Your Heart Will Thank You

Posted on March 10, 2010 | 2 comments

So why is it important to Choose The Life You Want?

photo by robinn.

I often talk and write about the importance of “following your heart”, but now I will forever think about that phrase in a different light.

You see, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal, researchers have found that people who experience more positive emotions have a lower risk of heart disease.  The 10 year study followed 1,739 people and had trained healthcare professionals measuring their negative and positive emotions.

Positive emotions were ranked on a scale from 1 to 5 with 1 being “none” and 5 being “extreme”.  Researchers found that each step up the scale carried a 22% reduction in the risk of heart attack or angina.

Did you catch the significance of that??  Even being neutral… just floating along in life and staying the course… carries a risk of heart disease that can be decreased by experiencing more positive emotions in your life. A happier life may translate to a longer life!

As if you needed another reason to choose the life you wanted! So if you haven’t already taken the pledge – get started.  And if you have, then pass this along to a friend.

(If you want to know more about this study, you can read this article from Reuters.)