It can be very easy to get caught up in our own little worlds. Day-to-day, we all have a lot going on, whether it be work or family or even just grocery shopping! During this time of year, we all have a moment to stop and reflect on our lives. Here are a handful of books that can help you gain some new perspective.
1) Thanks A Thousand: A Gratitude Journey; A.J Jacobs
The journey begins when the author decided to thank every single person involved in producing his morning cup of coffee. He soon realizes that many things in our lives wouldn’t be possible without a number of people. By thanking them face to face, A.J. Jacobs finds some much-needed brightness in his life. He provides insights and useful tips, such as how to focus on what goes right every day instead of those that go wrong and how to practice the art of “savoring meditation.” The book teaches how gratitude can make our lives happier, kinder, and more impactful.
2) The Gratitude Diaries: How a Year Looking on the Bright Side Can Transform Your Life; Janice Kaplan
This New York Times bestselling book details one woman’s efforts to keep her New Year’s resolution of being more grateful and optimistic. Janice Kaplan, a journalist, weaves academic research and evidence-based findings in with her own personal journey to present readers with an excellent reason to give gratitude a shot. This book is an excellent choice for more casual readers interested in gratitude, as the tone is informal and accessible, but it also presents a message that everyone can benefit from receiving.
3) Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier; Robert Emmons
As a proponent of the field of positive psychology, the author offers a close-up study of the positive influence on people's lives of the systematic cultivation of gratitude, explaining how the practice of grateful thinking can increase one's chances for happiness and help one cope more effectively with stress, recover more quickly from illness, enjoy better physical health, improve relationships, and other benefits.
4) Attitudes of Gratitude: How to Give and Receive Joy Every Day of Your Life; M. J. Ryan
This book selection is a collection of thought-provoking essays that teach you how to discover and distill a sense of gratitude in every aspect of our lives. It includes practical suggestions to enable readers to unlock the fullness of life.
5) Gratitude; Oliver Sacks
Oliver Sacks, a prolific author and respected neurologist, was also a thoughtful and generous person who exuded a bright-eyed wonder and gratitude for life. He announced that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2015 with an essay in The New York Times. This book, a series of four essays, is an ode to life, to love, to mortality, and to the unique pleasures and challenges that accompany being human.
