Auld lang syne
With this coming New Year celebration, we not only leave 2019 behind but also a decade will be in the rearview mirror as well. It’s difficult to remember the good that happened over these 365 days because so many tragic events in the United States and in the world have overshadowed it.
The all-knowing “they” say hope springs eternal. Every year that dawns is an opportunity to start fresh, take a new path, not repeat past mistakes, and add to the positive momentum.
I came across something from CNN Health written by Sandee LaMotte—“Volunteering and other good deeds reduce physical pain, a study finds.” Being altruistic, helping others without expecting anything in return, actually improves the lives of those helping in many ways. Now doesn’t that sound like a win-win, make-the-world-better scenario?
This is an excerpt about one of the studies mentioned in the article:
In the most telling study, researchers asked participants to consider donating money to help orphans; if they chose to do so they were asked to rate how helpful they believed their donation would be. The brains of those participants were then scanned via MRI while they received a nasty electric shock to their hands.
Results showed the pain-control centers in the brains of those who donated reacted less to the painful sensation than those who did not give money. Not only that, but the more people believed their altruistic actions were helpful, the less their brain responded to the pain.
Here’s to a brand-new year and a brand-new decade to make the good outshine the bad.
I wish you and yours a very wonderful New Year.
The fantastic image for this blog was created by Markéta Machová at Pixabay.
Happy Writing!
