Writing Down and Reading About Blessings Make You 25% Happier

The weekly practice of writing down 5 blessings increases your happiness by 25% is the conclusion of research.  I also read that even reading the blessings of others increases your happiness.

Since I participate in Susanne’s Friday’s Fave Five, I write my own

Eating fire-roasted corn makes me happy too

weekly gratitude list and I read the lists of others. I also try to comment on their lists. All this gratitude thinking is bound to affect my happiness. Research says so!

Why don’t you give yourself a happiness boost? Write your own Fave Five post and link it up to Susanne’s Blog, Living to Tell the Story at this week’s Friday’s Fave Five.

Read on for my list . . .

1. I can finally move my left arm away from my body enough to comfortably wash my left arm pit. This may be a strange gratitude. But unless you’ve been immobilized and then “freed,” you cannot guess how wonderful this feels.

2. Details for women’s retreat and the children’s ministry summer schedule are coming to completion. Of course this is not all due to solo efforts. Barbie, LaRee, Marsha and Pam have been indispensable in work output and encouragement.

Ian at the interactive art show

3. I attended two celebrations this week. (1) One of my nieces graduated from junior high school. SJ is a confident, smart, lovely, caring, young woman. And those are just some of her wonderful traits.

Elizabeth cooking over an awesome fire protected by an equally awesome windbreak

(2) My daughter had her 27th birthday. Family and friends (Ian flew in from CO) gathered at Ocean Beach for a beach party: food cooked over the fire, walks along the beach, volleyball and softball (I watched), lots of conversation, and staring into the fire.

Before that we had the opportunity to experience After the Flood, an interactive art show that my daughter helped put together. Click here to see a bit of what we did.

Elizabeth is a creative, brave, persistent, kind, grateful, lovely  (and more) woman. I am humbled, overjoyed, and pleased to know both SJ and Elizabeth.

4. I am finished with the book of Isaiah. I always enjoy reading the “prophet” books of the Bible. I find such comfort from God there. And I love that even if the prophet doesn’t experience God’s power, justice and mercy on his behalf or his country’s behalf, the prophet is still determined to worship God. I want to be more like that.

5. Increased range of motion in the side stretch (from -10 to 88 degrees) and more physical strength means I can do more. I am now cooking all my meals (made waffles) and doing all my own cleaning (steam cleaned the carpet).