It’s been almost a year since my post on Self Talk – Making Quality Statements, but I’ve recently been made aware that it’s time for a fresh reminder. Today it’s the swine flu, yesterday the bird flu, tomorrow who knows – maybe we’ll have an actual people flu to fuss about. My husband gives me a hard time for joking that “the flu is a myth, but mass hysteria is real.”
Whether there’s an actual flu virus or not doesn’t really matter a whole lot to me. What matters to me any day of the week is keeping myself and my loved ones healthy and happy. In that vein, let’s get back to harnessing the power of the mind to influence our bodies to achieve that goal.
A dear friend of mine who is normally very positive and dwells in possibility, was flinging jabs last week about co-workers coming into the office sick. She was (justifiably) angry about people trying to get her and others around her sick. She was also expressing fear about how bad this “flu season” will be; and how could you avoid such fear if you ever turn on the news?? Because I realize just how frustrating this situation is, I empathized with her. Because I also realize how toxic this thought process is, I encouraged her to re-consider her self-talk.
First, no one comes into the office sick to try to make others sick. They come in because they need the money, they are low on sick/vacation days or they simply succumb to this crazy society we’ve created of applauding people who work incessantly without resting when needed. Remember – everyone is doing the best they can with the resources they have.
Second, no one else can make you sick. And as long as you are focused on NOT getting sick, you are inviting sickness into your life, because you are placing your focus on sickness, not health. One caveat – I make the assumption here that you eat healthy, exercise with some regularity and otherwise provide the nutrients your body needs to sustain it throughout the year. That said, you have MUCH more control over your body than you may ever realize.
Third, let us recall the adage “you reap what you sow,” because this includes your thoughts. What I encouraged my friend to do is to take control of the situation. Every day you will encounter people who are unwilling to make the same choices as you to maintain their health and well-being. Since you can’t change that, let’s stay focused on what we can change!
Here’s what I told my friend: Accept that you are protected. Express gratitude for your healthy body and your commitment to giving it what it needs to promote an active immune system which will fight off the “viruses” that people around you experience.
More often than not, people are simply victims of their own minds – negative thoughts and poor dietary practices cause acid build up in the body. The body does what it can to expel the acid and, without help from its controller (you) will send it out any orifice it can find. This is what most “illnesses” are. Stop making yourself sick and start keeping yourself well. It’s a minor shift in focus that will make a major impact on your life.
Take a few minutes each morning to be truly grateful for all that you have in your life. I highly recommend this scripting exercise I wrote about last year. Maintain a positive focus and thank your body throughout the day for protecting you. By simply asserting it, your mind will initiate your body’s defenses to wake up your immune system, which will be ready to kick-butt at a moment’s notice!
Be healed, my child!!