Recent months have brought a new and exciting challenge in my life. I am writing a health and wellness column for Social Life Magazine. I am honored by the opportunity and enjoy the research and sharing tips I have found to be beneficial to optimum health. Doing this column has encouraged an introspective attitude towards my life. That introspection has taught me so much.
As time passed from my back-to-back paralysis from Neurological Lyme Disease, and a treadmill accident, I learned that negativity could make me sick and increase my pain. I have always tried to be positive, but definitely have fallen short at times. As the years went by, and I became discouraged with my progress. I wanted to feel less pain so I was forced to look at that progress with gratitude and positivity. With practice and diligence it worked. My mindset shifted ever so slightly and I was able to embrace my small victories knowing I was going forward towards optimum health.
After 6 1/2 years, I had to return to physical therapy to gain an understanding of the neuroscience of pain. Briefly, it teaches that outside worries and influences can make pain/stress/trauma/worries much worse. The nervous system becomes hypersensitive and flight or flight response is the new normal. Calming that response takes knowledge and the right exercises to stabilize and heal the pain.
I have found this thinking is applicable to every area of my life. Once we learn this lesson, which takes 20 minutes, there are remarkable changes in the brain as proven by patient MRI'S. This combined with hands on physical therapy and home exercises has decreased my pain and improved my ability to sit, stand and exercise. We actively work to get the fight or flight response down to a low level. Viewing my pain as the big bad wolf causes my pain to increase, but viewing it at an adorable wolf cub makes me smile! We are all our own best advocate for perfect health, but be prepared to work hard.
It helped greatly that I had some of the dynamics already implemented in my life. I have lived my life openly to all that is integral, healthy and kind. Similarly, I have closed the spaces in my life that were defeating, energy depleting and unkind. It takes some time on the earth to grasp the concept and to get it right! Since life is a journey, I continually learn and evolve. It is difficult to close the door on bad habits and bad choices, but it is more difficult to live in a world where love IS NOT the operative word.
Negativity affects our health in a bad way. Dismissing negativity has the opposite effect. Mindfulness has become paramount to me, but I quickly learned that with each passing moment there is more to learn and more gratitude to embrace.
That my friends is love in its purest form. Love thyself and watch how magnetic you have become. When you lead with love and positivity... it will bountifully return to you!
