I recently came across a nice blog post from a real estate newsletter which talked about how being grateful to things and showing gratitude can increase the level of a persons Optimism. This being the December month, a month which brings out holiday mood and as well spirit of giving would be best time to share the post to you all.

Former President Ronald Reagan used to tell a story about two little boys: one a pessimist and the other an optimist. The pessimist was placed in a room full of wonderful toys, and was quickly reduced to tears because he was convinced somebody would take them away. The optimist was placed in a room full of horse manure, and began happily digging away. His reasoning? “There’s got to be a pony in here somewhere.”

While the research suggests that there may be a gene for optimism, it’s also clear that anyone can improve their mood by increasing how often they express gratitude.

In fact, when you express gratitude, you make a powerful shift in terms of how the lens in your brain (i.e., reticular activating system) views the environment.

A great example occurs when you buy a new car. Before you made the decision, you probably never noticed how many people drove the vehicle you were about to purchase. Once you buy, however, it’s amazing how many people suddenly seem to be driving the same vehicle as yours.

The act of expressing gratitude raises your beta-endorphin levels, which, in turn, improves your mood as well as increasing your immunity. The more gratitude you express, the better you feel and the easier it becomes to find more things for which to be grateful.

In conclusion, Optimism and gratitude go hand in hand.

You can show your gratitude by just saying “Thank you” at home or work place more often. If you want go beyond, show gratitude by giving for the needy. You can sponsor an orphan kids education via non-profit organizations in developing nations. You don’t have to do a whole lot to show gratitude, just being you and thankful for things you got in your life would help a great deal as well.

Thank you for reading this post!