As I gave my dog a small morsel of toast other day, I reflected on how grateful a creature she is. Abby is just as thrilled to receive a crumb as she is to get a huge bone. She never complains that crumb is too small, or too cold or too moldy even! She always wants more, but if I don't offer it she gets over it quickly. No sulking around for what she didn't get.

Wouldn't it be nice if more people were that way? Not that people are never grateful, but most of time it's after an accident or a disaster. For example, after a fire you’ll often hear victims say, "We lost everything. But at least we're alive and still have each other." People are also grateful when they're frightened, hurt or down on their luck, and someone comes to their aid. Being on receiving end of kindness when you need it most, always evokes feelings of gratitude.

When you're in a grateful state of mind, your inner brat is essentially disabled. You feel open and receptive. You feel connected to world.

Being grateful for what you have is not just a more pleasant state of mind for moment. There are lasting benefits, both mental and physical. Dr. Robert Emmons, a psychologist who specializes in research on gratitude, found that:

* People who kept a daily "gratitude journal" reported higher levels of alertness, enthusiasm and energy, than those who journaled about hassles or neutral events. This was case even among people with neuromuscular disease.

* Grateful people report higher levels of life satisfaction and optimism.

* They also are more likely to share their possessions and to help others in need, thereby increasing their feelings of involvement and being appreciated themselves.

* They are less envious, less resentful, less bitter, and less neurotic. They are also less materialistic.

With Russian kettlebells you can develop superior gains over traditional workout methods and save lots of space in your home.

The man who teaches Russian Kettlebell training is Pavel Tsatsouline. He is a former Spetznaz trainer. For those who may not know, Spetznaz is Russian equivalent of CIA or special forces.

As every high-risk agent would wish for, after studying some of Pavel's books you can definitely find out how to have explosive instant power ready at all times.

But, not everyone is a spy; in fact very few of us are. So what benefits does kettlebell training have for average woman or man?

Kettlebell training can be a great way to lose weight, tone up body, and stay in shape once you get it there with added benefits mentioned above.

And not only that, kettlebell workouts may be better for you than weights. In one of his books, Pavel mentions some of fitness tests that were used to compare kettlebell training to traditional workouts.

The kettlebell trainers seemed to be in much better shape according to Pavel. And Pavel would know - You can see a picture of Pavel on his web site. The guy is well muscled and toned for someone that avoids weight training like plague.