What does brushing your teeth and gratitude have in common?

In early 1900 very few Americans brushed their teeth.   "When the government started drafting men for World War 1, so many recruits had rotting teeth that officials said poor dental hygiene was a national security risk. " (The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg).  While toothpaste was available at the time, it was rarely purchased as hardly anyone was brushing their teeth.  At the same time, with the national economic growth, there was increased exposure and consumption of processed, sugary foods.

Claude Hopkins, one of the most prominent advertisers at that time, turned Pepsodent "into one of the best-known products on earth, and in the process, helped create a toothbrushing habit that moved across America with startling speed."   

How? 

He created a powerful national campaign promoting Pepsodent toothpaste as the agent of the beauty which removes mucin plaque (tooth film) that normally builds up on our teeth.  

His advertising campaigns were so powerful that by 1930 Pepsodent was sold internationally... 

Fast forward to NOW:  at this time there is strong scientific evidence which links poor oral health to heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease amongst other illnesses and infections.   Imagine, the health impact we would suffer if toothbrushing was not embraced as the habit?  

Now, how does gratitude practice tie into this?  Just like toothbrushing, gratitude practice is a HABIT.  

By practicing it only for a few minutes in the morning and the evening, it helps remove "the film" or "cloudiness" from your daily experiences. As a result, you begin to view life thru the lens of appreciation. 

 Scientifically we know gratitude practice helps release "happy" neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and some others which have been linked to an increase in happiness, better sleep, less anxiety and depression with an overall boost to your well-being.  

Gratitude simply has a positive transformative effect on your human experience. 

All that for only a few minutes a day?  

I say yes. 

To You and The Alchemy of Gratitude