Good morning. Welcome.
A free, private place to notice the good: three thank-yous a day, sunrises from Southern Utah, and words of gratitude from many faiths and traditions.
What made you smile this morning?
“Gratitude is a single thread that can unite us all.”
Gratitude is one of the most studied habits in positive psychology. Here is what peer-reviewed studies have actually found, with links to every paper.
People who wrote a short weekly list of things they were grateful for, for ten weeks, felt better about their lives as a whole and more optimistic about the coming week than people who listed hassles. They also reported fewer physical symptoms and exercised about 1.5 hours more per week.
Emmons & McCullough (2003), Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377–389. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.84.2.377
Writing down three things that went well each day, and why, for one week increased happiness and decreased depressive symptoms for six months in a randomized trial.
Seligman, Steen, Park & Peterson (2005), American Psychologist, 60(5), 410–421. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.60.5.410
In a study of 401 adults, more grateful people reported better sleep quality and longer sleep, partly because they had more positive thoughts before falling asleep.
Wood, Joseph, Lloyd & Atkins (2009), Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 66(1), 43–48. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2008.09.002
In couples, feeling grateful for a partner’s thoughtful actions predicted greater connection and relationship satisfaction the next day.
Algoe, Gable & Maisel (2010), Personal Relationships, 17(2), 217–233. doi:10.1111/j.1475-6811.2010.01273.x
When people received a brief thank-you for their help, they were more than twice as likely to help again (for example, 32% vs. 66% in one experiment).
Grant & Gino (2010), Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(6), 946–955. doi:10.1037/a0017935
In one study, counting blessings once a week raised well-being, while doing it three times a week did not. Timing and variety matter, so the prompts here change every day.
Lyubomirsky, Sheldon & Schkade (2005), Review of General Psychology, 9(2), 111–131. doi:10.1037/1089-2680.9.2.111
An honest note: gratitude practices help many people, but they are not a cure-all. A 2021 meta-analysis found only a small average effect on symptoms of depression and anxiety (Cregg & Cheavens, Journal of Happiness Studies, 22, 413–445, doi:10.1007/s10902-020-00236-6). If you are struggling, please reach out to someone you trust or a professional. In the U.S. you can call or text 988.
“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Psalm 118:24Three things, every day. Watch your sunrise climb as your streak grows.
My Sunrise Gratitude Journal · sunrisegratitude.com
Your saved days will appear here.
Open your next meeting, whether it’s a family council, a work stand-up, a team huddle, a board, a church, or a club, with one minute of thanks. It sets a warm tone, reminds people they matter, and takes almost no time.
Before we begin, one minute of thanks.
“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you.”Max De Pree, Leadership Is an Art (1989)
SunriseGratitude.com
“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor.”
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”
“Notice that the Savior gave thanks for what they had—and a miracle followed.”
“…counting our blessings is far better than recounting our problems.”
“How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?”
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
One small act of gratitude a day. Tap a day to mark it done. Your progress stays on this device.
The 30-Day Gratitude Challenge · sunrisegratitude.com
0 of 30 days done
Verified Quotes on Gratitude
Teachings on gratitude from faith leaders, scriptures, presidents, writers, and scientists. Each quote links to its source.
“Gratitude is a single thread that can unite us all.”
Robert Bolar
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How different faiths teach gratitude, in their own scriptures, prayers, and words of their leaders. The short introductions are our own neutral summaries. Everything in quotation marks is verified and linked. Faiths are listed alphabetically, and this site is not affiliated with any of them.
Write a thank-you over one of Robert’s Southern Utah photos, then download it or share it to your stories, a text, or a post.
Every photo on this site was taken by Robert Bolar around Ivins, Snow Canyon, and Red Mountain.
“Gratitude is a single thread that can unite us all.”
Robert Bolar
Welcome, and thank you for being here. I live in Ivins, in the red-rock country of Southern Utah, where the sunrise paints the sandstone cliffs in colors that are hard to describe. Moments like that remind me to stop and say thank you, and I’ve noticed that the more I look for the good, the more good I seem to find.
I created SunriseGratitude.com to share that feeling. Gratitude isn’t just a nice idea; it’s a daily habit that can change how we see our families, our work, our neighbors, and our faith. This site is my small effort to make that habit easier to start and easier to keep, whether you write three things in the journal, take the 30-day challenge, open your next meeting with a moment of thanks, or send a gratitude card to someone who needs it. Every photo here is one I took around my Southern Utah home.
Thank you for visiting. Truly. Your time matters, and I’m grateful you spent some of it here. If something on this site lifted you today, please share it. Post it on Facebook, send it to a friend, or share a gratitude card on your social media. One shared thank-you can spark someone else’s daily habit of gratitude, and that’s how a little light spreads.
With gratitude,
Robert BolarIvins, Utah