Greater Good - The Science of a Meaningful Life

The Giants won the World Series!!! All is right with the world.
Michele

Yourrrrrrrrrrrr starting pitcher for
the 2031 San Franciscooooooo Giants! Brian, SF

Got Gratitude?  Want to share it with others?

Welcome to our community gratitude journal, open to all who’d like to express their thanks or share a happy thought. 

Here’s how it works: every week we post a photo submitted by one of our readers along with all the happy and thankful comments gathered throughout the week. 

To contribute, email your “shout out” or your favorite photo to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

You can also contribute by commenting at the bottom of this post—we’ll pick out a few favorites for next week’s posting.  Please include: your name if you’d like us to use it and any other info you’d like us to list, e.g., if the “gratitude” is from one of your children, it would be great to know his or her age.

I am happy for a free afternoon with a caramel latte in a cafe by the beach!
Felishacambridge819

Just stepped off the plane in Oahu and into the arms of my cousin. My first visit I was 17 and she was in elementary school - now I’m getting to know her 1 yr old boy and reconnecting with his preschooler sister. So glad I chose a career that brings me to these beautiful places - and feel blessed to have family around the world.
Deirdre

I am very thankful for a delicious meal with a dear friend on her birthday. It made me happy to see her content and feeling special and for a moment forgetting about her many troubles
Rosalia Wilkins

I’m happy the SF Giants organization sent its 393 employees (and a friend) to the last World Series game in Texas and gave them priority seating (plus 3 friends) for today’s ceremony.  It just goes to show it’s not just the team on the field, it’s the team behind the scenes that can make a difference, too.  I’m proud that the Giants appreciate the people who work so hard for them.
Giants fan

I look forward to finding that peace.
Laura Domash

I’m glad we made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies tonight.
Elizabeth, age 8

I’m grateful to have wonderful mentors in my life, such as my yoga instructor.  She’s my angel.  I’ve called her when I was crying after being slighted.  She was training me when I found I could do a headstand, when at first I thought I couldn’t. She went costume shopping with me for my first dance performance.  And others also say how sweet she is; she’s the reason they do yoga.  She’s my teacher, friend and “sister” all at once!
Lillian

Congratulations to my niece who gave birth to a beautiful boy and girl on Monday.  Yay for twin moms!
Marian, TX

Im happy knowing that however difficult my divorce will get in the months to come, everything will be okay and I will make it through it. I’m happy I have three amazing sons and I intend on raising them with every ounce of love I have! I’m happy believing I CAN DO IT!
hopefuldaddy

I was able to vote yesterday for many people/items that lost. While certainly I would rather have had all my choices and positions prevail, I am deeply grateful that we as a nation—despite the vitriol we can’t seem to avoid hearing—came together peacefully and had a say.
Y2chaotic

I raked a mountain of leaves this morning to share with the neighborhood kids!
Selenabrowne

We are happy that our cat and dog have finally learned to like each other as much as we like them.
The Grellings

Got Gratitude?  Want to share it with others?

We are happy that our cat and dog have finally learned to like each other as much as we like them. The Grellings

Welcome to our community gratitude journal, open to all who’d like to express their thanks or share a happy thought. 

Here’s how it works: every week we post a photo submitted by one of our readers along with all the happy and thankful comments gathered throughout the week. 

To contribute, email your “shout out” or your favorite photo to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

You can also contribute by commenting at the bottom of this post—we’ll pick out a few favorites for next week’s posting.  Please include: your name if you’d like us to use it and any other info you’d like us to list, e.g., if the “gratitude” is from one of your children, it would be great to know his or her age.

My daughter Shayla and I walked to the Carnegie Public Library on Saturday only to find it was closed.  So instead, we sat in the park, talked, played in the grass and watched the sky, played hangman and laughed a lot.  Shayla did about 1000 cartwheels.  We then walked to Dairy Queen for some treats.  I was so happy with that time together.
Mari, Las Vegas, NM

The dryer quit drying, the printer developed a permanent error, and the dishwasher caught on fire.  I am desperately grateful that we are able to deal with it all financially.  We are very lucky.
Elizabeth Steward

Go Giants!
Matt, San Francisco

My brother-in-law has cancer.  He’s had surgery where parts of several organs where removed.  He’s in post-op recovery and will soon be in more treatments.  My sister said the dogs are on their best behavior and a great comfort to him.  The puppy’s calm; the little one licks his elbow; the old dog loves his cozy electric blanket.  So much love and assistance!
Lillian

Happiness Haiku
Urban Pumpkin Patch
Lots of fun for little kids
Who knew?  Hay is fun

Halloween Date Night
Lots of fun for the grown-ups
Yay! for sleep-overs
Janine, mom of 3

I am happy that, when my two year old fell off the climbing thing at the playground (onto sand) and cut the inside of his lip with his teeth on Saturday, he was already on antibiotics for his ear infection, so at least we don’t have to worry about his mouth getting infected.  We can just worry about climbing. 
Liz from Minnesnowta

Thank you. These wonderful thoughts provide a happy and up-beat start to my day.
Eileen

Happy to be 1!  And happy for our daughter!
Lani, Andover, MA

Got Gratitude?  Want to share it with others?

Happy to be 1! Lani, Andover, MA

Welcome to our community gratitude journal, open to all who’d like to express their thanks or share a happy thought. 

Here’s how it works: every week we post a photo submitted by one of our readers along with all the happy and thankful comments gathered throughout the week. 

To contribute, email your “shout out” or your favorite photo to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 

You can also contribute by commenting at the bottom of this post—we’ll pick out a few favorites for next week’s posting.  Please include: your name if you’d like us to use it and any other info you’d like us to list, e.g., if the “gratitude” is from one of your children, it would be great to know his or her age.

Friday is my favorite day of the week as I’ll be going back home and spend my weekends with my son.

We went to dinner last night and ran into a family from our neighborhood who told us that they were living in a hotel because their home had been flooded and that many of their belongings had been destroyed. My 7 year old son gave his prize lego set to their 4 year and offered to share his Nachos too!
Zin Heher

Grateful for this lovely Fall weekends spending time with my family!
Trace-Ann Green

I can hardly sit down to a homemade meal with my partner or others who have taken the time to prepare some delectable dish, and not be amazed, once again, that we (white, privileged Americans like myself) can get vegetables from all over the world, 24/7, in our fossil-fueled automobiles if we’re only willing to make the drive. And that I have dish after dish of delicious foods at my disposal/consumption Very often. I don’t pray, I don’t want to say grace, but I do want myself and others to be frequently mindful of the abundant offerings of our planet, our home.
Lauren Kehr

I feel happy and grateful every day for my fabulous little pixie of a daughter.
Shannon

I’m grateful for a healthy, happy family—and, just a few hours of time to myself this afternoon. ; )
Shawn Ledington Fink

I love being alive & am grateful for having lived a long time… so many wonderful & unexpected changes happen in a long lifetime. For example, today, a cousin, who many in the family halfway expected to become a nun, is marrying her sweetheart she met late in life. You can virtually hear the chorus of angels singing, the heralds trumpeting, & the bells ringing across the heavens today! :D
Jane Craford

I am happy that my son and daughter are best friends and stand up for each other, to kids and adults alike. Go team!
Maia

I am so grateful for my amazing work-life balance. I get to work 5-10 hours a week in a great job, while spending most of my time with my wonderful 13-month-old son!
Tiffany

I found out that my daughter had loaned lunch money to one of the boys [at school.]  I was floored —first because my daughter actually had money to loan and second because my daughter harbors a deep hurt caused by this person. In 8th
grade, she had a seizure at school and, in the aftermath, he would make fun of her by faking seizures.  So the fact that she loaned him money speaks of a maturity that makes me very happy and very humble. I have a lot to learn from her about really forgiving!
Cathy

Find the Happiness Matters Podcast on iTunes.
Follow Christine Carter on Twitter
Become a fan of Raising Happiness on Facebook
Sign up for the Raising Happiness CLASS!