Use of the Will

With willing hearts and skillful hands, the difficult we do at once; the impossible takes a bit longer

The Science of  Being Well
Chapter 6 - Use of the Will  (47:29)

In common vernacular the word will is usually associated with determination as a synonym for perseverance.
However, in philosophy, the word will is defined as the result of making a voluntary choice after some deliberation about the different options. For the purposes of this discussion we will use them both, together, for the best result.

In order to be healthy, we must determine (voluntarily choose after contemplating all the options) to control our thoughts so that we think only thoughts of health.  Without a doubt, this will take some determination (purposeful diligence and perseverance) to accomplish.

We are not asking our body to do something that it is not capable of performing, we are only working on our mind.  We are focusing  our attention on what we want to come about in our life.  

Just for the fun of it, consider the possibility that
ATTENTION = LOVE.
So, if this is a true statement, then the things we give our attention to are the things we love, desire and want more of.

What do you love?  Where are your thoughts focused?  Do you have a clear picture of what you want or are you focused on what you don't want?

We must become aware of our thoughts and monitor them if we are ever going to choose them.  The good news is our thoughts CAN be our choice.   We always have the option to believe whatever we want to believe.

When we decide to believe the truth about health, we come to understand that the mental-body permeates our physical body.  Our thoughts determine how our body will  function.  Think only of health. Believe in health and move the body toward health.



You cannot long retain a belief unless you act upon it, you cannot increase a belief until it becomes faith unless you act upon it and you certainly cannot expect to reap benefits in any way from a belief so long as you act as if the opposite were true.  - Wallace D Wattles

When we think of ourselves as sick people, we will become sick people.  Test the truth of this statement.  Give it a try by thinking a miserable or distressing thought, hang your head down, slump over and really feel bad....


Now, think of yourself as a healthy person. Act like a well person...Lift your chin up, sit up straight, laugh out loud.  The same choice is yours every minute of everyday.


If you want to be healthy, you must picture yourself as a strong and healthy person.  Hold on to the mental picture of health you created in the earlier exercise.

Reject all thoughts of sickness or disease.  Think health.  Use gratitude as an anchor for the health you already have and to open up the possibility for more. Ask questions that create expansion.  How does it get any better than this?  What else is possible? 

According to Wattles, the key  component of this philosophy is to "Sever mental relations with disease and enter into mental relations with health"

Above all else, we must discard all thoughts of disease and think only thoughts of health. This is one of those simple statements that is not so easy to do.  That is why it must be our decision and we must truly desire health.

Make every effort to surround yourself with health.  Create an environment that supports the desire to be healthy.  Keep only those things that convey health, power, vitality, joy and abundance.  In all instances,think health, recognize health, give your attention to health and give gratitude for health.

The only thing we must overcome is our own thoughts so we can decide what things to think to make health a choice.

The use of the will means to look at the options and choose a course of action.  What if the only thing powerful enough to stop you, is you?

Tip of The Day:

Spend some time in a garden full of flowers.  Really stop to smell the roses.  There truly is something magical about flowers. Breathe in the fragrance.  Admire the beauty.   Let their essence feed your soul and feel your heart sing while your spirit soars.  Spend some time today in a garden full of flowers.

Faith and Gratitude

Faith is a knowledge within the heart, beyond the reach of proof. - Khalil Gibran 

The Science of Being Well
Chapter 5 Faith

Everyone, it seems, has heard the quote "if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed... nothing will be impossible for you," (Mathew 17:20, English Standard Version), but how can we apply it to our health? 

Faith, by definition, is more than a thought and even more than a belief. Faith is the creative power of thought. It causes our desired outcome to come to us.  It is in the process of getting from thought to faith that the life cycle of the mustard seed can help us.

A mustard seed is really, really tiny so it seems okay if we start out with something small, with say, the idea that health is possible.   And just as a mustard seed must be planted to grow, we plant the thought in our mind that health is possible.  

We must be clear about what we want. Often it is easier to express what we do not want, but it is important to focus on what we hope for, not what we lack and fear. Shift your thoughts and language to possibilities.

Just as the mustard seed must send down roots to grow,  we need roots.  Our beliefs are our roots. In its most simple form, a belief is just an acceptance that certain things are true or real. 

To make any random idea a belief,  we must feel some certainty toward the idea.  Certainty can come from our intuition, (the truth makes us feel lighter) but more often it comes from the number of references we have regarding the particular notion.  References are the occasions that reinforce our beliefs. 

To clarify the concept of references,  let me illustrate with a short example.

Once upon a time, in a live seminar, we were asked to stand.  There were about 1,000 people in the room and we all stood.  "If you are a patient person, sit down," was the next instruction. So, about half of the people in the room sat down. The remaining participants were asked to shout out why they thought they were impatient people...the list was made on the tablet on stage.....someone told them they were, they didn't like to stand in line, they were easily agitated, etc.  

Then the group that was sitting were told to stand if  anyone had ever told them they were impatient or if they didn't like to stand in lines, etc.  By the time the exercise was over, everyone in the room was standing again.... 

The point is, for the most part, we all have similar experiences, some good and some bad. We've all likely been agitated by standing in line at some point in time, but whether we use that experience to declare ourselves as impatient people, comes from the beliefs we hold.  Our beliefs dictate which experiences we use to validate our point of view  and which ones we dismiss as unimportant. This process shapes the attitude we  adopt in life. 

Adding certainty to a belief cements it in our mind body so that we continuously look for and find the references that make our belief true for us.  Our mustard seed is now a tree with many branches which are all the instances that we can recount to support our view.  Refute one experience and we quickly recount another. We will do everything in our power to keep our belief true.  One established, our beliefs remain until we decide to question them.

Have you ever wondered why you think some of the things you do?  Many of our beliefs are gifted to us when we are small children, but we can consciously create beliefs about who or what we are anytime.  We are always free to believe anything we choose and we can change our beliefs at any time.  We just have to look for new references.   Choose beliefs carefully because, over time, our beliefs create us.

So now if we take this process of accepting an idea all the way to abiding faith and apply  it to our health, we can certainly be well.

Our initial idea is health is possible. The truth is, if it exists somewhere, it can exists wherever we are. If we accept, in principle, that health is possible, we can imprint the thought of health in our mind body.  Go ahead, entertain the idea of health.  Try on perfect health by creating a picture of  perfect health (cut a picture out of a magazine if it helps create the vision), then affix your image to it.  Get a good clear picture of what health looks like.  Then feel health; the strength, the power, the joy of it.  Let the image you created of health meld with the feeling of health.  Use this vision to reframe any negative or unhealthy thoughts that may creep in until your faith in health has been solidified.

Faith begins with belief.  Believe that you are healthy and live in a healthy environment.  Choose people and environments that help you see possibilities instead of problems. Use techniques and therapies to clear any limiting beliefs that may challenge you. Actively seek experiences that support you and build references for health.  Lift your head, throw back your shoulders and smile.  Don't you feel better already?

There is a limitless supply of health.  Choose to believe that health is a natural state and is achievable, then take action to cement the belief into certainty.  Certainty creates faith.  Strive for certainty, and faith, the simple peace of knowing that draws us closer to our Source, will follow. 

Claim health. Cling to your conception of health.  Assert with conviction that you are well at all times.  If necessary, immediately dismiss any thoughts of imperfection or disease and replace them with your vision of health. 

Mentally, take the attitude of being well by acting well (sit tall, stand tall, walk with purpose). Have the attitude (can-do strength) of a healthy person.

Always give thanks for your perfect health. Make it a habit to count your blessings everyday and watch them grow.

Gratitude is a force that affects every aspect of our lives, both physically and spiritually. Gratitude helps us control our own field of  thought.... continually assert that you are well.   It helps us feel more satisfied with our lives and opens up space for more blessings.

Gratitude is one of the most misunderstood and neglected energy sources in our life. Whatever we give gratitude for increases, so give gratitude for your health and enjoy better health. 

Faith and Gratitude are powerful forces we can use to transform our health and our life. Use them to grow faith in health and realize that anything is possible for those that have faith.

How does it get any better than this?

Tip of the Day:

Threading the Chakras
Use this simple exercise to energize and  increase vitality.

Begin by rubbing the palms of your hands together vigorously.  Once some heat has been generated, cup your hands and feel the energy between them...Shape it into a ball and bounce it back and forth between the palms.

Now take this energy and bounce it on the root chakra (pubic bone).  Bounce it at the pace that feels comfortable 6-8 times on each location. Move up to the 2nd Chara (belly button) and bounce the energy there. Continue threading the chakras by moving up to the 3rd Chakra (solar plexus).  Bounce the ball of energy there then move up to the 4th Chakra (the heart) and bounce the energy ball there.  If you need to recharge the energy just rub your hands together again and then continue.  Next bounce the energy ball on the 5th Chakra (the throat) and then the 6th Chakra (the third eye, between the eyebrows) and finally on the crown chakra ( the top of the head).

Reverse the process and bounce the energy ball  back down through all of the chakras.  Take a couple of deep breaths and enjoy the renewed vitality  that comes from balancing the life force centers in the body.

What Are You Thinking

The mind has great influence over the body, and maladies often have their origin there.  ~Moliere

The Science of Being Well
Chapter 4 - What to Think (27:57)

Even though there are those who say we have no control over what we are thinking, in all actuality, we do have the ability and we must use it if we want to be healthy! What we choose to think about has a huge influence on how we feel and those feelings significantly impact our health.

The first step to better health  is to become aware of what we are thinking at any given time. Make an effort  to pay attention to the dialogue going on inside your head.  Become conscious of what you are thinking  throughout your day.  Begin right now.  What are you thinking in this moment? 

Most of us have a running monologue in our heads.  Whether we are consciously aware of  it or not, it is playing in the background and affects everything we do. 

If the self-talk is negative, and unfortunately, it has been reported that seventy percent of all thoughts are negative, these redundant, negative thoughts become the energy patterns of disease that, when continuously held in our mental body,  may manifest as disease.  

Take control.  Use your inner thoughts to talk to yourself in a positive manner, as frequently as you can, in order to create a healthy body.  Take action to increase your well-being.

We can make a positive impact on our well-being by beginning our day with gratitude. We can appreciate the opportunities a new day brings and embrace the possibilities that are available.  We can set the tone for our day by deliberately intending it to flow with ease and joy.  Expect miracles; they really are everywhere!

There are many actions we can take to improve our mood and our ability to keep our thoughts toward the positive.  Here are some of my favorites. 

1.  Set aside short spans of time to monitor your thoughts, quickly replacing any negative ones with a positively reframed statement. When I catch myself in a negative thought, I like to say "Cancel, Cancel, Cancel" and then state the positive revision.  

2.  Spend some time outdoors.  Spending time outdoors can make a dramatic difference in how we feel.  Sunlight stimulates the brain to produce serotonin and just 10-15 minutes a day can significantly improve our mood.   

3.  Stand up Straight.  Good posture makes you seem more tall and thin and reflects self confidence. It also affects our mood and our productivity in a positive way.  Standing or sitting tall makes us feel happier and smarter.  Good posture also keep our organs and muscles working optimally, which in turn, improves our overall well-being. 

4.  Engage in some type of activity.  Moderate activity releases endorphins. Endorphins work to help decrease stress, reduce anxiety and improve mood which are all good things when it comes to keeping our outlook positive.  All these good things can be had by jumping rope for just 30 seconds.  More good news: you needn’t jump fast -- even a slow skipping pace does the trick.

5.  Laugh or at least smile.  Laughter increases health. Even fake laughter is beneficial.  If you just can't bring yourself to laugh then at least smile... David Lewis, a psychologist and director of research at Mindlab International in Brighton, England, which conducted the study, says a warm smile can create a "halo" effect, helping us "feel more optimistic, more positive, and more motivated."

Our  well-being really is dependent on how we think and behave.

Someone with an erect posture and happy facial expressions evokes positive responses from the people around  them. These positive responses, in turn improve the mood of everyone around.  It is a cycle worth continuing!

When we take the time to monitor our thoughts and gain a measure of control over them, equanimity - maintaining inner peace –  becomes our constant state.  Training our thoughts toward health is the secret to a long, joyful life!

Tip of the Day:

Smiling is a great prescription for health.  Smile as much as possible and notice that things just appear better somehow.  Practice smiling frequently to get your facial muscles used to the physical act of smiling.  Go to the mirror and smile  a big, open, happy smile.   If you don't know how to smile, then try this:  

1)  Open your eyes as wide as you can - (try and get your eyebrows right up to you hair line) 

2)  Slightly open your mouth  

3)  Pull the corners of your mouth back to your ears (If you’re unsure pull them back with your fingers so you understand what it feels like and then try again without your fingers).   

4)  Repeat these steps about 50 times to get your facial muscles accustomed to smiling. 

If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work. ~
Thich Nhat Hanh 

 

 

 

Stop the Madness

Every human being is the author of his own health or disease - Buddha

The Science of Being Well
Chapter 3 -   Life and Its Organisms (20:42)


Sometimes something is so important to me that I just want to SHOUT IT OUT LOUD....This is one of those moments.  The medical community is a BUSINESS....Whether we are talking about the local GP or the whole industry, it is a business that only makes money if we are sick and NEED their services....


What if the recommendations for check-ups and screenings are just a marketing ploy...what if all the commercials for drugs condition you to look for symptoms and call your doctor....
What if everything the medical community does is a means of keeping you sick.... and coming back for more treatment to keep them in business....

Our basic blueprint causes perfect functioning, but our thoughts, and sometimes our actions, alter the blueprint.  For the most part, we are trained from birth that we need a doctor to determine the state of our health.  This conditioning inserts an additional step into the healing process so that we must "visit the doctor" in order to move toward health.


This step is unnecessary and creates an unnatural disconnect, but very few of us rely on our own "knowing" to determine the status of our being.  


This disconnect is fueled by outside warnings and dictates that danger and disease are lurking all around and even inside us so we must have checkups and tests.  This leads to dissecting and picking apart the systems of the body where we will surely find something "wrong" that needs to be treated. This leads leads to more treatments that get more systems out of whack.  Then we will probably need  another checkup that leads to more treatments and we should study our disease and worry about what will happen next and we should find a support group so we can dwell even more on our disease.....All to keep the medical community in business....

Fortunately,  we can stop the madness....

If we want better health then we must devote our thoughts to HEALTH.  Regardless of our circumstances, we always have a choice of  where we focus our attention.  

Getting control of our thoughts and reconnecting with our body will go a long way to improving our health. Wattles advises us to "sever mental relations with disease and unify our thoughts with health." 


The body is a magnificent mechanism and has an amazing ability to repair and regenerate itself. 
There are many things we can do to help. Understanding how the body works is not necessary, but learning to effectively man the controls has many benefits.  The controls are our thoughts and beliefs. With a little effort, we can monitor our thoughts. 


The body also reacts and conforms to the beliefs that we hold.  It is possible that some of these beliefs may be held in our subconscious without our awareness.  There are methods to release these beliefs that are relatively easy and painless to perform.   

Tapping is one of my favorites because it is easy to learn, anyone can do it and it releases the emotional charge attached to events that have lasting effects on us.

I was recently introduced to  Rikka Zimmerman and Access Consciousness as a way to "destroy and uncreate" unwanted thoughts and beliefs.  This is an interesting process and feels very uplifting, but I have very limited experience with this method.


Once again, I say awareness is crucial.  Pay attention to what you are thinking and saying that pertains to your health.  

Start with something easy, such as how you answer the routine question "How are you?"
Do you answer with a positive statement such as "I am great and getting better every day?"   


Continue to choose each thought carefully as the day unfolds. Cancel any negative thoughts that come up  and reframe  them with a positive counterpart.

The important thing is to keep the mental body free of negative thoughts.   Have faith in the process and believe in wellness.

Tip for the Day: (From Pat Carrington)

Stress Check 

A Stress Check is easy to do. It simply involves bringing to mind any problems that are currently bothering you. When doing the Check you ask yourself, "What is uppermost in my mind right now that is causing at least some tension or stress? How much stress do I feel about it (on a 0 to 10 point scale)?" Then use  tapping to clear any issue that turns up.

 

The issue you identify when answering these questions can consist of almost anything -- something that is going wrong with your plans, a physical distress, a deadline which must be met, or whatever else may be causing tension in your life. The point is to stop as soon as you identify a troublesome issue 

The point of an Stress Check is to bring your stress level down to as close to a 0 or 1 as you can by using tapping, then ask yourself, "what else is bothering me somewhat (or a lot) today?"

This second question may well bring up other issues to tap on. If you don't have time to tap right away on your next issue I suggest  write it on a 3" x 5" index card, put that into your pocket or purse, and tap on it later in the day.

Clearing issues when they come up stops them from accumulating in the mental body where they can eventually damage the physical body.