It's not about the
food.
Let
this Thanksgiving be a reminder to enhance make a difference for
your health and the world,
as you set the tone
for the upcoming holiday season and beyond.
Did you know...
-
We can measure
beneficial, physiological differences in your body when you
are experiencing positive emotions like gratitude and
appreciation?
-
Your mind can
think more clearly and creatively when you are feeling
grateful?
-
Your body
produces fewer stress hormones and more anti-aging hormones
when you are in a state of gratitude?
-
You can perform
better at your job and make better decisions when you're
feeling grateful?
-
The quality of
your relationships improves when you express your gratitude
and appreciation for others?
-
Your cells
heal more efficiently when you are in a state of gratitude
and appreciation?
-
With practice,
you can learn to "activate" these beneficial physical and
emotional states?
Why is this so
important?
In the midst of our
busy lives, we can get caught up in mundane tasks and forget to
take those few moments for gratitude. This can create a
"snowball effect" of overwork, overstress, and over-dependence
on "comfort" habits like overeating, overshopping,
smoking, drinking, or watching too much TV. This, in
turn, creates a "spiral effect," where we get out of balance and
our systems get weakened. We lose our energy and focus. Over
time, instead of contributing to our community, we become
a steady drain on those around us. When more and more people are
overworked, overstressed, and losing energy, our society becomes
weaker.
At times like these,
the Earth needs more of us to be strong, healthy, and fulfilled.
When we are physically and emotionally balanced, we can offer
greater service to those in our circles of influence, and that
has a positive "ripple effect" on our community at large. Now,
more than ever, our world needs us to be balanced and healthy,
able to think more clearly, make better decisions, and perform
at our best, while enhancing the quality of our relationships.
How can we get there?
In much the same
way athletes learn how to access "zone states," you
can learn to create these positive, healthful states in your
mind and body by focusing your attention on what you have to
be grateful for. Simple? Yes. Powerful? Yes. Easy? Not
always.
More and more
research on the mind-body connection supports this evidence,
yet few of us have had training in how to access these
states or get these results. You can start by checking out
my
Recommended Reading List
for some
great books on the subject. Or explore how
private coaching
can help you
overcome old habits like cynicism and shift your attitude
towards gratitude. And be sure to explore our
upcoming events, including
the
Evening with Howard Martin
(note: we will
be offering special discounts on Howard's book,
The HeartMath Solution, as well as HeartMath's
proprietary emWave Personal Stress Reliever
(R) during the month of December
2008).
Every little bit counts...
Every time you
catch yourself feeling sad, mad, frustrated or hurt, and
then consciously shift your thoughts and feelings to
gratitude and appreciation, you stop the negative effects of
stress on your mind and body, taking a positive step in the
direction of well being. Each moment of appreciation and
gratitude builds more resilience and balance into your
system.
None of us are
perfect, but each one of us can make launch a series of
small decisions this Thanksgiving and beyond -- deciding to
choose gratitude, as we contribute to a happier and
healthier world for ourselves, each other, and the entire
planet.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lauren Archer is a Licensed HeartMath(R) Provider.
HeartMath is a registered trademark of The Institute of HeartMath.
emWave Personal Stress Reliever is a registered trademark of Quantum
Intech. For more information, please contact Lauren at 425-881-7082.