I’ve always loved gratitude because being grateful makes me feel happy. It’s like a win-win. It turns out research shows gratitude IS a real win win. Scientists today know that being grateful releases the chemicals of dopamine and serotonin in the brain which make us happy.
Being grateful also has physical benefits. It boost our immune system, helps us sleep better, helps improve aches and pains, and helps with cardiac function.
Being grateful also improves our social interactions.
All of that information makes it sound like being grateful is so important that we should all make gratitude a regular practice.
So, my question is...why don’t I do that? I have a gratitude journal but I don’t write in it every day. I am a pretty positive person (even kind of funny). I laugh a lot. But still I have days where I just plain forget to BE grateful. Sometimes I don’t feel like laughing.
The answer is...I don’t know why. I get busy? I get tired?
The truth is, I’m human and I have sad days sometimes. God knows I am human and I have sad days. When I have a sad day I usually end up talking to God about it and I’ve found that God doesn’t scold me or try to cheer me up. When I’m sad, God sits with me and shares my sorrow.
That makes me less sad after a bit, and then I’m grateful that God shares my sorrow.
Then my brain changes again and the dopamine and serotonin make me smile.
I don’t think sorrow is a bad thing, especially when we take it to God who shares our sorrow and eases our pain.
I love it that when I go to Papa God, ‘our sharing’ makes everything better...and more grateful because that makes everything in my life better again.
Realistically and Gratefully yours, Deborah
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