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Gratitude at any Latitude
(click for podcast) (8:45min.)

“Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude." - A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
 

(click for podcast)
Internal Narratives
As we know, the words we speak to ourselves have an enormous impact on how we feel in any given moment. The brain's natural negative bias adds weight to any negative-speak, which has almost a domino effect on us. It's been postulated that it can take up to ten positive statements to undo a single negative one, and that's a lot of work. Avoiding the negative words in the first place is a lot easier, and that takes a bit of a mindset shift.

My “Essential 10 Minutes”™ journal practice leans into this shift using cognitive linguistics. The fifth section, just before the last “free writing” section spends two minutes on Gratitude for a reason. Gratitude automatically aims our thinking in a positive direction. You've probably heard that a gratitude practice is important from so many places, it may seem obvious, but doing it in a way that “sticks” makes all the difference.

If you're curious about the “Essential 10 Minutes”™ please feel free to get in touch, as it has six sections that all do important things, but I want to stay on target with the Gratitude emphasis here. We feel Gratitude even more than we think it, and this is important.

There's a ton of communication possible between the feeling areas and thinking areas of our brain. Then putting feelings into words adds even more areas of our brain into the song. The more areas we add, the more wiring, and the more wiring, the more cognitive flexibility we have. This increases our ability to problem-solve, process our feelings, self-regulate, and a host of fantastic improvements to our lives.



It’s easier to find things to be grateful for than we might think. Many people tend to think of material possessions first, but we have so many internal things to be grateful for as well and those can’t be taken away. As a starting point, we can simply be grateful for being alive. That's pretty low-hanging fruit.

We can look at our Values, and how our embodiment of them improves our lives. That's definitely worthy of gratitude. And sure, on the outside, we can look at the opportunities we have, the people in our lives, the feeling of the sun on our face, a cool breeze, and so much more. If you have an ability that brings you and others joy, that’d be something to be grateful for any day. It gets easier and easier as you do it.

The Physiological Connection
As mentioned earlier, neuroscience has shown that gratitude literally changes the brain’s structure and function as it activates multiple brain regions working together. For any other neuroscience nerds like me, these include: the medial prefrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate cortex, the nucleus accumbens, and the hypothalamus.

As these areas get stimulated activating the release of the brain's reward neurotransmitters, we feel good. They promote positive emotions and well-being, making it easier and easier to access positive internal narratives in a positive feedback loop. That loop reinforces gratitude, encouraging us to seek more.

These big three reward transmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, give us motivation, mood regulation, social bonding, feelings of love, belonging, and stress reduction.

The more these neurotransmitters are flowing, the less the fight, flight, freeze neurotransmitters show up. In this way, we’re more likely to approach everything with a more resourceful state of mind. That gives us better results overall, and of course has a positive impact on our mood as well. Yay, another positive feedback loop.

As I mentioned earlier, another important impact of gratitude is in how we increase the amount of wiring in our brains. We’ve overturned the myth regarding logic living in the left hemisphere, and non-linear thought living in the right hemisphere. Now we know that the brain is more like an orchestra, and different areas throughout the brain work together to affect how and what we think and feel.



The more we think about and express what we’re feeling, the more different areas of the brain cross-wire, and we open up neural capacities previously untapped. White matter grows with increased usage, (neuroplasticity) so we literally increase the density and strength of this cross-wiring. As IQ is primarily a function of the ability to take in, process, and use information, the increased wiring leads to higher IQ. That's a nice problem to have.

Now we’re in a more resourceful state of mind, employing logic and feeling together in harmony, creating richer experiences and more diverse problem solving capabilities. You might think of it as being more “creatively analytical” or more “analytically creative.”

Back to Those Internal Narratives
An interesting experiment for you to play with is which words feel more active or passive, and which feels more authentic. For example, to say “I’m grateful for the loves I’ve had in life,” puts me on the receiving end of gratitude. To say “I appreciate the loves I’ve had in life,” puts me in the active role of appreciating. You’ll likely use some of each, and I personally use both, as I like covering all the bases. For example: I’m grateful for and I appreciate having a roof over my head, and food in my refrigerator.

Give yourself the space to feel appreciation and gratitude for what you already have and who you are. To re-focus attention this way, instead of what’s missing, shifts our view from negative and skeptical to positive and optimistic. Obviously this is a much healthier and more resourceful state of mind to start the day with, and it helps put a smile on your face.



In Conclusion
Far from being just a nice thing on Thanksgiving, Neuroscience shows us the beneficial effects of gratitude on the brain. Gratitude activates brain regions associated with reward, emotional regulation, and social connection, while also stimulating the release of neurotransmitters that promote well-being. By cultivating gratitude, we can improve our mood and emotional regulation, enhance our resilience to stress, and strengthen our relationships.

Want to learn more about how to become the best you possible? How your communication can hold you back or catapult you forward? Come visit the web site, or better yet, contact me and see how we can design a program to fit your needs and desired outcomes.

     - Ian J. Blei

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November Specials -

November tends to focus on Thanksgiving, which is why I'm focusing on gratitude in this issue. As the article points out, Gratitude improves our lives in both physiological and psychological ways. Increasing neural wiring and stimulating neurotransmitters that improve our sense of well-being, our intelligence, and our relationships. Thanksgiving doesn't have to be a calamity. Using practices that stick makes this a reality. Ready to take on the challenge of becoming the best you ever? click for specials



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The Integram - the podcast series

Kind Ambition - 3rd Edition
 

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