It’s Thanksgiving, but what does that mean? And how can thankfulness affect your outlook on life? University of Central Missouri psychology professor Kim Stark-Wroblewski says you don’t have to get a new car, a promotion or a gift to be thankful. She says you can be thankful for the small things, such as being thankful for nice weather, time to be with the family or having a day off for Thanksgiving. Stark-Wroblewski says some research indicates happiness levels go up when we’re thankful and many of us have much to be thankful for. She says there might be times that we don’t even recognize the good things in our lives, because we’ve gotten spoiled. She says those who are grateful, who display an optimistic outlook, are just more fun to be around than the pessimist.
