The practice of gratitude as a tool for happiness has been in the mainstream for years. Long-term studies support gratitude's effectiveness, suggesting that a positive, appreciative attitude contributes to greater success in work, greater health, peak performance in sports and business, a higher sense of well-being, and a faster rate of recovery from surgery.

But while we may acknowledge gratitude's many benefits, it still can be difficult to sustain. So many of us are trained to notice what is broken, undone or lacking in our lives. And for gratitude to meet its full healing potential in our lives, it needs to become more than just a Thanksgiving word. We have to learn a new way of looking at things, a new habit. And that can take some time.

Make a habit of finding the hidden blessing in a challenging situation.  Living with fibromyalgia, or any other chronic condition or symptoms for that matter, is never easy, however there is always a silver lining somewhere in your situation and a lesson to be learned that can be empowering if you look for it, you will find it.  For example, did you get sick and suddenly find yourself in a job that no longer works for you, or perhaps you are in a relationship that no longer serves you and it's time for a change.  Sometimes, we are given the most challenging circumstances to deal with in order to alert us that it's time to make some shifts in our thinking or changes to our lives in ways that will serve our highest wishes and desires and we simply must follow where that leads us.  Change is not always easy but it can be easier when we embrace it and go with what uplifts and heals us.

Indulge yourself daily in a few of these heart-opening behaviors which are also vital to your
health and happiness when practiced.

1. Eat more green leafy vegetables and fruits each day

2. Quit smoking, or don't start

3. Be more physically active

How the power of touch reduces pain and even fights disease.

* Hugging your partner could lower his or her blood pressure

*  Researchers have found that in younger women, the more hugs they get, the lower their blood pressure.

* researchers at the university of North Carolina who investigated 69 pre-menopausal women showed that those who had the most hugs had a reduced heart rate.

* Exactly what could be responsible is not clear, but the psychiatrists who carried out the work also found that blood levels of the hormone oxytocin were much higher in the women who were hugged the most.