You Gotta Have Faith
Are you humming the song after reading that title? Let me help by posting the video.
…caution…the video is a bit risque for some. Proceed with caution. For those who were already humming the song, enjoy your youth again.
George Micheal gets it. Maybe we should think about it in terms of our mental/brain health. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY FAITH? We often think of religion when we consider faith. However, in terms of wellness and neuroscience, faith is defined by being optimistic and having a positive outlook on life. Faith is the ability to attach meaning to events and moments in life. It is surrounded by resiliency, the ability to move forward and make sense of challenges.
RESEARCH PROVES IT The positive impact of faith upon our holistic health is validated by research from Duke and Harvard Medical schools. Over 100 medical schools in the USA offer courses on the health benefits of spirituality and faith. Faith develops a healthy brain! Here are just a few practical benefits:
- Highly optimistic people have a greater activation of the same part of their anterior cingulate that is stimulated by meditation and prayer.
- Optimistic individuals have increased longevity when compared to pessimistic folks!
- Faith in the future is related to hope and optimism and these strengthen the brain and human spirit.
- Victor Frankl observed that survival in a Nazi concentration camp was tied to meaning and whether one had something to live for outside the camp.
- Dependence on God or Holy Other enables people to endure and cope with the most grievous human experiences.
- Mediation on hope and optimism that comes from faith calms and cools the anxious and triggered brain.
So get out there and be full of faith and optimism that something better is around the corner. It just might happen if you’re looking for it.
