What makes you happy? Is it a brand new car, a new pair ofshoes or a new friend? They say money can't buy happiness, butstudies show perhaps being grateful can. One recent study statedthat those subjects expressing gratitude were significantly moresatisfied with their lives compared to those not expressinggratitude. A 2009 study presented evidence for the neural basis forthis phenomenon, showing that gratitude stimulates the area of ourbrain responsible for the pleasure sensation and stress reduction.A British research firm found one smile provides the same level ofbrain stimulation as up to 2,000 chocolate bars! It has beendocumented that smiling reduces stress, increases health and lowersblood pressure. I am not recommending that you go around smilingevery minute, but staying focused on things you are grateful for inboth your professional and personal life can not only can increaseyour own happiness but can influence the mood of your co-workers orboss as well.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina have even showna genetic predisposition toward expressed gratitude and subsequenthappiness. Other studies indicated that expressing gratitude canelevate the mood of those around you as well, revealing that thosewith a propensity to express anger reduced such propensity whenshown gratitude.

Of course we all want to be happy both at work and in ourpersonal life, but what benefits, other then feeling good, doeshappiness provide? A recent New York Times articlereported researchers at the University of Warwick recently showedhappy employees are on average 12% more productive than unhappyemployees, while unhappy employees are 10% less productive, thusresulting in a 22% productivity swing between unhappy and happyemployees. The study concluded that positive emotions appearto invigorate humans, and invigorated humans are more productive,work better in teams, are more creative and even have better timemanagement skills. Further physiological studies support thisphenomenon by showing that positive emotions actually enhance brainfunction. If being grateful improves happiness, and happinessimproves productivity, then the conclusion can be drawn that beinggrateful improves productivity. Following this logic, we can takeresponsibility for our own happiness and not be solely dependent onworkplace incentives by being grateful.

According to Shawn Anchor, author of “The Happiness Advantage,”“happiness leads to greater levels of profits.” Other studies havefound a high correlation between employee satisfaction, customersatisfaction and company profits. Happy employees yield happycustomers, and happy customers buy more goods and services and aremore loyal to the organization, resulting in repeat business. Theobvious conclusion is that organizations need to keep theiremployees happy, but this is easier said than done.

Being grateful, however, may not be that easy. With all thenegativity and stress in today's complex and increasinglychallenging world, it may be difficult for some to find things tobe honestly thankful for. We need to be mindful and push back onthe negatives in our life while focusing on the positives. Expertspoint out that one usually doesn't need to look very far to findsomething that makes us grateful. It may be the obvious things suchas a happy marriage or secure job, or the less noticeable thingslike the lack of traffic on the way to work that day or a song onthe radio. The point is that the mere act of expressinggratefulness will increase our mood and the mood of those aroundus. Gratefulness can be expressed internally by doing things likewriting a list of things we are thankful for, or externally bysending emails or notes to people thanking them for theiractions.

In our practice we find things daily to be grateful for, ourwork, our clients, our colleagues and our friends, to name a few.We are grateful every day for being able to help others besuccessful and reach their goals. As we express gratitude, webecome happier, and as we become happier, we become better at whatwe do.

Actually, research shows that emotional authenticity is notactually the best approach to happiness. Rather, rebelling againstthe all too human negative impulses that everyone experiences todifferent degrees can be the best approach to being grateful andhence feeling happier and more productive. Spending a little timeeach day replacing negative thoughts with positive ones will go along way toward achieving your goals, reducing stress and creatingmore open and trusting relationships with others.

Stuart Levine is chairman and CEO of Stuart Levine &Associates and EduLeader LLC. He can be reachedat 516-465-0800 or [email protected].