SIMPLY GRATITUDE

SIMPLY GRATITUDE

By now, if you read my blogs often enough, you may be asking yourself, "Just how many blogs can she write about gratitude?" I will answer that with as many as my mind can continue to come up with. I found a great saying that simply was 'Everyone understands kindness!' There was a picture of a sweet young boy and girl with one giving a flower to the other one. So simple. So sweet. But then I thought...wouldn't that be so wonderful if everyone really and truly did understand kindness?

At that time, yet another mass shooting took place in the US. And even on a much lesser scale of kindness and gratitude I thought of my drive to pick up my granddaughters from school and how on a road in my neighborhood where the speed is 35, I was passed by another car going at great speed on a road that is not wide enough to pass someone safely on. And yet again on another road that was ok to pass someone in another lane but at a speed that was at least 25 - 35 miles per hour faster than the speed limit. All I can think is that somehow those drivers never learned to take their turns, not to butt in line nor how to be kind. They really are NOT more important than anyone else. Be kind to all and that will lead to having gratitude.

First let me put up the definition of gratitude:

 Please notice that it includes the word kindness. The two go hand in hand. Researchers have studied and proven that expressing gratitude consistently provides many health benefits.

Studies have be documented that show lower levels of stress hormones, reduction in dietary fat intake, lower blood pressure, lower levels of glucose markers, lower depression levels and better sleep for chronic pain patients. Actually, it boils down to fostering a gratitude practice helps our entire system function better. Mindsets actually do affect biochemistry.

It does require, at least for me, writing down a couple of things that I am grateful for each day in my journal. If you are not a journal writer it would be fine to call attention to them with a friend, a partner or simply out-loud to yourself. Even thanking someone for something by stopping and looking them in the eyes to fully communicate that gratitude. These are the kinds of acts that help to shift your mindset.

Again, more studies with cardiac patients showed that keeping a gratitude journal resulted in a significant drop in cardiac risks compared to other groups. Just try being your very own science experiment for a good cause.

I truly believe that Charlie Brown and Snoopy say it best of all: