Attitude of gratitude

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col Heather Cook
  • 436th Aerial Port Squadron commander
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  It's November, the tail end of another year and a great time to reflect and remind ourselves of the many blessings and happy times we've enjoyed throughout 2013. Anytime is a good time to be thankful, but in November, we're offered the whole month and a very special day, Thanksgiving.

What a deal! Anyone who keeps up with social media, i.e., Facebook, Twitter, etc., is seeing an abundance of posts or tweets about gratitude and thankfulness. It's kind of a new "thing." Those millions have no problem relaying their thoughts daily.

So, all month I've been reading and enjoying the daily Facebook posts of my friends and loved ones as they relay why they are thankful; today is day 29. And in reading these posts for the past several weeks, I've realized that I, too, am grateful for many things and the more I think about it, the better I feel about it all. Who would've thought that my confessions of gratitude and positive thoughts and those of others would be so uplifting?!?

There is a general consensus among many in the medical field, communities of faith and psychology, that being thankful and having an "attitude of gratitude" is very beneficial to one's health and wellness. In fact, there is a growing field of study within the psychology family called, "positive psychology."

According to Robert Emmons, a psychology professor at the University of California at Davis, "grateful people may be more likely to: take better care of themselves physically and mentally; engage in more protective health behaviors and maintenance; get more regular exercise; eat a healthier diet; cope better with stress and daily challenges... "

Dover Airmen face many stressors and challenges while delivering today's airlift and forging tomorrow's leaders and I, for one, am glad to know that there is another tool in my toolkit to continue delivering and forging with excellence and a positive "attitude of gratitude."

So, as we finish out a thankful November and head into the homestretch of 2013, I will confess that I am grateful for: my loving family; my wonderful Dover friends; my Port Dawgs; the life I am blessed to live; and for being a part of the greatest air, space and cyberspace force the world has ever known. Hey Dover Airmen, what are you grateful for?



"A Dose of Gratitude: How Being Thankful Can Keep You Healthy, Madell, 13 Nov 13, http://www.healthline.com/health/depression/giving-thanks