Bayard
Bayard's JournalThey didn't know we were seeds.....
Aztec Tree of Life Owl.....how Dems should be thinking now.
Neuroscience Reveals: Gratitude Literally Rewires Your Brain to be Happier
When you say “thank you”, do you really mean it or is it just politeness to which you give little attention? Neuroscientists have found that if you really feel it when you say it, you’ll be happier and healthier. The regular practice of expressing gratitude is not a New Age fad; it’s a facet of the human condition that reaps true benefits to those who mean it.
Psychologists Dr. Robert Emmons of the University of California at Davis and Dr. Michael McCullough of the University of Miami published a study in 2015 that looked at the physical outcomes of practicing gratitude. One third of the subjects in the study were asked to keep a daily journal of things that happened during the week for which they were grateful. Another third was asked to write down daily irritations or events that had displeased them. The last third of the group was asked to write down daily situations and events with no emphasis on either positive or negative emotional attachment. At the end of the 10-week study, each group was asked to record how they felt physically and generally about life.
The gratitude group reported feeling more optimistic and positive about their lives than the other groups. In addition, the gratitude group was more physically active and reported fewer visits to a doctor than those who wrote only about their negative experiences.
Better Physical Health
Other research into the physical effects of gratitude report even more tangible results. Focusing on the positive and feeling grateful can improve your sleep quality and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. (2) Furthermore, levels of gratitude correlate to better moods and less fatigue and inflammation, reducing the risk of heart failure, even for those who are susceptible.
Gratitude and Your Brain
The reasons why gratitude is so impactful to health and well-being begin in the brain. In a neurological experiment conducted by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles, brain activity was measured using magnetic resonance imaging as subjects were induced to feel gratitude by receiving gifts. The areas of the brain showing increased activity were the anterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex—those associated with moral and social cognition, reward, empathy, and value judgment. This led to the conclusion that the emotion of gratitude supports a positive and supportive attitude toward others and a feeling of relief from stressors.
When you say “thank you”, do you really mean it or is it just politeness to which you give little attention? Neuroscientists have found that if you really feel it when you say it, you’ll be happier and healthier. The regular practice of expressing gratitude is not a New Age fad; it’s a facet of the human condition that reaps true benefits to those who mean it.
Psychologists Dr. Robert Emmons of the University of California at Davis and Dr. Michael McCullough of the University of Miami published a study in 2015 that looked at the physical outcomes of practicing gratitude. One third of the subjects in the study were asked to keep a daily journal of things that happened during the week for which they were grateful. Another third was asked to write down daily irritations or events that had displeased them. The last third of the group was asked to write down daily situations and events with no emphasis on either positive or negative emotional attachment. At the end of the 10-week study, each group was asked to record how they felt physically and generally about life.
The gratitude group reported feeling more optimistic and positive about their lives than the other groups. In addition, the gratitude group was more physically active and reported fewer visits to a doctor than those who wrote only about their negative experiences.
Better Physical Health
Other research into the physical effects of gratitude report even more tangible results. Focusing on the positive and feeling grateful can improve your sleep quality and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. (2) Furthermore, levels of gratitude correlate to better moods and less fatigue and inflammation, reducing the risk of heart failure, even for those who are susceptible. (3)
Gratitude and Your Brain
The reasons why gratitude is so impactful to health and well-being begin in the brain. In a neurological experiment conducted by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles, brain activity was measured using magnetic resonance imaging as subjects were induced to feel gratitude by receiving gifts. The areas of the brain showing increased activity were the anterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex—those associated with moral and social cognition, reward, empathy, and value judgment. This led to the conclusion that the emotion of gratitude supports a positive and supportive attitude toward others and a feeling of relief from stressors.
Gratitude activates the hypothalamus as well, with downstream effects on metabolism, stress, and various behaviors. The hypothalamus is located at the base of the brain and regulates hormones responsible for many critical functions, such as body temperature, emotional responses, and survival functions like appetite and sleep. One of the neurochemicals associated with the parts of the brain affected by gratitude is dopamine, a pleasure hormone.
The positive influence of gratitude on mental health continues past a particular event if the emotion is relived:
“…a simple gratitude writing intervention was associated with significantly greater and lasting neural sensitivity to gratitude–subjects who participated in gratitude letter writing showed both behavioral increases in gratitude and significantly greater neural modulation by gratitude in the medial prefrontal cortex three months later.”
In fact, this lasting effect is psychologically protective. In adolescents, feelings of gratitude have shown an inverse correlation with bullying victimization and suicide risk. Gratitude affects brain function on a chemical level and its practice promotes feelings of self-worth and compassion for others.
We can perceive and experience gratitude and its many characteristics in a very broad spectrum. Openness and willingness to experience gratitude affects not only the individual but her/his interpersonal relationships; a common strain in relationships is caused by repeated negative feedback by one or both partners without off-setting gratitude.
3 Steps to Becoming More Grateful
In times of hardship or stress it might seem difficult to be grateful. But if you really think about it, we all have something to be grateful for. If you engage in only one prayer, let it be simply a heartfelt “thank you”. Here are three easy ways to put yourself in the mindfulness of gratitude.
Keep a daily journal of things you are grateful for—list at least three. The best times for writing in your journal are in the morning as your day begins or at night before sleep.
Make it a point to tell people in your life what you appreciate about them on a daily basis.
When you look in the mirror, give yourself a moment to think about a quality you like about yourself or something have recently accomplished.
Through the power of gratitude, you can wire your brain to be optimistic and compassionate, making you feel good. The more you look, the more you can find to be grateful for. This positivity can extend to those around you, creating a virtuous cycle.
https://dailyhealthpost.com/gratitude-rewires-brain-happier/
Deaf Man Adopts Adorable Deaf Rescue Pup and Teaches Him Sign Language
Lab mix Emerson was just a 6-week-old pup when he was rescued from a shelter in Florida. Lindsay Powers, from foster-based rescue NFR Maine, later introduced Emerson to his new home in the northern state. She also found out something special about Emerson: he was deaf.
“Once we got him home from the vet’s office from Florida, we realized he had hearing difficulties,” Powers told Good Morning America. “He doesn’t let it bother him at all, though he’s a typical puppy.” They were not sure if Emerson was born deaf or if he lost his hearing after birth.
Emerson suffered from seizures and an infection called canine parvovirus while he was with Powers. She would have to wait until he got better before putting him up for adoption. Thankfully, they found him a home soon thereafter.
“He had such a rough start to life and he ended up with an absolute fairy tale ending,” Powers added.
She had posted about Emerson on Facebook, and after a few weeks, they found the perfect match for his new forever home. Powers learned that the soon-to-be owner of Emerson, 31-year-old Nick Abbot, was also deaf. Because of that, he had told her, he felt they would have a “good connection.”
https://www.theepochtimes.com/deaf-man-adopts-adorable-deaf-rescue-pup-and-teaches-him-sign-language_3213525.html
The Homeless Man VS Homeless Child! (Social Experiment)
This one made me misty. People walking by, that didn't even see this man. It could happen to anyone of us.
Investors Buy Old Hotel and Convert It Into 139 Mini-Apartments for the Homeless
The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (CCH), a non-profit organization in Denver, recently decided to make an investment and purchase an $8.4 million former hotel in hopes to help alleviate homelessness in the area. The newly-renovated building, now called Fusion Studios, has since become a building with 139 mini-apartments for the homeless.
Since 1985, CCH has been working to provide housing and support to the continuously increasing number of homeless people in the United States. In Denver alone, there are at least 5,755 homeless people.
When John Parvensky, President and CEO of the organization, learned that Quality Inn and Suites, a local hotel on the major road was up for sale, he grabbed the opportunity to turn it into a homeless shelter. Using funds from the city, state, and private organizations, CCH purchased the hotel, renovated the property, and renamed it to Fusion Studios.
Fusion Studios, the 17th building of its kind that CCH has established, now serves as a shelter for homeless people who are struggling to survive the city's urban camping ban that is still being implemented despite the unconstitutional ruling of a county judge.
"The project was really born out of desperation," said Parvensky during an interview with Colorado Springs Gazette. "We were scratching our heads trying to figure out how we can shorten the time period so that the people who are on the streets tonight have a place to call their home as quickly as possible."
Homeless people from the city are welcome at Fusion Studios, where the monthly rent payment is just 30 percent of their income or disability benefits -- typically just $100 a month. They have access to a room that is equipped with a private bathroom and kitchen with basic amenities such as a bed, a table and chairs, a cabinet, a television, a mini-refrigerator, a microwave, and a food pantry.
For more information about the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, visit www.coloradocoalition.org
https://www.blackbusiness.com/2020/02/colorado-coalition-homeless-cch-investors-buy-old-hotel-convert-mini-apartments.html
Some truths about the coronavirus, according to the World Health Organization
More than 17,000 people worldwide are infected with the novel coronavirus.
There have been more deaths in mainland China than during the SARS outbreak.
The World Health Organization has stepped up the fight against confusion and misinformation around the outbreak.
The novel coronavirus, 2019-nCoV, has now been detected in 23 countries, with more than 17,000 people confirmed to be infected.
The majority of people infected are located in China, where more people have now died from the new coronavirus than were killed by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2002-2003. So far, 362 people have died from the new coronavirus.
Here are key things to know about the novel coronavirus. (including myths, such as eating lost of garlic helps)
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/02/coronavirus-myths-facts-questions-world-health-organization
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