Do Your Civic Duty Using Only a Book

Posted on July 11, 2022 by Monica

We have come to the final post in our series on the benefits of reading. You may think this does not affect you personally, but it does in an indirect way. Reading fosters healthy societal interaction and expansion.

Down through history, from the earliest known facts about our ancestors’ lives, we’ve discovered that story was a very integral part. When our forebears began to speak, they told stories. Evidence of storytelling date back at least 36,000 years ago to the Chauvet cave in France. These markings have been interpreted to tell the tale of a volcanic eruption.  These early stories existed to give warnings and instruction, and to record history for future generations.

Storytelling was discovered early in our development as a civilization. And because of its effectiveness in advancing that civilization, it continues to this day.

Image courtesy of KlausHausmann on Pixabay.

Empathy Development

Possibly the most important current element of societal advancement is empathy development. Empathy is an emotional state in which we express deep understanding for and share in the feelings of others. We recognize, relate and respond to another’s experience as if it were our own. Through empathy, people are able to create intimate knowledge of that other person, and form a meaningful bond. We support and help one another. Resulting in greater community, and less crime.

Reading encourages reflection and contemplation. Absorbed in story, readers place themselves directly into the character’s troubles, perspective, and problem-solving process. A kind of transference takes place, and the reader unconsciously takes on that character’s feelings.

Cultivating Imagination

Imagination is key to society’s advancement. Geniuses with a great deal of imagination have advanced our quality of life. But you don’t have to be a genius. In all areas of technology and our way of living, imaginative people have introduced improvements.

We all have imagination. I know many people who refuse to accept that they are creative or inventive in any way. What those people need is a boost in their undeveloped creativity. Reading can do that. It expands our minds, and opens them up to new possibilities. As you experience this through the transference mentioned above, your own creativity and innovation begin to work on their own.

Improving Relationships

The world needs more tolerance, compassion, and kindness. Reading has been shown to increase these characteristics. Understanding comes about as a result of empathy. And understanding paves the way for the above-mentioned tenets. All of these are elements of a high emotional quotient (EQ). The higher our EQ, which helps in so many ways, the more we expand these wonderful traits. But the most advantageous facet of it in the way we are featuring it here is relatability to one another. We simply get along better.

All these traits above help us to contribute to our world and become better citizens. Reading is a vital part of helping each of us add our own special aspects relating to our fellow humans. With so many benefits, you can indulge in the pleasant pastime that is reading while strengthening the society in which you live.

Copyright 2022, Monica Nelson

Coming Soon – FREE Download Day!

Mark your calendars on July 18, 2022. On this day, Mere Sense, a Memoir of Men, Migraine and the Mysteries of Being Highly Sensitive is free to download from Amazon. Be sure to use the “$0.00 to buy” link, as the Kindle Unlimited link is a paid service.

Don’t miss out!

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Fortify Your Health by Reading

Posted on June 27, 2022 by Monica

Over the last few years, I tried out the old adage, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Then I found out that that’s not necessarily true. Maybe the saying should go like this, a book a day keeps the doctor away.

Turns out there are many health benefits to reading. And reading doesn’t add calories. Let’s look at some of them.

Brain Health

Keeping your brain sharp is extremely important. It is especially important as you move into the senior years, but evidence suggests that the best approach is to keep your brain sharp throughout your life. Along with writing, and performing brain-stimulating activities (like puzzles and brain teasers), reading has been scientifically proven to improve memory.

It may play a role in deferring or diminishing, possibly even preventing, Alzheimer’s disease. While science is not ready to declare definitively that reading prevents Alzheimer’s, there is enough anecdotal evidence for scientists to start studying it. What is known is that increased physical activity, blood pressure control, and cognitive training (which reading falls under) is the best plan of action so far for treating the disease.

Reading also increases a person’s empathy. The part of the brain that controls your empathetic response is called the supramarginal gyrus. If we need to make quick decisions or this part of the brain is damaged, our empathetic response goes down. But science has proven that reading fiction has a positive effect on increasing a person’s cognitive empathy.

Image courtesy of Alterfines on Pixabay.

Mental Health

There are many mental health benefits of reading. Let’s start with depression. Reading has been shown to decrease depression. Self-help books are particularly invaluable in decreasing depression.

We have all experienced more stress than we care to acknowledge over the last couple of years. Reading helps us to cut that down, and deal with the remaining with much more confidence. I don’t have to tell you how this can increase your quality of life, reducing stress can also have some surprising positive effects. For instance, increased stress has been found to accelerate aging of your immune system.

Reading, especially fiction, also has a positive influence on our social skills. As we read and increase our empathy, we develop tolerance toward groups different from ourselves. It dissipates the fear that we harbor toward people we do not understand because it opens a lens into their lives.

Better communication is also a byproduct of reading as it teaches us how to resolve our issues through the examples of problem-solving presented in literature. It exposes us to new language, new words, and new combinations of the two, increasing our overall communication skills.

Better social skills and communication help us live better in the world, which helps bolster our mental health.

General Health

My husband and I make it a practice to read before bed. It is a great way to cast off the cares of the day, immerse ourselves in a different world, and settle our minds to be able to easily fall asleep.

Reading has been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rate. Who cannot benefit from that?

If living a longer life is your goal, start reading. According to this study that compared book readers to non-book readers over a period of 12 years, the readers showed a 20% lower risk of mortality with a 4-month advantage.

A book-a-day may indeed keep the doctor away. With so many health benefits for the practice of reading, you will want to add it to your self-care regimen.

Copyright 2022, Monica Nelson

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Reading for Personal Power – The Three Realms that Boost Your Potential

Posted on June 13, 2022 by Monica

What is your most powerful tool for development, advancement, and gaining a competitive advantage? The answer is so simple and yet so profound – reading. It’s the secret that keeps on giving.

Development

Brain Power. If you want to develop yourself into the best that you can be, your first step is with your brain. Reading strengthens your brain power.

Writing Skills. Reading fosters better writing skills. Your vocabulary increases. You gain better comprehension. The world of good writing rubs off as you enjoy a great read. You can’t help but pick up better skills simply by exposure to them.

Life Knowledge. Reading, particularly good novels, puts you into different situations and conflicts with resolution. You find solutions that you can apply to your own life. Reading teaches life lessons. Novels are extraordinary tools that teach through the power of story.

Open-Mindedness and Inclusivity. Lately, we as a society have become very aware of how much we need these traits. Open-mindedness leads to compassion, which leads to tolerance, which leads to acceptance and inclusivity. Reading opens the mind to worlds we don’t know and puts us into the minds of people who are different from us.

Career Advancement

Enhanced Empathy. Whether you are in business for yourself, or building a fabulous career, empathy skills are necessary to advancing your goals. Business is all about the customer. The customer drives success, and empathizing with that customer is vital to achieving that goal. Reading can help strengthen the empathy you already possess.

Image courtesy of Geralt (Gerd Altmann) on Pixabay.

Potent Communication Skills. As we saw in Writing Skills above, reading helps move our penned skills forward. It also helps us strengthen our verbal skills. As we bolster these two areas of communication, that connection becomes more effective. We learn to converse with each other in ways that bring true understanding.

Augmented Imagination. Reading compels growth in the skill of making connections between different ideas. As you pull pieces of information together in this way, they stretch the imagination to form a cohesive picture. Bringing forth new solutions to old problems.

Gaining a Competitive Edge

Focus and Concentration.  For all its contribution to advancement, technology has one very dark side. We have become obsessed with the interaction and increased pace of life it brings. We are lazy, letting the technology do everything for us. Reading allows us to slow our world down. We can take the time we need to assimilate what we are learning. This process bolsters focus and concentration, two important elements of personal power lost in an addiction to technology.

Memory Enhancer. Novels contain many details that you must remember so that you understand the story. Memory is like a muscle. When you use it, you build it into a powerhouse. Working puzzles and other brain teasers bring a similar effect, but why not enjoy the delight of reading while increasing your memory skills at the same time?

Improves analytical skills. Analytical reading means to analyze the information you read critically in order to make appropriate decisions based on that information. As you analyze what you read, the result is better critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

If increasing your personal growth and power is high on your priority list, the easiest way to start is to include reading on a daily basis. With so many benefits, what have you got to lose?

Copyright 2022, Monica Nelson

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The Entertainment Value of Reading – Three Compelling Reasons

Posted on May 30, 2022 by Monica

In our series, we’re going through the many advantages to reading, starting with the most obvious and the least valuable. That doesn’t mean that it is not important.

In our technological world, there are many ways to entertain yourself. Television stories, movies, videos on the Internet. So, why bother with the old-fashioned practice of reading it yourself?

Here are three compelling reasons to choose the latter.

When You Don’t Want to Be Lazy

Sitting in front of a screen of any kind, you take in the visions in front of you with little effort on your part. You participate only through the actual watching of the story before you. It is fleeting.

It doesn’t have time to sink in. You leave your seat when it’s done having expended very little effort.

Image courtesy of StockSnap on Pixabay.

I enjoy a good movie, but I am fully aware of how little I participated in the interaction between myself and the story. Reading requires you to immerse yourself in an active way. It is more of a communion between the story and myself.

When You Want to Highlight Passages for Later Reference

I admit it. I am a highlighter. I read for enjoyment, but I also read to learn. When I come across a point that really resonates with me, I want to be able to refer back to it. I highlight and paper-clip it in my book. Easy retrieval.

I can retain points from other sources but I have to use paper or an electronic means of recording that information. Then I have to store it somewhere that I can remember where I put it. Remember is the key. I have an active brain that I stuff with massive amounts of data. Remembering where I can access a key point in the future becomes much easier when I can associate it with the title of the book I found it in.

When You Want to Kick Back and Slow Your Life Pace

Modern life can roar along at 100 mph. We are constantly going here and there, and taking care of the many obligations that our world demands of us. With little relaxation time. When was the last time you took a book outside and sat under a tree reading? Or, when it’s cold outside, threw a blanket around you, cup of tea or cocoa beside you, and cozied into a fluffy chair to read?

When you did, were you aware of the amazing relaxation that that activity presents? When you transport yourself into the world of reading, all cares get put aside for a few short hours. Sure, you can do this with other activities, such as sports or crafts, etc. But slipping into a different world gives you the dual benefit of leaving your own behind for a while at the same time sending you on an adventure of your choosing. What could be better?

Reading as a form of entertainment has been pushed aside in our modern way of life. Maybe it’s time to restore it to its rightful place. These three reasons are great motivators to do just that.

Copyright 2022, Monica Nelson

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The Power of Reading – An Overview

Posted on May 16, 2022 by Monica

One of my most favorite activities is curling up with a good book and a cup of tea. I am an introvert and a highly sensitive person. People like me enjoy solitude and most of us love reading. I enjoy everything from nonfiction and fiction alike.  I like the smell of a new book, although I also enjoy the convenience of my Kindle. I cannot extol enough of reading’s virtues.

My penchant for a good story is rooted in humankind’s need for survival and growth. Here is a brief history of storytelling.

One of the oldest forms of communication is storytelling. Cave drawings in Lascaux and Chavaux, France have been found and estimated to date as long as 30,000 years ago. The earliest forms of storytelling were oral – the spoken traditions passed down from generation to generation.

Storytelling progressed along with our society. Around 700 B.C., we have the first appearance of written stories. Two notable examples are the Iliad by Homer, a Greek poem, and the Epic of Gilgamesh, containing five Sumerian poems.

Image courtesy of BibBornem on Pixabay.

The tradition has continued with so many more stories from your favorite book store or online-purchased e-books. The growth in popularity proving that we as a society value books.

There is a reason for this: Our society considers storytelling a great teacher. It plays a huge part in our lives. From entertainment to life-affirming skills. Stories are the best way to learn. They teach us about ourselves. They inform us as to how other people feel or act. They improve our health and well-being. They transport us into the world of our own imagination. All of which is vitally important to our personal growth.

This is the overview to a new series where we will examine just how important to us personally storytelling is. Each new blog post will examine in detail a different benefit you derive from reading. So, readers, you get validation and proof that you are enhancing your life experience by reading. And non-readers, you will see the evidence and anecdotal support that leads you into exploring what you are missing.

Please join me as we go deeper into the art of storytelling.

Copyright 2022, Monica Nelson

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Don’t Underestimate the Power of Words

Posted on May 2, 2022 by Monica

In the world of advertising, words and images are the tools that compel people to buy a certain product. Copywriters are the word composers who create the text that make up that half of the equation. They are skilled in making copy that has impact and creates a desire in the audience to purchase a particular product or service. The most successful copywriters haul in the big bucks. They use tried and true techniques to exact their desired response. They know how to use words to their advantage.

Politicians also understand the power of words. They employ speech writers and others to make sure that they project a message that resonates with the audience they want to reach. Persuasion, not for your dollars, but for your vote. In the last few years, certain politicians have accused the media of portraying them with false narrative. The lines become blurred as to who is telling the truth and who is creating a falsehood for their own purposes. Politicians, too, know how to use words to their advantage.

Within the last few months, we have learned of a great fallacy being disseminated to the people of Russia in order to justify one leader’s lust for power. Well-meaning citizens being coerced into believing stories that support and condone atrocities. The consequences have worldwide implications. This power-hungry leader knows how to manipulate words to his advantage.

Words have power. Sometimes that power can be corrupted.

Image courtesy of Geralt on Pixabay.

Communication done with authenticity and integrity is a marvelous tool for creating understanding, tolerance, and cooperation. But we are prone to believe that when someone is speaking, their words are genuine. Unfortunately, more and more, our words are being used to mislead rather than promote an accurate portrayal of the truth. And the more acceptable the practice becomes – the more we as a whole tolerate its practice – the more it grows. Like a cancer.

The practice of misleading others has reached a point where misleading words are being used to enhance the belief that misleading words are actually true. This misleading verbiage to justify a collection of previous misleading verbiage becomes a war of words.

We accomplish nothing positive with this practice. What we do is go backward in our progress. We go at each other’s throats with no resolution. The only winners are the scoundrels.

It’s time for the rest of us to put a stop to it. We must first use our intellect and our intuition to decipher who is telling the truth and who is misleading us. Then, we need to collectively stand up to those people. In our attempts to treat everyone equally, we become afraid to speak out against the offenders. The time has come to put an end to it.

Words have great power. If we are to thrive as a people, we must start using that power for good, and quash its misuse.

If you liked this article, you may also like How to Communicate with Integrity – 7 Points to Prevail and Words that Wound, and What To do About Them.

Copyright 2022, Monica Nelson

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Your Vital 7-Step Process for Making Good Choices During Times of Crisis

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Monica

The pandemic. The war in Ukraine. Political strife at home. Internal unrest and prejudice within our borders. Economic fallout from all of these challenges. We live in very difficult times. Complicating this scenario is the fact that every decision we make has consequences not only for our futures but for the many people we come in contact with. If we have this kind of say in our future, then why do we find ourselves in such formidable circumstances?

The answer is obvious – bad decisions. Anyone working toward a better self is consistently seeking to make better decisions. That becomes very difficult in such challenging times. Here are seven steps to help you make good choices when all that surrounds you is so disheartening.

Practice Good Self Care

You cannot make good decisions if you are not at your best. Your number one priority is taking care of you. Good self-care is your first step. Healthy eating, exercise, setting aside “me” time, laughter, spiritual pursuits, meditation – whatever practices you can do to keep your mind and body working at optimal levels.

Define Your Values

So many of us have never sat down and defined the principles that guide us. This is so important. Have you ever tried to find a location you’ve never been to without using a good map? You forage aimlessly, wasting time, getting frustrated, never reaching your goal. You run into the same plight when you have no idea on which criteria to base your decision-making process.

Image courtesy of Chenspec on Pixabay.

Consult a Good Book

We seek out knowledge through books to help us understand what we find hard to comprehend.

Knowledge is strength. Knowledge is power. Knowledge builds on itself. The more you know, the easier it is to use and grow your knowledge base. As you strengthen that base, the more facts you accumulate to draw on when making sound decisions.

Keep an Open Mind

It’s okay to change your mind. Someone should alert politicians to this fact. Growth happens when we discard old beliefs in favor of a better way. Keeping an open mind to other sides of an issue aids in opening up to those better ways of living.

Listen to Your Heart

If we are still and open to knowledge, it speaks to us through our hearts. We hear the still, small voice within us telling us what the right choice is. If you have trouble hearing that voice, try meditation, deep breathing exercises, or tapping into your subconscious.

Identify what You Can and Cannot Control

While being proactive and following these steps assists you in making changes you have control over, it is necessary to acknowledge that there are some circumstances in which you do not. Analyze for practicality. Then work on the ones that you do have control of, but ignore the ones you don’t. It will save you a lot of heartache.

Work on the Side of Truth

Make the decision to act. Make the change you see needs to happen. The world needs to hear from truth-seekers and truth-tellers. Your good works will stand as a beacon of light in the darkness that surrounds us. And it does help change the world for the better.

Making sound decisions in times of crisis is good for you, and good for all. Hopefully, these steps will assist you in making the best decisions you are faced with during challenging times.

Copyright 2022, Monica Nelson

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All Empathy is Positive, Right? Three Types and Their Consequences

Posted on April 4, 2022 by Monica

Years ago, I worked in the downtown district of a major metropolitan area. While the atmosphere was mostly professional people, there was a homeless presence. One day as I was walking to my car, I was approached by one of the homeless men I passed on the street. He asked for money – I refused and walked away.

He hurled insults at me. Heartless. Selfish. I kept walking, but the insults stayed with me. I went home feeling terrible. I felt his discouragement. I felt his pain. I even felt his hunger. So, how could I refuse to help someone in such dire straits?

Was I lacking in empathy for this man?

Empathy is part of the array of human emotions. Most of us have some degree of empathy, and we are encouraged to build our empathy to become a better person. That makes it an emotion that we need to understand better.

There are three types of human empathy.

Cognitive Empathy

People who possess cognitive empathy are able to see a situation from another person’s perspective. You can imagine what it is like to be “in that person’s shoes.” Often called perspective-taking, we can build our cognitive empathy by being open-minded. As we open to other’s experiences, we can accept where people are coming from and mentally comprehend their pain.

The downside of this type of empathy is that it can be used by narcissists and Machiavellian types to manipulate and harm. When you know how someone will react, it is possible to misuse that information to achieve self-centered desires.

Emotional (Affective) Empathy

This type of empathy goes a bit further. With this type, your body and mind resonate with the other person’s suffering. You feel their pain physically and/or experience their emotion within your mind and body. When you experience another person’s suffering, it becomes more personal as you actually experience the same feeling within you.

The consequence of this type of empathy can overwhelm. You are not only dealing with the effects of your own emotions and sensations within yourself, but with others’ as well. As mentioned above, people with ill intent can use their emotional empathy to access a deeper understanding of your mindset, leading to even more manipulation and harm.

Empathic Concern or Compassionate Empathy

This type of empathy has been described as a subset of emotional empathy. Or a combination of cognitive and emotional empathy. It is basically the compassionate expression of the empathy that you have. When the empathy that you feel spurs you on to immediate action. As an example, many people in the healthcare industry enter their field with a fiery desire to help ease suffering. Many believe that our world would solve all its problems if we all possessed empathic concern for our fellow humans.

We might then believe that this is the best empathy to have and that we should all strive to become models of empathic concern. While this is an idealistic goal, it does present problems. For example, there was a study involving hospice nurses that revealed that while those who had the highest empathic concern performed parts of their jobs better, it negatively affected their frame of mind. Feeling the patients’ suffering, along with family members’ anguish, plus their own, led those nurses to a high level of personal distress. That distress made them less able to do their job of providing comfort, as well as pushing them toward burnout.

The truth is that we all possess empathy. It can be one kind at this moment, another the next. Empathy for the most part is desirable. But we all exhibit different levels, at different times, and in different quantities. Compassionate empathy is a noble goal. But it must be balanced with our own physiology and our own lives.

Whatever empathy you have, cherish it and nourish it. Use it for benevolent ends. But also know your limits and take care to use that empathy when dealing with your own emotions. Accept that you cannot solve all the world’s problems. Keep a balance as you work toward the goal of compassion.

Copyright 2022, Monica Nelson

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Common Smarts or How to Avoid Looking Ridiculous

Posted on March 21, 2022 by Monica

We all make mistakes, and we need to be tolerant of each other’s foibles. But there are ways to mitigate errors that cause you to look ridiculous. This was the lesson I took from an experience I had several weeks ago at the grocery store.

I was in the produce section of the store, located toward the front, when a woman made a boisterous entrance. Immediately as she came through the doors she could be heard saying, “I need to get some bell peppers.” Everyone around me turned to look in her direction. She made a beeline to the rack of orange, red, and yellow bell peppers, followed by a man and another woman. She picked up an orange then a red bell pepper, seemed to examine them, but flung them back onto the pile. She began to look frustrated. Her companions stood behind her quietly watching.

“No,” she bellowed, “Where are the bell peppers?” A produce worker standing nearby looked at her puzzled. The frustrated woman made a quick glance backward toward her companions, then turned back to the stack of colorful peppers. “I want a bell pepper. What’s wrong with this store? I need a BELL PEPPER.”

Image courtesy of Hisogirls on Pixabay.

The produce worker approached her cautiously. The woman turned toward her and screeched, “Where are your bell peppers?” The produce worker gingerly raised an arm toward a separate display of all green bell peppers, about six feet from where they were standing, and said, “Is this what you are looking for?”

“There they are,” the loud woman said in a huff. She proceeded to the display, took what she wanted and stormed off followed by her two still silent companions.

I always try to find the lesson in every situation. I wanted to empathize with the woman, but she seemed completely oblivious to her gaffe, suggesting she felt no embarrassment. She certainly didn’t feel ridiculous, although she appeared very much to be. Not a learning experience for her, but maybe a gem for the rest of us.

Here is what I took from the experience:

Know Your Facts Before Opening Your Mouth. So many times, we think we know what we are talking about but clearly don’t. Making an assumption made her look dense. A simple fact-check might have avoided the error. The woman was lucky that the produce worker intuited her need.

Communicate Clearly. There was a possibility that the woman knew what she had in mind and did not communicate it well. Perhaps she knew the difference, that all the peppers were, in fact, bell peppers, but in her mind wanted the green one. And she simply did not communicate specifically enough. Making sure her words matched what she was requesting would have kept her from looking foolish.

Be Approachable. Her manner was such that everyone around her was apprehensive to challenge her. I doubt her companions were ignorant of her mistake. Yet neither of them appeared to want to help her clear it up. Her manner suggested she might bite someone’s head off if they pointed out her complete lack of knowledge in this situation.

Don’t Draw Attention to Yourself Unless the Situation Demands It. By all means, if you have an emergency and need help, make all the noise you need to get it. Otherwise, keep your exposure to a minimum. It’s not necessary. The entire customer-filled produce department witnessed this incident in its entirety.

We can’t avoid every mistake. And shouldn’t, because that is how we learn and grow. But if you want to avoid looking foolish in your mistake, there are ways to keep it to a minimum. Hopefully, these tips will help you achieve common smarts in that regard.

Copyright 2022, Monica Nelson

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A New Way of Looking at Your Gratitude Practice

Posted on March 7, 2022 by Monica

Gratitude is an amazing emotion. According to Harvard Medical School, gratitude can supply positive emotions resulting in greater happiness. It can improve your health. Gratitude can also provide a means of dealing more effectively with adversity and assist in building strong relationships.

We are only just beginning to understand why gratitude works in the way it does. Early forms of gratitude practice have focused on exercises that emphasized our appreciation of what we are thankful for in our lives. This is a practice that I have routinely followed for many years. But I’ve recently become aware of new scientific findings that suggest there might be a better practice if I want to reap the benefits listed above.

This new process is based on feeling (a strong emotional reaction) the result of someone else’s gratitude coming from something you’ve done for them. Or, alternatively, extracting this emotional lift from a story about someone else’s experience that has great personal meaning to you.

I have tried out this new method and find it much more effective. Thanks to the scientists at the Huberman Lab podcast, which I will embed here, for my new practice. I have tried to summarize the important points, but listen to the podcast if you want to gain a better understanding.

As a writer, I thoroughly understand the power behind story. Story has existed since our ancestral cave dwelling days, as a means of communicating vital information. It grabs our interest and its message stays with us. When a dynamic story is repeated, it actually changes our way of thinking by developing new neuronal connections in our brains through a process called neuroplasticity. You don’t need a thorough understanding of how this works, just know that it does work for everyone.

This new gratitude practice can work for you too. It’s very simple.

Step One: Find a Gratitude Story that Resonates with You

Recall a time when someone authentically expressed thankfulness to you for something you did. I recalled an incident from years ago when I helped out someone I’d just met. The act was small and I thought it a very minor thing to do. But from that action, she benefited in a positive way. I ran into her a month or so later and she told me just how important my act of kindness was to her and how it had changed her life. Her gratitude and its authentic expression lifted my mood so much that I enjoyed the energy from it for the rest of the day.

This kind of expression of gratitude is rare so don’t be concerned if you have not experienced it. There are interesting and effective stories all over the Internet that you can use to capture the same effect. Make sure it is about someone receiving help from another person that is extremely gratifying. The story should affect you emotionally in a compelling way.

Step Two: Write a Short Analysis of That Story

Feel the emotional energy that the story produces in you. As you do, write down a few bullet points. I used a 3X5 card to record my answers to these questions.

  • What was the struggle?
  • What help was performed?
  • How did the incident impact you emotionally?

Step Three: Practice

You are now ready to recall this story and the way it made you feel. Read through your notes as you vividly recall the story in your mind. Allow your emotions to respond in that moment. This is not a time-consuming process. It will take approximately one to three minutes. Repeat throughout the week as often as you like, but do it a minimum of three times.

Repetition is the key to building your neuronal connections.

As an aside note, you can do a considerable service to someone else by sincerely expressing your gratitude when that person performs a kindness for you. Now that you know how powerful this is, make someone’s day. You’ll be doing more than saying a simple “thank you.” You’ll positively affect their health.

As science continues to study emotions, we will find new ways of making our lives better. Our emotions are our friends. And they are all amazing.

Copyright 2022, Monica Nelson

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