{"id":1003,"date":"2014-01-23T00:08:34","date_gmt":"2014-01-23T00:08:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/?p=1003"},"modified":"2014-01-20T00:20:49","modified_gmt":"2014-01-20T00:20:49","slug":"you-can-be-contagious","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2014\/01\/you-can-be-contagious.html","title":{"rendered":"You can be contagious!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Maureen<\/a>Just as surely as we allow our bad days to make for bad moods and thus make for more isolation than relationships, so, too, on our good days, our lifted spirits can be the spark that makes for the ultimate in happy contagion – a contagion of goodwill and humor to all.<\/p>\n

Far from being flippant, I mean to be very serious. We have more of an effect on others than we will ever imagine, and \u00a0when we consciously turn our thoughts to better things, good things, and finding the positive even among a mile-high heap of negative, we can infect others with our mood. We can spread the wealth of well-meaning and well-being.<\/p>\n

We\u00a0<\/em>can be modern-day bearers of good tidings, with a smile and a kind word, a gentle gesture.<\/p>\n

There have been scientific studies of the positive effects of laughter and humor on mood, as well as on the ability to better cope with adversity, pain, and other life challenges. But we don’t really need scientific studies to tell us what we know to be true: \u00a0For all the obstacles we face, and for all the “bad” days that may be to come, if we set share our good attributes and attitudes and readily express praise and thanks for the gifts we have, we can start a veritable epidemic of like-hearted goodness that can only lift many spirits and make the world, indeed, a better place.<\/p>\n

Blessings for the day,<\/p>\n

Maureen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Just as surely as we allow our bad days to make for bad moods and thus make for more isolation than relationships, so, too, on our good days, our lifted spirits can be the spark that makes for the ultimate in happy contagion – a contagion of goodwill and humor to all. 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She expected to be writing scripts. God had other plans. A few years after her graduation, Maureen was diagnosed with a life-threatening case of organ-involved lupus. Her life turned upside down as she grappled with the effects of the illness and other health conditions that ensued. She was no stranger to serious health challenges; even as a child, Maureen had survived numerous bouts of pneumonia, flu, and other infections. But lupus made her take a fresh look at her life goals - and took herlifelong, strong Catholic Christian faith and writing in a direction she'd never imagined. Today, Maureen writes and speaks about walking with the Lord while living with chronic pain and illness. Her most recent book is \"Don't Panic!: How to Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough (Franciscan Media). She is also the author of, \"Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain & Illness\" (Image Books\/Randomhouse), \"Beyond Pain: Job, Jesus, and Joy\" (Twenty-Third Publications), \"The First Year: Hypothyroidism, Second Edition\" (Perseus) and \"Taking Charge of Lupus: How to Manage the Disease and Make the Most of Your LIfe.\" She writes the syndicated column, \"Living Well,\" for Catholic News Service, and has also written for Saint Anthony Messenger Magazine, Journey for Women Magazine, The Upper Room Magazine, LupusNow, and Arthritis Today. Maureen's health continues to be a challenge, however she feels honored to be able to bring her perspective, from experience and knowledge, to others. \"Good Days...Bad Days with Maureen Pratt\" is a new way for Maureen to reach people who carry the burden of illness and pain in their lives, or who care for someone who does. 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