BE CHANGED!
Do these five super simple things, consistently, and they will radically change your life and the lives of those around you:
(1) Pray
(2) Smile
(3) Be Grateful
(4) Be Healing
(5) Have Good Friends.
Read on to see how it works!
1 PRAY
Join with us to pray for those who put their prayers into the Burden Boxes. Not only will you be showing love to a lot of good people, but there will also be a ton of benefits for you: Research shows that people who regularly pray for others have a better outlook on life and a better sense of self. Prayer is also good for the heart, relieves stress, accelerates recovery of emotional and physical stresses and traumas, makes us more hopeful and, as a result, increases lifespans.
Let's love on others by praying for them...and live longer and happier lives as a result!
2 SMILE
Smile on the trail and in life and make the world a better place. We often don't like to smile if we feel like it might not be returned in kind,and this is especially so
when on a trail in suburban areas
where many people are not used to making a connection with strangers. This is okay, we just need to do it anyway.
We need to smile without concern for the response of others and trust that our smile has made their life better...because it has! Research has shown that YOUR smile is contagious to the other and causes that person's brain to release endorphins, changing the wiring of their brain, lifting their mood...and extending the life of both of you as a result. In addition, science has shown that smiling relieves stress, strengthens your immune system, and makes you more attractive to the person receiving the smile. All good stuff!
So, don't smile for the purpose of receiving one in return--we don't know what the other person is
struggling with or what fears they have that may prevent them from returning the smile--, smile because it's the right thing to do, makes the world a better place to live in, and will benefit, and extend, both of your lives.
3 BE GRATEFUL
4 BE HEALING
Having a life of gratitude will change your life. It's true! Research has linked being grateful with an increase in self-esteem, resiliency, and overall life satisfaction, and it doesn't stop there; the list of benefits is off the charts! Research shows that grateful people have healthier marriages and relationships, and are less materialistic, envious, and self-centered.They are also more optimistic, have better sleep, are sick less often, and have better goal achievement and productivity. In short, people who practice gratitude are healthier, happier, more content, and live longer then those who don't practice gratitude.They are also much nicer to be around.
So, how do we become grateful? One way is to spend just five minutes a day writing in a "gratitude journal." No matter what your life circumstances, we can guarantee that if you think hard enough you'll come up with reasons to be grateful. Perhaps do it at the end of the day, thinking about the blessings that were shown you, then write them down and take a minute or two to thank God for them.
You can also do it first thing in the morning, or at times throughout the day when you need a reminder of what God has given you.
However you decide to do it, practice gratitude and it will change your whole life.
By healing, we mean be a healing presence and leave a place better because you were there. It's very simple: smile at someone and tell them that you appreciate what they do, leave a good tip, pay for the meal or coffee of the person in the car behind you in the drive thru, pick up a couple of pieces of trash on the trail, be patient and let someone else go first, try to see the world as others do. In short, be kind!
Smile, treat others like you would like to be treated, and clean up after yourself and a bit more.You don't have to leave a place perfect, just better.
Like the other three practices, being nice also has incredible health benefits (lowers stress, helps you to be more content & happy, and more) while also changing lives and making the world a better place to live in.
5 HAVE FRIENDS
5 HAVE FRIENDS
When we talk about friends here, we are talking specifically about people who truly care about you and have your best interest at heart. The Mayo Clinic reports that these type of friendships ("good friends") have a ton of benefits for both parties: They don't just prevent loneliness, but they give you the chance to offer companionship too. In addition, these friends can help you celebrate good times and offer support through bad ones, increase your sense of belonging and purpose, boost your happiness and reduce your stress, improve your self-confidence and self-worth, help you cope with traumas such as divorce, serious illness, and the loss of a loved one, and encourage you to change or avoid unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as excessive drinking or lack of exercise.
In addition, good friends also play a significant role in promoting your overall health. Adults with strong social support have a reduced risk of many significant health problems, including depression, high blood pressure and an unhealthy body mass index (BMI). Studies have even found that older adults with a rich social life are likely to live longer than their peers who have fewer connections.
So, make good friends, friends who love you and have your best interests at heart, and live a longer and richer life!