Gratitude

"When you bring your attention to the things you are grateful for in your life, your brain actually works better." -Daniel Amen

In a test examining gratitude and appreciation, a woman had her brain scanned after 30 minutes of meditating on all the things she was thankful for in her life. Then she was scanned a few days later after focusing on all the major fears for her life. When she was grateful, her temporal lobe looked healthy. When she focused on fearful thoughts, her temporal lobe became much less active. With the practice of mindfulness we can be more aware of our thoughts. When we find that our moods are down or blue or we are aware we are fearful, we can ask ourselves what we are thinking that is creating these feelings. And we can change it to something for which we are grateful.

It's wonderful to know that I can bring more joy in my life when I practice gratitude every day.