Today I want to talk about the power that our thoughts have.
Scientists have proven that, just by watching an experiment, it can change the outcome of the results. Studies have been done where patients have been divided into two groups, one which is prayed for and the other which isn't. The group that was prayed for, showed significant improvement over the group that wasn't. ( PS. the group that was prayed for did not know they were). It has been shown that slapping a smile on our face even if we aren't happy causes our mood to change to happiness. Thoughts are incredibly powerful and can be used to heal and change situations.
The placebo effect has been a known phenomenon for years. Just the fact that patients thought they would get better because they received some treatment was enough for them to spontaneously heal even though the treatment was a sham.
The placebo effect equals the self healing effect
There was a study done in Vancouver BC where Parkinson's patients were divided into two groups where one group received no treatment and the other group was given a shot of saline believing it to be a medicine. Now saline should have had no effect what-so-ever on the body but, the belief that they had received medicine caused the brain to increase it's secretion of Dopamine,which in turn led to a lessening of their symptoms. All those that received the saline shots, reported great improvement in their symptoms.
In another study, patients taking 4 placebo pills felt better than patients taking 2 placebo pills a day. Now 2 times nothing is nothing and 4 times nothing is nothing but everyone knows that 4 is more than 2, so they reacted as if the heavier "dose" was more beneficial.
The most incredible study of all, involved Doctors performing all the rituals and motions of doing knee surgery on patients but not actually doing anything at all to the knee. Every single patient declared the surgery a success. Even months later, they reported no pain.
It seems the key to this effect is ritual and expectation.
The healer is the most important part of the placebo effect. The relationship they have with the patient, taking the time to listen, performing rituals of healing, instilling in the patient the belief that they can and will get better, provides the catalyst by which the body can heal itself. The ritual and expectation built up by a powerful, commanding, convincing faith healer, allows them to produce the miracle healings that give hope to the hopeless.
Here is another example of positive thoughts creating a positive reaction.
The story of 'I am beautiful and everybody loves me."
One day I was driving along and listening to the radio. It was a call - in show and a young woman with very low self esteem was asking what she could do to feel better about herself. She described herself as very overweight with bad skin, buck teeth and glasses. The host of the show encouraged her to say out-loud, 50 times, "I am beautiful and everybody loves me." I couldn't really see how that was going to change much for this woman,but I was thinking to myself, I have issues with my looks too. I don't think I have it as bad as this girl, but I wasn't feeling to secure about my body and looks at all. So as I was driving along , I began to say "I am beautiful and everybody loves me" in a funny sing song voice much like Billy Crystal used in the old Saturday Night Live sketches where he proclaimed everyone "Marvelous". I really thought it was funny and felt quite stupid doing it. I certainly did not expect it to have any effect.
Boy was I wrong! It worked wonders! Later on that day, I went into a mall and had no less than three different people ( total strangers to me) come up to me and comment that they thought I was beautiful and that they loved me! We had barely exchanged more than a few sentences, but they had decided that they had to tell me they loved me out of the blue. I can't pry those words out of my nearest and dearest, but these total strangers were going out of their way to tell me this. They even turned to other people and tried to convince them just how wonderful I was. That was such a huge lesson for me in the power of positive thinking.
So what are your negative thoughts about? How can you change those words to reflect the opposite? Now say those positive words over and over until they drown out the negative voice in your head. Say them loud, say them with feeling, sing them, yell them, write them on notes you leave for yourself. Notice how your life changes as a result.
You are: good enough, rich enough,special enough, talented enough,strong enough to have the life you want!
You ARE: good enough, rich enough,special enough, talented enough,strong enough to have the life you want!
For every negative thought you have, think of two positive ones. Replace the negative version of your story with the positive one. You will be surprised at how fast your perception of your life changes.
There is a saying I read ages ago and can't remember word for word but went something like this:
I am ok with the traffic jam because it means I'm sitting in a car in comfort and not walking
I'm grateful for the dishes in the sink because it means I had enough to eat tonight
There was a bunch more, but you get the idea, take the things that really bother you and find the positive aspect in them. Appreciate what you do have instead of always complaining about what you don't have. Believe in miracles. Say kind words to people, smile at strangers often, think good thoughts! Positive thinking is contagious. People around you pick your mental moods and are affected accordingly. Think about happiness, good health and success, and you will cause people to like you and desire to help you, because they enjoy the vibrations that a positive mind emits.
You ARE beautiful and EVERYONE loves you!
Blessings and beautiful thoughts,
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Thank you, your awesome
Hi Rhianna! Found my way to your blog and LOVE it, this post especially. Our thoughts are indeed powerful and while this appears to be a simple enough concept, I think it can be challenging to implement. So thank you for the reminder. You ARE beautiful and strong and smart and a talented writer!
ReplyDeleteLove, Robin