I think both of these books contain an important piece of wisdom for our society. Right now, I see way too much media influence focused on the hate-of-the-week or the fear-of-the-month. What damage is this focus doing to our bodies as individuals and to the fabric of our society?
I don’t want to get into a political discussion on this, but wish rather to point out the nastiness of this current political campaign is a symptom of something more pervasive and serious than an electoral campaign. I want us to look at the burden of fear and hate individuals are carrying with them every day as they go about the tasks of parenting, interacting with neighbors, and fulfilling the duties of their careers. This burden of hate and fear has got to be eating up their bodies. The fear and hate eat up relationships.
When we talk about total health vs the absence of disease, the doctors who authored the books I’ve mentioned agree that hate and fear are the emotions that interfere with our bodies’ natural defense mechanisms allowing disease to grow. Hate and fear drink up our energy for living life to it’s fullest.
Do you want to choose illness over health? As a cancer survivor, I can tell you that you really don’t want cancer. Is choosing to hang on to fear and hate really worth getting cancer? I admit I have a problem with fear. I believe that my chronic insecurity used up valuable energy that my body needed to combat the toxic dose of radiation I received. I know the fear I’ve carried within me has drained me of energy and stifled my creativity. I’m well acquainted with fear and its effect on the human body. My advice is to choose to believe that life will be okay.
So, what can we do to choose love and wholeness over fear and hate? The first step is easy. Turn off the TV and stop the newspaper. I know we are supposed to be well informed to be responsible citizens. Read books or listen to books on tape. A book gives you more information than a thirty-second sound bite. A whole book can give you an alternate perspective on your perceptions of reality. Once you start reading books read all of Mark Twain and some of Rudyard Kipling. You will be well informed, and have gained wisdom and perspective for defeating the manufactured fear-of-the-month.
Choosing to love may be easier and more beneficial to your health than banishing fear, wave to your neighbors when you see them on the street or in their yards. Practice helping others instead of judging them.
If your kid hasn’t done their homework, sit with them and see if you can help them. You will probably figure out they haven’t done their homework because they don’t know how. Love involves placing yourself in someone else’s position to understand how they feel and what they need. You can choose to love when faced with something that frightens you. You can choose to love when faced with something or someone who looks different than you. You do have the power to direct your actions and feelings instead of being manipulated by the media to serve those powers that will destroy your community, your energy and your health.
My favorite method for reminding myself to choose love and hope over hate and fear involves what I call Mantras for Living. As a method for changing how the mind perceives it’s environment, professionals call this method repetition. We’ve all heard that if we hear something repeated often enough we come to believe it is true. I’ve helped my clients construct positive statements they can use to learn to combat their fears and lack of self-love. Mantras to combat fear include statements such as; Today is going to be a great day. I am in a safe place to be. I’m gonna ace this job. Today is a great day. I can handle anything that comes at me. After using this method for years with clients, I finally took a page from my own book and started using it myself, and I have seen my health improve. My arthritis is less troublesome. I have more energy and my fibromyalgia symptoms have disappeared. I’ve been cancer free for five years.
Mantra’s for loving include, I am lovable, I love my self, I love people, I love my spouse, and I love who I am.
With both sets of mantra’s I’ve included two statements that are almost identical because they most reinforce the root emotion I want to develop. I like to use groups of five statements so each statement can be counted off on the fingers. Mantras are most effective if repeated throughout the day when driving, using the rest room, when exercising, or taking a break from routine tasks.
These are the tools to changing your life. Use them well. You are going to have many great days and be filled with love for yourself and those around you.