Aspire Magazine: Inspiration for a Woman's Soul.(TM) Jun/July 2019 Aspire Magazine FULL Issue | Page 45

Science-based gratitude
Going with the Flow
The punishing pace, intense heat, and burst
blisters sidelined me for a few days. Rather
than walk into Pamplona, we took the bus.
My feet had swollen to the point where the
only thing I could wear was my sandals.
It was in Pamplona that we discovered a
shop that had a miracle inside: hydrogen
bandages specifically designed for burst
blisters. I purchased three boxes!
While I felt disappointed that my body had
once again challenged me, I felt incredible
gratitude for the slower pace and time for
healing. Heather and I explored side streets,
churches, and restaurants we otherwise
wouldn’t have seen. We followed our
itinerary, traveling to each town by bus.
In Logrõno, I decided it was time to purchase
different shoes and those, combined with the
specialized bandages, are how I continued
my Camino journey. (Apparently, I had the
wrong shoes completely, and they were
When I arrived home, I launched into research
mode. Turns out, there’s a scientific reason
for this switch from intense pain to painless,
and it has to do with neurotransmitters. While
focused on gratitude, my body released
the feel-good chemical called endorphins,
which overrode the pain-focused chemicals
of serotonin and dopamine.
Talk about a transformative experience!
Gratitude not only feels great, but it also
changed the chemical composition in my
body, so my sense of well-being and joy
were heightened. I don’t know about you,
but I’m leaning into this knowledge!
Deborah Kevin - A two-time international bestseller co-author,
Deborah Kevin loves helping visionary entrepreneurs attract their
ideal clients by tapping into and sharing their stories of healing and
truth. Ms. Kevin is an associate editor with Inspired Living Publishing
and a former online editor of Little Patuxent Review. Her passions
include travel, cooking, hiking, and kayaking. She lives in Maryland
with her family and their cat Princess Leia and puppy Fergus—
that is when they’re not off discovering the world. Learn more at
deborahkevin.com
45
a full size too small!) As I walked along in
silence each day, I marveled at the power
of gratitude, wondering why that simple
practice made such a difference.