It would be difficult to deny that a lot of folks are going through hard times right now. One survey said that 77% of Americans are feeling anxious about their finances and another, even more alarming study said that 40% of Americans have experienced serious financial problems since the last few months of 2021.

When it seems like everyone is struggling, how can you keep your head high and keep pushing through? That's a question I hear a lot when people read my story of my own personal economic disaster, and there's one very simple answer.

Have gratitude.

Gratitude? I can almost hear some folks rolling their eyes and wondering if I'm crazy.

I'm not.

Even in the midst of incredibly difficult times, finding things for which you can be grateful can be life-changing and mood-altering. And when things are truly that bad, I call that sense of optimism radical gratitude.

The Science of Gratitude

Neuroscientists have found that genuine gratitude can actually rewire your brain.

Psychologists Dr. Robert Emmons of the University of California at Davis and Dr. Michael McCullough of the University of Miami published a study in 2015 that looked at the physical outcomes of practicing gratitude. One-third of the subjects in the study were asked to keep a daily journal of things that happened during the week for which they were grateful. Another third was asked to write down daily irritations or events that had displeased them. The last third of the group was asked to write down daily situations and events with no emphasis on either positive or negative emotional attachment. At the end of the 10-week study, each group was asked to record how they felt physically and generally about life.