Power of Positive Thinking?

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2008
Power of Positive Thinking?
22
Tue, 01-15-2008 - 7:39pm

I do believe that how you think affects your life. I have noticed that when I am in a bad mood, things get worse and my situation seems to get worse. When I take a positive spin on things, life gets better - sometimes immediately.


For example, DH and I were having a small argument a few weeks ago. Instead of being my normal self, who would have gotten defensive and jumped all over him, I chose to just smile and laugh and said, "I love you!" It completely changed the mood of things and all was forgotten. I realized that the argument just wasn't worth it in the scheme of things.


That's just a small example, but I try to extend it in all areas (family, career, finances, friends, health, etc.)


As a larger example, I believe that positive thinking has cured me from a disease that I have. While I still technically have the disease - and always will - the doctors are baffled as to why I show no symptoms. At a time when they were trying to shove more medication down my throat - I said "no more!" And I took myself completely off of them. I didn't discuss having the disease with anyone (otherwise they only focused on it and gave me sympathy) and I worked hard on just being healthy. And I have been - for about 6 years now.


I try to use positive thinking throughout my life - but I'm wondering if anyone here uses it and how they do. How has it worked for you?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-09-2001
Wed, 01-16-2008 - 11:23am
I agree. Positive thinking, living happiness as a lifestyle choice, it's all interconnected, IMO. ;)) I think the philosophy behind "The Law of the Garbage Truck" that I posted, has a lot to do with positive thinking. It's not letting others' control your frame of mind or suck your positive energy from you with their dysfunctional behaviors. I think positive thinking requires a sense of self-confidence, also, that you CAN set your own boundaries, and you can CHOOSE how you will respond to what life throws your way in the form of other people and their behaviors, experiences, etc. I think positive thinking is also linked to Zen principles, in that our own inner attitude and our ability to focus and not get "sucked in" to others' energies, and also our own mental thoughts and attitudes, that contribute to our suffering rather than our happiness. So many spiritual practices can support positive thinking and a lifestyle of happiness and harmony, if we pay attention. ;))



I have found Visualization an awesome tool for physical healing as well, but I think paying attention to our mental attitudes and keeping them positive and generating positive energies is critical to our health. Exercise, the foods we consume, it's all a piece of it. I was hit by a car as a pedestrian, and my wrist was broken badly They wanted to do a risky surgery to put in a steel pin. The one surgeon having done this kind of surgery successfully was clear across the country. :O I chose to first do visualization. I memorized the x-rays the doctor showed me. Then, my wrist casted, I went home and every day, several times a day, I would go into a meditative state, visualize the x-rays and visualize the gap between the bones that was broken so badly, reconnecting. When I went in for a checkup and they x-rayed again, that gap had closed. The surgery was no longer needed. ;)) Our minds and our focus and our inner power are amazing tools to heal and enable us to live fully.



Great topic! :))


Gypsy ✬

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"All things share the same breath;

the beast, the tree, the man.

The Air shares its spirit with

all the life it supports."

--Chief Seattle





Blessings,

Gypsy

)O(



iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2008
Wed, 01-16-2008 - 1:15pm

I hear you "talk" (LOL) a lot about zen principles - but I'm really rather unfamilar with them. Not that I'm too lazy to do research, I just have my own spiritual theory that fits well right now.


Can you give me a general summary?


TIA


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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-09-2001
Wed, 01-16-2008 - 7:20pm
Here is some info on Zen:



http://www.religioustolerance.org/budzen.htm



About the teacher whose lineage was followed at the Zen Center I practiced with for a few years in the past:



http://www.terebess.hu/zen/mesterek/suzuki.html



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shunryu_Suzuki




Gypsy ✬

Hairetikos



Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket



Courtesy of: http://emergraphiks.tripod.com/graphics1.htm



Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Mika Dog




"All things share the same breath;

the beast, the tree, the man.

The Air shares its spirit with

all the life it supports."

--Chief Seattle




Blessings,

Gypsy

)O(



iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2008
Wed, 01-16-2008 - 8:40pm
Thanks!
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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-27-2007
Wed, 01-16-2008 - 8:54pm

Since you brought up the healing power of thought, I'll share my a couple of my own stories here.

I guess you could say my Mom is New Age-ish although she never "studied" any of it per se, just kinda who she is. When she was in her 40's she had a skin problem. Went to countless Dr's and was the subject of several studies. Her skin would break out and literally peel away until she'd have a raw spot on her body. The Dr's gave her many different prescriptions over the years and most were steroids and none "solved" the problem, only helped with outbreaks. And caused her to gain a lot of weight and grow hair on her face, etc. It wasn't very pleasant for her at all. Finally she got fed up with taking meds so she started meditating and envisioning herself in all different colors of healing lights. She was very consistent with this and within weeks she was able to taper off the steroids and be free of them for good. To this day she manages her condition with meditation and it works much better than the steroids ever did. Now she is 60. I guess that opened the door for me to believe in the power of positive thought combined with meditation.

When I had my kids, I had my oldest in a hospital with an epidural, etc. It was MISERABLE. With my 2nd child, I took a HypnoBirthing class and learned that child birth is only painful because our mind believes it is. Of course having had a child the painful way I didn't believe this at first. But when it came time to deliver my 2nd son at a birthing center, I experienced it for myself. I just relaxed and got out of my body's way and it really was not painful at all (I did feel pressure as my son worked his way out, kinda like menstrual cramps, but no pain whatsoever). I did not have to push or anything, he delivered himself while I practiced my relaxation/meditation techniques. His water didn't even break until he crowned. He did not cry at all when he was born. Came out and fell asleep in my arms. It was truly amazing and beautiful.

What goes on in our heads affects everything in our lives I believe. Last year I read a book called You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay (http://www.hayhouse.com/details.php?id=267). It talked about how illnesses are a form of dis-ease and that our health can be greatly improved with thought changes and positive affirmations. It was a very good read.

Great topic. I loved how you decided to say "I love you" to your DH instead of arguing. I'll hafta keep that in my head for next time my DH and I disagree.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2008
Thu, 01-17-2008 - 8:07am

Love the story about your mom - the docs had me on tons of steroids too - for about 2-3 years. Finally I had had it! They just kept prescribing more and more stuff for me - like I was some kind of test subject. What a joke. Then they had the nerve to get mad at me when I told them I was going to try to take myself off of the meds. One doctor told me he would refuse to treat me if I didn't "follow his directions exactly as he said in regards to prescriptions". I told him I would refuse to do that - especially without a second opinon. He said "okay - you can leave!"


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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2003
Thu, 01-17-2008 - 9:15am

I firmly believe that the way a person responds to their world and the distractions in it determines how they feel and


iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2008
Thu, 01-17-2008 - 11:21am

<<<

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-27-2007
Thu, 01-17-2008 - 1:23pm

<<>>

< Uggghhh. Yes. But at the same time, I think some people actually LIKE to do this. I think they like that cycle of wallowing while making poor decisions, which allows them to complain and get sympathy (just not from me!) >

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Actually I don't think anyone "likes" doing this, they just get stuck and don't know any other way. I fall into holes in my life where I wallow in things. And I know better. It's not that I like it, it just sometimes takes me a while to a) notice that I am doing it b) Bonk myself on the forehead and think HELLO?!? why am ***I*** doing this to myself AGAIN? LOL. and finally get to c) where I remember to adjust my mindset towards the issue just like I have learned to do over and over and over. Sometimes I feel so lame when it takes me a while to get from a) to c). You'd think at some point it would just come naturally to me. But it doesn't.

I also notice that the times I catch myself "wallowing" are the times I get lazy about exercising and meditating. Ding ding ding :) Will I ever learn? LOL!

Then there's people who have never been exposed to the idea that you can get yourself out of the wallowing frame of mind by changing your attitude because they've been taught to just pray about it and God will do all the work and make it all better for them.

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-27-2007
Thu, 01-17-2008 - 1:29pm
I am so sorry you had to go through 2-3 years of steroids and pushy Dr's. I saw what all that did to my Mom (she had a very very similar experience with Dr's for nearly a decade trying to bully her into continuing the steroids). Steroids are just miserable in so many ways. I feel so badly for people who end up on steroids for their whole lives no knowing there is any other way. Glad you were able to take charge of your own health. I love to hear stories like yours.

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