Episode Eight: Gratitude, Selfless Service, and the Power of Focus

Peace, Love, and Psychology

During this season, it is natural to evaluate the past year and to think about our plans for the new year. In the process of self-assessment, we should avoid the tendency to focus only on the negatives.
Where we put our attention tends to expand and become confirmed by the information we filter into our conscious attention. Cognitive distortion can occur, and this is a significant component in both depressive and anxiety disorders. Excessive focus on ourselves, our problems, and our mistakes can quickly lead to a spiral of negative thoughts. We can understand the importance of learning to shift our focus away from ourselves and onto more positive subjects.
We can train our minds to pay attention to the many ways we are supported in daily life, and that will help us feel gratitude for the blessings around us. Even on our worst days, we can choose to notice the complex web of human activities that support our life, giving us hope and helping us feel a sense of positive connection with the community and world around us.
When we have a grateful attitude, we naturally fill up with good feelings. With a heart full of gratitude, we can put our attention on serving others with acts of genuine kindness. Human history and modern research demonstrate the many positive benefits of engaging in acts of service, both to ourselves and to our community. Our spirits are lifted, and our community benefits from an increase in social cohesion.
We can learn to focus on gratitude, lifting our own level of mental health and making our community a warmer, more-connected place.

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Recorded and edited at Studio 970West, Grand Junction, CO.
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