I think it's great that weeks have new beginnings. They're a time to consider just how we're going to spend the next seven days, and all the great things we can do to add a little uplift to the world.
We are, in many ways, SO POWERFUL because we get to choose how we will respond to life, and what we will give to those around us. Whether it's in our family, with our spouse and children, in a work setting or out in the community, we get to choose what we will give and how we will relate to others. That means we have influence--for good or bad.
What kind of influence will we be this week? What will we bring to the world? How will our actions affect others? Will they stimulate feelings of gratitude, joy, and peace? I hope so, because what we do really does matter. Studies show that focused, sincere expressions of love and concern boost immune function. Conversely, negative emotions (fear, anger, frustration, jealousy, etc.) can suppress our immune system for up to six hours--and that's from just a 5-minute negative encounter (see http://www.heartmath.org/research/science-of-the-heart/emotional-balance-health.html). OUCH! Is it any wonder that negative emotions make us sick?
So, today, I'd like to encourage us to consider how we can express gratitude and love during this week: the next 7 beautiful days laying out there in front of us. How will we fill them with our influence? What will we give at work, at home, at school, in our interactions at the grocery store, doctor's office, church? We'll be in a hundred different situations this week--that's a hundred opportunities to show love, express appreciation and bring some happiness into the world. WOW! A new week truly is a wonderful thing!!
TODAY'S GENTLE ENCOURAGEMENT:
(from the musical Do, Re, Mi by Jule Styne, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green).
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