Cultivate A Cheerful Heart

P.O Box 1540, Albany Western Australia 6331
Phone/Fax: (08) 98 418 418
E-mail: abl-alb@omninet.net.au

Cultivate A Cheerful Heart
Friend, there are some things we know through common sense that eventually get documented by researchers. Here's a case in point. An ongoing study at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania supports the view that a person's physical health is directly related to his or her spiritual well-being. This study also concluded that the ability of people to throw off common illnesses versus being laid low by every passing bug correlates directly to their ability to laugh - particularly at themselves - and to build positive relationships with others. This Carnegie-Mellon study has focussed on the common cold. And for sixteen years now, researchers have been exposing volunteers to colds by spraying rhinoviruses into their noses. Persons are then quarantined for five days to see who gets sick and who doesn't. Guess what . . . High-strung, anxious, and unhappy people are three times more likely to get sick than those who are relaxed and contented. When happy people do get sick, their symptoms are milder. The most likely person to get sick in the laboratory are those under personal or work-related stress for the previous thirty days. A positive social life - including one that involves diverse roles such as friend, spouse, parent, church member - improves resistance to illness. Some of these factors I've mentioned are obviously beyond a person's ability to control. For instance, I can't help a company downsizing that eliminates my job. You can't avoid the stress that comes with your mother's death, or a car accident in which you were the victim. However, even in these situations which are beyond our control, there are some positive and negative reactions to choose. Let me list some of them: Avoid negative, whining souls. Pick friends who smile easily and like to laugh. Don't just "attend church," but be an active participant, join the choir, or - if you're tone-deaf - watch for "Volunteers Needed" in the church bulletin. Go to an open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous - even if you don't drink. Join a civic club. Volunteer at a nearby nursing home. Exercise. If you're overextended from volunteering too many times already, give yourself permission to scale back. Solomon, in his book of Proverbs, chapter 17, verse 22 wrote: "A cheerful heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit makes one sick." Friend, you may not have realized it, but your ability to reflect authentic joy is a partnership with God. It is a form of gentle courage to look for rays of His light in life's dark places. So if you are looking for a way to experience a personal encounter with God and enjoy the benefits that such a partnership offers, I'd be pleased to help you by sending a FREE copy of a booklet titled "How to find God". To receive your complimentary copy, just write to me at: P.O. Box 1540, Albany, WA 6331. Phone/Fax: (08) 98 418418. E-mail: abl-alb@omninet.net.au Have a great day!

Friend, there are some things we know through common sense that eventually get documented by researchers. Here's a case in point.

An ongoing study at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania supports the view that a person's physical health is directly related to his or her spiritual well-being. This study also concluded that the ability of people to throw off common illnesses versus being laid low by every passing bug correlates directly to their ability to laugh - particularly at themselves - and to build positive relationships with others.

This Carnegie-Mellon study has focussed on the common cold. And for sixteen years now, researchers have been exposing volunteers to colds by spraying rhinoviruses into their noses. Persons are then quarantined for five days to see who gets sick and who doesn't. Guess what . . .

High-strung, anxious, and unhappy people are three times more likely to get sick than those who are relaxed and contented.
When happy people do get sick, their symptoms are milder.
The most likely person to get sick in the laboratory are those under personal or work-related stress for the previous thirty days.
A positive social life - including one that involves diverse roles such as friend, spouse, parent, church member - improves resistance to illness.

Some of these factors I've mentioned are obviously beyond a person's ability to control. For instance, I can't help a company downsizing that eliminates my job. You can't avoid the stress that comes with your mother's death, or a car accident in which you were the victim. However, even in these situations which are beyond our control, there are some positive and negative reactions to choose. Let me list some of them:

Avoid negative, whining souls. Pick friends who smile easily and like to laugh. Don't just "attend church," but be an active participant, join the choir, or - if you're tone-deaf - watch for "Volunteers Needed" in the church bulletin. Go to an open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous - even if you don't drink. Join a civic club. Volunteer at a nearby nursing home. Exercise. If you're overextended from volunteering too many times already, give yourself permission to scale back.

Solomon, in his book of Proverbs, chapter 17, verse 22 wrote: "A cheerful heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit makes one sick."

Friend, you may not have realized it, but your ability to reflect authentic joy is a partnership with God. It is a form of gentle courage to look for rays of His light in life's dark places. So if you are looking for a way to experience a personal encounter with God and enjoy the benefits that such a partnership offers, I'd be pleased to help you by sending a FREE copy of a booklet titled "How to find God". To receive your complimentary copy, just write to me at:
P.O. Box 1540, Albany, WA 6331. Phone/Fax: (08) 98 418418. E-mail: abl-alb@omninet.net.au

Have a great day!