180 likes | 481 Views
Kindness Turnaround. Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County Age of Champions 4/11/2014 Liza Ely, M.S., L.P.C. www.centerofwellbeing.com. The question is not whether we will die, but how we live. Joan Borysenko. Love and Survival Dean Ornish , M.D.
E N D
Kindness Turnaround Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County Age of Champions 4/11/2014 Liza Ely, M.S., L.P.C. www.centerofwellbeing.com
The question is not whether we will die, but how we live. Joan Borysenko
Love and SurvivalDean Ornish, M.D. • Love and Intimacy among most powerful factors in health and illness. • At the root of what makes us sick, makes us well, causes sadness and brings happiness, what makes us suffer, and what leads to healing. • If a new drug had the same impact, virtually every doctor in the country would be recommending it for their patients. • We are creatures of community
Questions to Consider: • Do you have anyone who really cares for you? • Who feels close to you? • Who loves you? • Who wants to help you? • In whom you can confide?
If the answers are “no,” you are, at the least, 3-5 times at a higher risk of premature death and disease from all causes.
Between 1979-1994, eight large-scale community-based studies from around world: Those who were socially isolated had at least 2-5 times the risk of premature death from all causes when compared to those who had a sense of connection and community.
What is important is not only how much you get, but how much you give. Study of 700 elderly adults: Affects of aging had more to do with what they contributed to their social support network than what they received from it.
New Questions to Consider: • Do you have anyone you really care for? • Whom you feel close to? • Whom you love? • Whom you want to help? • In whom others can confide in?
“Souls are leaking”…26% of adults in US have been diagnosed with a major mental illness...loss of connection….gangs • Trained to notice deficits, what is wrong. Bonding in some support groups comes from a connection through wounds.
What if it is possible to decrease suffering by adding joy!
A number of scientific studies show that Acts of Kindness result in significant health benefits, both physical and mental, for those who perform them. There are chemical changes in our brain even by just witnessing love in action.
“Random acts of kindness are those little sweet or grand lovely things we do for no reason except that, momentarily, the best of our humanity has sprung, exquisitely, into full bloom.” Daphne Rose Kingma Random Acts of Kindness
Why don’t we? • Embarrassed • “Too busy” • Don’t know what to do.
Awaken Reticular Activating System to what is possible.
Kindness Turnaround Pledge Kindness Turnaround Pledge I pledge that every time I have an unkind or disrespectful thought, word or action, I turn it around with two kind thoughts/words/actions?
Resources • Random Acts of Kindness, Conari Press • More Random Acts of Kindness, Conair Press • Love and Survival, Dean Ornish, MD • Happy for No Reason, Marci Shimoff • The Joy of Appreciative Living, Jacqueline Kelm www.randomactsofkindness.org www.compassionateaction.org/cities
“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.” Seneca