Karen Poteat

Latest Author Features

The Humility Diet

As I prepared for this month’s Confetti for Your Brain column on humility, I came across a quote from Mahatma Ghandi that read, “It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom.” As I read his words, I quickly realized my own thoughts concerning humility paled in comparison to what has already been said so eloquently by others. For example, Margot Benary-Isbert gave excellent examples of how to live a humble life in her Prayer of an Anonymous Abbess. She wrote, in part, “Keep me from becoming too talkative, and especially from the unfortunate habit of thinking that I must say something on every subject and at every

Live Life Enthusiastically

“Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity.” Bo Bennett You may inherently tend to be more “Miss Susie Sunshine” than “Debbie Downer,” but the truth is enthusiasm is a choice. Enthusiasm is derived from passion. Sometimes that passion is instinctive and at other times we have to train our brains to think enthusiastically. Living as an enthusiastic person requires motivation and dedication. Since we live in a world that bombards us with negativity, it also takes true grit. This may sound like a lot of effort and it is. The good news is that recent research indicates that people who live enthusiastically not only live happier,

Simple Wellness Resolutions

Have you ever wondered how your friend who is very ill can be so happy? Or how your friend who has everything going for him or her can always feel so down? Their level of wellness is often the answer. Our health is something we often cannot control. However, our feelings and attitudes about our life circumstances, often referred to as wellness, are things we have the power to improve. There are at least eight dimensions of wellness — spiritual, social, financial, occupational, physical, environmental, intellectual, and emotional. Even the smallest improvement in one of these areas can be truly life altering. Here are two wellness resolutions to help make

Traditions | A Gift for the Entire Family

Everyone wants his or her holiday experience to be a happy one. The reality is, however, that there are a lot of reasons this is a very stressful time of year, even for those who love the Christmas season. One way to counteract some of the stress is to create and continue family traditions that add joy to the time you spend with your family. Research has shown that engaging in family traditions builds and strengthens bonds between family members of all ages. People who participate in family traditions report that this special time spent together makes the effort they put into coordinating busy schedules and traveling well worth it.

Thanksgiving All Year Long

This year instead of simply celebrating a Day of Thanksgiving, consider living a life of thanksgiving. Research shows that those who live a thankful life every day enjoy powerful and lasting benefits to their emotional, physical, and cognitive health. In fact, people who practice gratitude daily are shown to have better relationships, less stress, and healthier brains and bodies. The Science of Gratitude When gratitude is expressed or received, neurotransmitters called serotonin and dopamine are released in the brain. These mood enhancing chemicals immediately produce feelings of happiness. When gratitude occurs daily, these positive neural pathways are strengthened, resulting not only in an increase in mood but also in a

Color Your Way to Better Brain Health

“…for the practice of the hand doth speedily instruct the mind, and strongly confirms the memory beyond anything else.” Henry Peachman, author, Complete Gentleman, 1634 As early as the 17th century they believed that the art form of coloring benefitted the brain. The first “coloring books”, 1612’s Poly-Olbion by Michael Drayton, were volumes of poems that included engraved maps of countries in England and Whales. It is said that rich aristocrats hand-colored the maps and accompanying “fantastical creatures” with watercolors. In 1760, Robert Sayer’s The Florist became the first book of illustrations that were meant to be colored – by the adult owner. They used the books as a form