How Gratitude Creates Joy
In my last article, I talked about how negative thought patterns create ruts in our brains that cause us to automatically “go there” when triggered. I then showed how to rewire our brains and take control of those thoughts. In Part Two, I’m going to take you one step further and show you how practicing gratitude actually creates joy.
Science of the Brain
My sister is a mental health counselor specializing in trauma, and this insight has come from some wonderful conversations I’ve had with her about how our brains are wired. We don’t need to have experienced trauma to benefit from what has been learned in this area of science.
Until recently, scientists believed the lower area of the brain was exclusively dedicated to the processing of emotions. But in his 2012 book, The Emotional Life of Your Brain, Dr. Richard Davidson described the biochemical interaction between the limbic system and the frontal lobes. In doing so, he unleashed what has come to be known as the field of positive psychology.
In the past it was thought that the brain’s two parts of the frontal lobe functioned independently. But Dr. Davidson discovered that the frontal lobes involve higher-level thought and emotion. In other words, our thinking affects how we feel and vice versa. To those who study the Bible, this is no earth-shattering revelation. After all, the God who created us knows how we are wired and thus outlined in His Word how we are to use our minds for our benefit.
Three Things Science Teaches
The Bible says in Philippians 4:8, that whatever is pure, noble, right, lovely, and admirable—think on these things. We understand that when you do this, it makes us more joyful. Yet, if it were that simple, we’d all do it --- because who doesn’t want to think on those things or be more joyful? The truth is there is more to it …so let me explain three things I’ve learned from my wise sister and the study of brain science. These three things can prevent us from easily following the Bible’s admonition.
1. Fleeting experiences leave lasting traces
When an experience is backed up with repeated experiences producing similar emotions, we build those ruts. Each experience can be fleeting, but the cumulative results can be monumental.
2. We experience both explicit and implicit memories, but most are implicit
Explicit memories are of events, and implicit are the emotions associated with them. This is why smell, sights, and sounds can be powerful triggers.
3. The brain emphasizes negative experiences
The amygdala—the switchboard of the brain—assigns feelings and emotions to events. It compares current events to painful ones and directs the body to react accordingly for self-preservation.
So, how do we use this information to our advantage? Let’s take a look at Gratitude.
Turning Gratitude into Joy
First, we are told in Scripture to be grateful. But those who take that truth and act on it reinforce the thought. They are turning gratitude into an experience. So, when you write a list down every morning or evening in a Gratitude journal, you are making the thought an experience. Likewise, when you memorize a Scripture such as Psalm 100:4 or Colossians 3:17, you are turning the thought into an experience.
Secondly, the concept of “when you see something, say something”, also applies to good things. Tell the story of something good you saw or heard. Share, tell, talk about the good. It reinforces it in your mind, almost making it another event and thus reinforcing that experience over and over again.
Thirdly, linger in the good and allow yourself to feel the emotion. Sometimes, when something good happens, we jump too quickly into the next thing or feel guilty for the good. Release that resistance and dwell in that moment. Again, it adds an exclamation mark to the event by heightening the emotional lift.
The last idea is only for those who want to allow gratitude to create joy in their hearts and minds—and I assume that’s you if you’ve read this far. When you experience a moment of joy, whether orchestrated or a happenstance, picture a large funnel attached to the top of your head, and that joy flows from God down through this funnel and into your heart and mind. As it fills you, begin thanking God for all the blessings He’s pouring into your life. Feel your mind swirling with gratitude, and then joy is pumping through your body with each beat of your heart. Feel it bubbling up inside of you. This amplifies the experience and makes it a hallmark event.
By taking these steps, we are actively banking positive experiences to counter the negative ones our brains want to hold onto. We’re creating positive implicit memories and telling our brains to focus more on the good when it recalls something. We are instructing it to recall gratitude and its emotion—Joy! That is how we scientifically and biblically create joy from gratitude.
Cheri Cowell and her husband opened rental treehouses in the Smoky Mountains of TN. Check them out at www.mytreehouseescape.com She is also CEO of EABooks Publishing.