Gratitude, Good for the Heart
Author: Scott Mims, Virginia Beach, VA; ELCA BLOGS
Warm-up Question
As you look to the future – both your own personal future and the future of our world – what are some of the greatest challenges that you see?
In terms of the above, what gives you hope?
Gratitude, Good for the Heart
Want to live longer? It turns out that looking on the bright side could save your life. A study recently published in the medical journal, JAMA, found that people who look at life from a positive perspective have about a 35% lower risk of major heart complications, such as a cardiac death, stroke, or a heart attack, compared to those whose outlooks were pessimistic. In fact, this meta-analysis of nearly 300,000 people found that the more positive a person’s outlook, the greater the protection from any cause of death. These results correlate well with prior studies that have also found links between optimism and other positive health attributes.
Yet, as lead author, Dr. Alan Rozanski, notes, it is important not to confuse optimism with happiness. Whereas happiness is an emotion, and thereby transient, optimism is a mindset – a persistent approach to life. The good news in this is that optimism can be learned. You can train yourself to be a positive person. Using mental exercises such as meditation and the practice of gratefulness, we can actually change the structure of our brains in ways that support a positive mindset.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/27/health/optimism-heart-attack-stroke-wellness/index.html
Discussion Questions
It is said that an optimist sees the glass half-full, while a pessimist sees the same glass half-empty. In general, how would you describe yourself? Is your glass half-full or half-empty? (Or are you an engineer who sees a glass that is twice as big as it needs to be? )
At some point, you have probably heard the story of “The Little Engine that Could.” In your own experience, what role does one’s perception or mindset play in successfully (or not) meeting a challenge or overcoming a difficult situation? Can you think of an example from your own life?
It has been shown that regularly practicing gratitude or “gratefulness” can actually help to “rewire” our brains toward a more positive mindset. What do you think of this? What role might “counting our blessings” play in cultivating optimism?