There’s one thing I know about you — I know that you’re amazing. You truly are.
I also know there are days when you don’t feel amazing. But what makes you amazing doesn’t go away on those days. It just takes a rest.
There are a few other things I know about your amazing-ness. Want to know what they are? Here goes:
- I know that you are capable of seeing adversity not as a hindrance but as the fabric of success. We all have bad days. When we realize those bad days are part of the process, it makes them easier to handle. Which brings me to a key point — the greatest predictor of our success isn’t our intelligence, it’s our resilience.
- I know that gratitude can improve your immune response. In one research study, 120 people were asked to practice gratitude 3 times a day for 10 minutes each. At the end of the study, they were given blood tests. The immune systems of the people who practiced gratitude made 50% more antibodies than those who didn’t. 50% more!
- I know that you can learn to quiet the “monkey chatter” in your mind: Eckhart Tolle has a simple technique to quite your mind. Sit up straight in a chair. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply a few times. Then ask yourself, “I wonder what my next thought will be?” For about half of us, it quiets the mind quickly. For the rest of us, we might have a thought pop in our head. When that happens, acknowledge the thought, let it go, and then ask the question again. Over time, your mind will quiet down. Go ahead — give it a try!
- I know that your optimism can help you live longer. Researchers from the University of Kentucky examined autobiographies written in 1930 by nuns living together at the same convent and rated them on a scale of positivity. Sixty years later the researchers contacted the surviving nuns, now aged 75-90. Of those that were still alive, half had lived beyond average life expectancy. Of the longest living survivors, all of had them scored high on positive thoughts or feelings about life in their journals written back in 1930.
- I know that your body can reduce anxiety using scientifically-proven techniques. Researchers from Kings College in London tested 102 subjects diagnosed with anxiety. They asked one group to visualize an image of a positive outcome to each of the three worries they’d had in the past week. They asked another group to think of verbal positive outcomes. And they asked the last group to visualize any positive image whenever they started to worry. The two groups that visualized a positive image, whether it related to a specific worry or not, reported greater happiness, restfulness and decreased anxiety.
- I know that you can train your body to feel less pain. A study at the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention in Iowa found that practitioners of transcendental meditation had a 40 to 50 percent drop in pain response in the thalamus and prefrontal cortex. (To learn how to meditate, visit Heartfulness.org for information and free training.)
What does all this mean? It means you truly are amazing — and there’s scientific evidence to prove it!
About the Author: Jamie Turner is an internationally recognized author, professor, consultant, and speaker who has helped employees at The Coca-Cola Company, Holiday Inn, Verizon, Mercedes-Benz and others do a better job leading, managing, and mentoring others. To have him speak at your event or organization, email him at: Jamie@JamieTurner.Live