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We're taking a step back this week to explore the question of "Why gratitude?".

One answer is self-care. The brain has a biological bias to focus on the negative and gratitude disrupts this bias. This negative instinct sits in our amygdala, which while only the size of an almond is nearly as old as the dinosaurs.

The other "why gratitude", and the one that is truer to our hearts, is because we are human beings and yearn for a deeper connection to each other and the world around us.

Gratitude is the bridge where we can cross from our own self-care to the care for each other.

Yes, we have this “reptilian-brain” that is often quicker to respond to the unexpected than the prefrontal, executive decision-making part of our brain. Yes, gratitude releases dopamine and serotonin, which give us both motivation and emotional stability to disrupt our default settings of fight-flight-freeze.

Gratitude makes visible what you value. It’s proactive and prosocial.

We hope you take some real-world lessons from today’s live gratitude practice with the Gratitude Blooming team, Belinda Liu, Omar Brownson and Arlene Kim Suda. The themes of discovery, growth and patience feel super resonant this time of year!

Remember, the most important practice is the one that works for you.

And to dig deeper into the complex colonial history of Thanksgiving in the United States, check out the Bioneer's website.

We appreciate your support and help so we can bloom! Please take a moment to give us 5-stars and share a review.

For your holiday and end of year gifts for loved ones and colleagues, check out the Gratitude Blooming shop at www.gratitudeblooming.com. Use this code to enjoy 20% off everything in our shop: BLOOM22

You can always email us at hello@gratitudeblooming.com. We want to hear from you!

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Join us live on substack to participate in our monthly community practice: https://gratitudeblooming.substack.com

Create an intentional practice or give meaningful gifts with the Gratitude Blooming card deck, notecards, candles and much much more at our shop at www.gratitudeblooming.com.

Learn more about our co-hosts and special guest for Season 4:

Co-host Belinda Liu | Hestia Retreat Centers

Co-host Omar Brownson | Trickster's Guide to Immortality on Substack

Special Guest Dr. Paul Wang | The Dao Center

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating and review. Your feedback is valuable to us and helps us grow.

Share your thoughts and comments by emailing us at hello@gratitudeblooming.com. We love hearing from our listeners!

1485 | C.W. Metcalf: “You Have a Perfect Right to a Bad Day.”