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6 ways to help find gratitude in contentment
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With Black Friday around the corner, we all could use a reminder of what we already have. - photo by Erin Stewart
Is it just me or is Thanksgiving disappearing?

Squeezed between the Halloween sugar high and the Christmas extravaganza, Turkey Day desperately clings to its stake in the holiday world until about 2 p.m. when the stores officially start their Black Friday sales, which have actually been going on since the last trick-or-treater rang the final doorbell.

We take a few hours to celebrate everything we have, everything we are thankful for and the rich abundance of our loves, and then go buy all the things we believe we still need to make us happy.

I refuse to give up on Thanksgiving, and each year, I try new ways to resurrect the holiday in our home and focus on actual thanks giving. This year, gratitude comes down to one idea for me: contentment.

In a world where we are constantly bombarded with the message that we need more, more, more, this desire to have the best or at least better than someone else is ripping any sense of real gratitude out of our hands. We are buying into the idea that what we already have is not enough.

In Buddhism, one of the main truths is that all suffering comes from desiring that which we dont have. I feel this idea often in my life as I create a mental list of things that I believe could make me happy. If we could only have a house with a bigger kitchen. If we could have a bigger car. A better job. More money. Longer eyelashes. If we could have those things, we could be happy.

We talk ourselves out of contentment by focusing on what we lack, making it almost impossible to actually be grateful for what we already have.

Going back to Buddhism, the word nirvana, or ultimate enlightenment and peace, includes an extinguishing of all desire. This year, Im hoping to get a slice of nirvana in my daily life by curbing some behaviors that strip away my contentment and gratitude, and adding in others to refocus on the blessings I already have.

Stop the comparisons. For me, this is the biggest adversary to contentment. We see the lifestyle porn of women baking gingerbread cookies in a spotless kitchen wearing adorable outfits with sassy braids in their hair, and we want it for ourselves. We see posts of our friends on social media and wonder why our lives arent as fun/adventurous/perfect/humble/inspiring. Whatever you have to do, stop. Limit time on social media. Step away from this most dishonest and disheartening lens.

Let go of impossible standards. As those social media comparisons seep into our lives, we feel like we cant live up to this high standard. Even worse, we push those standards onto the people we love most, and inevitably, they fall short. This is a hard one for me, and I often find myself in what my husband calls a continuous state of dissatisfaction. Its an ugly trait and one Im working on. I never want my family to feel like theyre chasing some ideal to make me happy. If Im going to find true contentment, that means accepting my loved ones for exactly who they are.

Count your blessings. This tried-and-true recipe for contentment. Keep a gratitude journal. Just write one you are grateful for each day.

Declutter. Some of the happiest times in my life were when we had next to nothing. No crammed closets and overflowing drawers. In the times when we arent enslaved to our stuff, we are able to spend more time together and feel content with the little we have.

Meditation. I like to think of this as decluttering the mind. Take a moment each day to focus on existing. Not wanting. Not doing. Not even having. Its amazing how a quick check-in with yourself in a quiet space can refocus you on what actually matters. Plus, finessing those mind-control powers will come in handy when you get that advertisement in your inbox telling you, Hurry! This sale wont last! The more you meditate, the more youll be able to harness the impulses those marketing geniuses are counting on.

Slow down. Speaking of shopping, when you feel that need for more, that desire to have that one thing that you know could make you eternally happy, stop. Think about why you want it. Get to the root of your desire. When you do this, perhaps youll see that your real desire is not for the object at all. Your desire is to end the longing for that object to fill a deep void or need that goes way beyond a shopping spree.

Its a pretty bleak picture when you look at desire like that. And the saddest part is as soon as we get the object of our desire, well want something else. Thats the problem with needing more: Its a never-ending cycle of longing and suffering that only ends when we take a step back and decide its enough.

We have enough.

We are enough.

The people we love are enough.

And when we get to that place, the real gratitude can begin.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.