider.

Imagine a life that didn’t consist of a honking horn behind you, pointing out that you’re not driving fast enough. Imagine never being on the receiving end of a backstabbing friend or coworker. What if belittling and judgment didn’t exist? Imagine how that could change our outlook on life.

If we can go from negativity to positivity and from criticism to acceptance we can create wonderful things. A Berkeley study has shown that people who live their lives thinking and acting with gratitude have healthier and happier lives. Not only that, but the results are positively numerous!

Check it out:

• A positive outlook on life. A positive attitude makes getting through the work week a little less painful.
• An inkling to be more active. This naturally brings me to my all-time favorite movie quote: “Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy, happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t.” But on a serious note, people who are appreciative or feel appreciated have more energy to go on walks or use it doing something beneficial for their bodies.
• A stronger relationship with others. People gravitate to others who they figure to be happy with life. These people normally have a lot of loved ones and lifelong friends.
• A life free of stress and worry. Now who wouldn’t want to cash in on that concept? Because our bodies work on a cellular level, we can have a direct effect on the balance of our own hormones, which control how we think and react.
• A plethora of health benefits. Happiness, which stems from living an appreciative and purposeful life, decreases the risk of heart disease. What’s more, people who are happy have shown to develop stronger immune systems; as happiness comes and goes so does the ability to fight off a virus. In the end, you could be increasing the length of your life.
• Happiness in those around you. To me, this is the most important benefit. Happiness emits pheromones which attract more happiness, simple as that. If you don’t end up living a life of longevity at least you can say that you made people feel good when they were around you, and that my friends, is irreplaceable.

Long story short, it is much less time consuming and worrisome to just be happy and appreciate your life and the people in it. Thank everyone and everything you can think of. Thank the mailman for hand-delivering your bills, thank the police officer for pulling you over, thank the previous owners of your house for flooding the basement—after all, you could very well not have a place to call home.   

Lisa Dingeman is a devoted wife and the proud mother of two boys. She is a personal trainer inBismarck and is working on doing her third fitness competition. Lisa has devoted her life to faith, family, and wellness.