Better life

Gratitude is… more than a feeling, a virtue, or an experience; gratitude emerges as an attitude we can freely choose in order to create a better life for ourselves and for others.”

– Brother David Steindl-Rast

I have noticed that gratitude is the best barometer of how I’m doing spiritually and emotionally. Additionally, there is evidence of physical benefit. Physician and author Christiane Northrup explains that when you hold feelings of thankfulness for at least 15 seconds, beneficial physiological changes take place in your body:

* Stress hormone levels of cortisol and norepinephrine decrease, creating a cascade of beneficial metabolic changes such as an enhanced immune system.
* Coronary arteries relax, thus increasing the blood supply to your heart.
* Heart rhythm becomes more harmonious, which positively affects your mood and all other bodily organs.
* Breathing becomes deeper, thus increasing the oxygen level of your tissues.
[http://www.drnorthrup.com/womenshealth/healthcenter/topic_details.php?topic_id=114]

15 seconds, huh?
Think we might be able to do that for a payoff of "better life"? I'm going to give it many more tries.