In this episode, host Mary Treacy O’Keefe interviews Dr. Patty Hlava, author of Living Gratitude.  Dr. Patty Hlava is a licensed marriage-family therapist with a Masters degree and a Doctoral degree on the subject.  Dr. Hlava’s research focused on the topic of gratitude.

Gratitude is one of the emotions included in “Positive Psychology.”  But what is Positive Psychology?  Mary and Patty discuss positive emotions and how it can help you feel better, help to manage your problems, and think more clearly.

Even when you’re alone, you may have moments of clarity where you find yourself feeling “so connected to everyone and everything” and, even though this isn’t one of its more recognizable forms: You’re experiencing gratitude.  Thankfulness has many beautiful and varied forms.  Dr. Patty Hlava discusses the different forms of gratitude (from its more common forms to its complex “spiritual experience” connections), in particular how gratefulness can change and better relationships.

In this interview, Dr. Patty Hlava not only talks about this complex emotion–sharing poignant stories from her own life as well as those of people she’s worked with for her research–but defines it as well.

Gratitude is a “compound emotion” and can benefit your life in many ways: More energy, better responses, less physical pain, better sleep habits, and an overall better felling of well-being.  Learning how to harness this positive energy can increase your happiness by 25% or more!  Feeling grateful “is one of the things that can literally change people’s lives!”

Most importantly, when you practice good will in your relationships, you come into it with more love, more passion, and more understanding.  Dr. Patty Hlava teaches how to use that feeling of thankfulness to get rid of the hostility and resentment in your intimate relationships.

What are you most thankful for?  What are you least thankful for?  What is gratitude anyway?  And how can it benefit you?  If you’ve ever wondered, this is the podcast for you!