Follow the science is a phrase heard loud and often in today’s media. So, let’s follow the science of Gratitude!
Practicing gratitude is a habit. The more you do it the easier it gets.
Robert Emmons, Ph.D. is considered to be a leading scientific expert on gratitude. He has conducted numerous studies on the connection between gratitude and our social and emotional well being. His ongoing research is far reaching. I was surprised at the number of scientifically proven benefits gratitude has on our life from health to career success and everything in between.
A friend asked me what my next blog was about and I told her gratitude. She immediately answered, “I am grateful for the good I experience in my life, but openly talking about all I am grateful for when so many are hurting in the world feels selfish.” I was surprised by her reaction at first, because she is a person who I know is kind and caring and grateful. She smiled realizing what she had said, “I am grateful for the reminder, of course there is always enough good for everyone.” These are unprecedented times, to say the least. Even the best of the best of us can let the chaos of the moment knock us off balance of what we know is beneficial to our well being.
Taking the time to notice and to be grateful for the big and small things in life helps us see the world as a much bigger picture. Gratitude is the magical elixir to improve any and every situation. For many this is not new news, but for all of us, a gentle nudge toward gratitude might be just the shift needed to get through the month of August!
August is set to be a fiery month of discovery and surprises. What we resist persists is one of the major themes this month. Over the next weeks, this month offers yet another chance to face the changes needed to move forward. So much purging of old ways and old structures is starting to feel exhausting. In this jam packed month of lists and projects, making time to process and allow yourself some down time is also a major theme.
August 8th every year is the full cosmic alignment and celebration of the “Lions Gateway”. The Lions Gateway Portal is the alignment of the Sun, the star Sirius and the Earth. This year the energies will be supercharged on top of the already expansive waves of change and transformation. The energies of the Gateway will serve as guidelines and tools to help everyone to maneuver through August, so be alert to any insights, promising opportunities or information that could serve as a guide to your next steps. It will be a powerful influx of supportive energy we will all enjoy. This alignment can be seen as an awakening of higher purpose and a higher way of living which is available for everyone. Now that is something to be grateful for!
Breathing life and gratitude into our hopes and dreams is a show of appreciation for the good we experience and also a great definition of gratitude. The science of Gratitude has proven that focusing on the improvement you want to experience with gratitude for both the seen and yet unseen is essential to achieving both and frankly a task being asked by everyone.
In one of Robert Emmons studies, it is suggested to practice gratitude rants. The exercise: Take several times a day and just go crazy being grateful for everything you can think of for about 10 minutes. Whether you do this out loud, a typed list or just sitting quietly, Gratitude Rants are a great way to stay focused, grounded and balanced.
As difficult as this moment may seem for many people, if we are to follow the science…gratitude is a great choice to elevate everything on your to do list and release stress while getting it done! Just think, if as a World we were encouraged to be grateful every day how much we could transcend religious lines and cultural divides. According to the science, everyone being grateful at the same time would change the world!
So, I gave the Gratitude Rant exercise a try over a weekend. My results were… at first 10 minutes seemed long, but after a few tries, I felt great! I hope you give it a try too!
Love to all,
Cindi
