Investing In You - The Power of Positive Thinking by Andrew Beaulac - HTML preview

THE PHYSICAL POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING

“Take care of your body with steadfast fidelity. The soul must see through these eyes alone, and if they are dim, the whole world is clouded.”

- Goethe

You know that positive thinking improves your mental health. But did you know It can also improve your physical health? The power of your thoughts is so strong, it can actually affect the way your body behaves and improve a host of physical ailments- or even bring you from the brink of death.

Take Christopher Reeve. The actor who will be forever remembered for his powerful performance as Superman will also be remembered for his remarkable recovery after a horse-riding accident left him completely paralyzed. Yet not only did Reeve live far longer than any doctor predicted, he made great strides toward recovery and was able to move parts of his body that were pronounced forever lost to him before his death in 2004. Reeve survived for nine years after the accident and proved he truly was a super man.

How did he do it? Positive thinking. According to researchers who analyzed his case, Reeve's optimistic attitude and can-do mindset were almost entirely responsible for the unparalleled level of recovery he experienced.

When you banish negative thoughts from your mind, your physical health responds tremendously. It has long been known that there is a correlation between emotional and physical health; often referred to as the “mind-body connection.” Improving your outlook and practicing positive thinking strengthens your mind-body connection and makes you healthy, even to the point of extending your life.

Studies have shown that depression and negative thought decreases antibodies and leaves you more open to infection and disease. Those who are unhappy or stressed exhibit weaker immune responses to vaccines; take longer to heal; are more susceptible to colds and viruses; and experience stronger symptoms.

There is documented scientific evidence that electrical activity in the brain related to emotion has a direct effect on the body's ability to heal and fights off disease. Negative thoughts produce a surge of activity in the right prefrontal cortex, which brings about a weak immune response; while positive thoughts produce activity in the left prefrontal cortex and strengthens immune response. It is true: happy people are healthier, simply because they are happy!

A positive thought program may also possess the ability to protect you from Alzheimer's or other degenerative aging diseases. Because part of the process of positive thinking involves a continual quest for self- improvement and encourages you to stay mentally active, your mind will be in better shape as you age and you will be less susceptible to degenerative disease such as Alzheimer's, osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis. A sharp mind helps to maintain a sharp body.

Don't underestimate the power of positive thinking in regards to your own health. You can think yourself healthy; and you will find that you have more energy, fewer colds, and an increased vitality. Perhaps some day, science will discover a way to inject happiness as a means to combat disease. Until then, we will have to be responsible for creating our own happiness.

Sit Back and Relax

“It is time to break through the barriers that have held you back and held you down for such a long time. It is time to reach out and indelibly etch your place in history.”

- Greg Hickman

Are you ready for a new life?

Positive thinking arms you with all the tools you need to achieve your deepest hopes, wishes and desires. You will be equipped to deal with any of the circumstances life presents you with, and receptive to the boundless possibilities that come with true happiness. Once you have planted and tended your mental garden, you can sit back and enjoy the harvest of success.

When you reach fruition of your positive thinking goals, it is important to relax and enjoy your accomplishments. You will not be motivated to move further in your life if you do not take the time to experience the benefits of all your hard work. Many people don't know how to relax, and simply continue to push themselves believing that eventually, relaxation and reward will come to them. This is not the case: you must take the time for yourself to reap what you have sown in your mental garden.

Following are several suggestions to help you take in the true measure of your successes and use them to further even more positive gain:

• Take a “me” day. When you have reached a major goal,

take an entire day for yourself. You've earned it. Engage in your favorite activities: read a good book, watch a movie, dine at your favorite restaurant. Pamper yourself: take a long bath, buy yourself a decadent dessert, get a professional massage. Refuse to do favors for anyone else on this day. Tell others that you are celebrating your success and indulge in good feelings. You will feel wonderful, and you will cement your achievements in your mind. Awareness of your progress is integral to your continued success.

• Spread the joy. Do you know someone with similar goals and ambitions? Take the time to share your accomplishments with anyone you feel will benefit from them. Tell them how you achieved your goals and share the

secrets of your success. Changing your own life produces a powerful feeling, and when you use your own transformation to help others change as well, your own benefits are amplified. Happiness and success cannot be contained and kept for ourselves. Facilitate the spread of joy whenever possible, and you will find your efforts circling back to you again and again.

• Count your blessings. The more you accomplish, the more you stand to accomplish. Reflecting on the full realization of the completion of your goals will help you solidify your positive mindset. There may be benefits to your achievements that you have yet to realize. What have you gained by reaching your goals? Create a mental catalogue of all the ways your life is enriched by positive thinking and refer to it often. This practice adds to your arsenal of empowerment tools and exponentially increases your capacity to gain.
• Preserve the lesson. Just as you kept a journal of your progress toward the completion of your goals, you should keep a written record of your successes. The ability to reflect on change and the steps that led to it is crucial to

your continued advancement. You may find yourself facing a similar challenge in the future, and having a set of written records to refer to saves you the mental difficulties of going through the process all over again as though you had never done it before. Additionally, writing down what you have learned enables you to discover the deeper meaning of all you have achieved, and everything you have gained in excess of your main objective.

• Start over. The sentiment “quit while you're ahead” has no place in positive thinking. Though it is necessary to enjoy the rewards of your labor, it is equally necessary to set new goals; aim for higher standards. Never cease to learn and grow. When you have reached a point in your life that you feel satisfies your wishes and dreams, create new wishes and manufacture more dreams. Life is not a destination; it is a journey. To achieve perfection is to settle for complacency and stop living. We begin to die the moment we cease to change.

Enjoy the good things that flow from success.

Relax! You've earned it. Just don't forget to continue your quest for a fulfilled life after each success. Use positive thinking to accomplish any goal, whether it is organizing your desk or traveling the world. You can achieve your dreams, and you can start today. The best time to begin your journey toward fulfillment is right now.