Girls who talk very extensively about their problems with friends are likely to become more anxious and depressed.

A researcher at the University of Missouri-Columbia has found that girls who talk very extensively about their problems with friends are likely to become more anxious and depressed.

The research was conducted by Amanda Rose, associate professor of psychological sciences in the College of Arts and Science. The six-month study, which included boys and girls, examined the effects of co-rumination – excessively talking with friends about problems and concerns. Rose discovered that girls co-ruminate more than boys, especially in adolescence, and that girls who co-ruminated the most in the fall of the school year were most likely to be more depressed and anxious by the spring.

“When girls co-ruminate, they’re spending such a high percentage of their time dwelling on problems and concerns that it probably makes them feel sad and more hopeless about the problems because those problems are in the forefront of their minds. Those are symptoms of depression,” Rose said. “In terms of anxiety, co-ruminating likely makes them feel more worried about the problems, including about their consequences. Co-rumination also may lead to depression and anxiety because it takes so much time – time that could be used to engage in other, more positive activities that could help distract youth from their problems. This is especially true for problems that girls can’t control, such as whether a particular boy likes them, or whether they get invited to a party that all of the popular kids are attending.”

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Just considering thoughts of a higher being or God can foster altruism and generosity.

I’m not a believer in one or more Gods, but I do find it interesting that just considering thoughts of a higher being or God can foster altruism and generosity – especially in a world where religion has been at the root of horrible wars and atrocious behaviors.

For many years, Rapid Eye Technology has encouraged clients and students to consider a higher power when dealing with stressful thoughts and emotions. Apparently, a recent study confirms the usefulness of that concept.

I figure that what you believe is your business – and ask that you not impose your beliefs on me or others. I think that an exemplary life is the best missionary tool for your belief system. Happiness tends to breed happiness. If a belief or belief system – religion – will cultivate that sense of happiness and peace, then I’m all for it.

I also believe that altruism and generosity are not exclusively the property of believers in God or a higher power. Learning to love and appreciate people as worthy of respect also tends to foster altruism and gratitude.

Whatever does the trick, I say… Read on for details of the study…

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Every two to three hours our brains subtly shift from right dominance to left dominance and back again.

There are obvious advantages to using both hemispheres when addressing a goal or project. When both “people” in your head work together on a common goal, magical things tend to happen. The reason those magical things don’t happen more often may be because your brains are in conflict with each other. Bringing them together in a common direction may be all you need to do to get things moving in your life – moving in the direction of your goals.

Quite basically, you have one brain hemisphere that thinks in a linear fashion and is great for organization. The other is great for spatial, non-concrete thinking – creativity. To avoid total confusion, we humans will assign one brain hemisphere or the other to be dominant for any given task. Usually the dominant one is the one that was dominant the last time you did the task – not because it is better suited to the task, but purely by the luck of the draw – that was the one that happened to be dominant at that time.

That’s pretty haphazard if you ask me.

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Two [neuronal] groups can only communicate efficiently with each other when their rhythms are coordinated, or synchronized.

Scientific American, one of my favorite mags, included an article on brain rhythm. It makes perfect sense to me that our inner communication system should rely upon specific rhythms – which may explain why we like music so much – especially music with a strong beat. Here are some outtakes with my comments:

In an attempt to understand what makes us tick, researchers have been probing various regions of the brain, such as the premotor cortex, which helps make movement possible, and the auditory cortex, responsible for processing what we hear. But neuroscientists now say communication between regions – as opposed to within the areas themselves – may be the key that has eluded analysis until now, in part, because of technological obstacles.

Earl Miller, a professor of neuroscience at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, says that today’s faster computers and more advanced electronics may provide scientists with the tools they need to unlock the brain’s mysteries.

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Something wonderful is just about to happen TO YOU!

Choose today to CONSIDER that something wonderful is about to happen TO YOU! Just considering it sets up the energy for it to occur. Let go of controlling just WHAT that wonderful thing might be – control tends to deflate wonder because control is based on fear rather than joyful amazement.

Each day, awake with your customary energy circle in which you place the excitement of “something truly wonderful is about to happen to me, and maybe today is the day…”. When the mail arrives, get excited about it – each piece of mail might be “it”. When you answer the phone, be aware that “this might be it!”

The principle of thought and abundance suggest that we tend to get what we think about and focus attention upon. Want some excitement and joy in your life? Focus attention on it by anticipating it – get giddy about it.

Then set it up to happen again by expressing gratitude to the universe for supplying what you wanted. And get really clear about letting go of how it has to look or how it has to happen to get you to accept it – be open to surprise.

Something wonderful is just about to happen TO YOU! Maybe this article is IT…

My thanks to Wendi Friesen for this idea. She can be found at www.wendi.com.