Positive statements about yourself that say who you are and who you want to be are called affirmations. Beginning these statements with “I am…” is a powerful way to help you be all you intend to be in a positive, uplifting fashion.
I was first introduced to the power of positive thinking when I was in high school. In reading The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, I learned that I was more than simply my genetic makeup; I could train my brain to think positively in order to achieve the things I wanted in life. Back then, it was to get good grades, win business competitions, and make the varsity cheerleading squad.
Today, positive thinking is as powerful as it has ever been. I’ve read more books on the subject, taught it, and written about it in my book, The Gift of Loss: Transforming Tragedy. My husband also wrote about it in his book Wake Up The Happy Brain. You might say positive thinking is just part of my life.
Yet the events of the past 11 months have challenged my positive thinking in many ways. I listened to people who were afraid. I listened to people who didn’t know how they would survive being furloughed and no paycheck. I listened to people who were scared they would never re-open their small businesses. I listened and offered positive encouragement wherever I could.
With all of my training and study over the years, I thought I would be immune to the powers of negativity; I was wrong.
I had days where a negative thought would creep into my mind that I couldn’t shake. There were days I couldn’t go to my office during the closure because it depressed me to not be open to help others. Some days I felt great, while others felt like I was spiraling out of control with no idea why.
As part of my journey to wellness, I have often asked the big question: WHY. Why is this happening to me? Why am I feeling this way? Why, why, why? Not knowing was truly affecting my well being.
I guess it’s good to be a curious person – it usually means I want to get to the root of an issue.
I talked with friends, family and colleagues, and found that I was not alone in the way I was feeling. I discovered that we were all missing in-person, human contact and activities involving other people. While the forced closures gave me time to slow down and re-prioritize, it also exposed a vital need in my well being – human connection and touch.
At the core of any journey to self-care is the need to understand the importance of the mind/body/spirit connection. When just one side is not strong enough to help the other two, the connection becomes out of balance. Stress responses are triggered in the body, digestion slows or shuts down, and things slowly get out of alignment. It’s a balance that needs to be maintained daily for healthy, vitality and overall well-being.
My usual positive thinking opens my mind to possibilities and enables me to change directions to keep my wellness journey headed in the right direction. I had lost sight of this, but I’m working my way back to balancing my mind/body/spirit connection so I can feel good and vital each day.
Some days, it’s a struggle to maintain a healthy balance, especially when outside influences are present. Wellness means different things to different people at different times; it is not a one size fits all proposition. Wellness is all about the mind/body/spirit connection and learning how to maintain your balance every day.
It’s so easy to get lost on your journey to self-care. I know because it happens to me too. One day you’re doing and feeling great, and without even realizing it, your self-care gets derailed and you find yourself on a path that looks far different than what you intended.
It is not the end of the world, it’s just life. It doesn’t mean you can never get where you want to be; it simply means you have to make a course correction.
That’s where I am; in the midst of a course correction. Over the past few months, I have gotten off my self-care course. I am still grateful every day, move with intention, eat leafy greens, and take my supplements for vitality and immune support, but I have felt as though my mind/body/spirit connection is somewhat off balance. So I’m back to focusing on learning something new every day.
I am finishing my health and life coaching course (yeah me!), and everything I’m learning is reinforcing the fundamentals I have been talking about for the last few years.
I’m learning that every day is new and every day can be a challenge, even with a positive mindset and doing all the “right” things. The specific formula may be different for each person, but at the end of the day it’s about maintaining the mind/body/spirit balance and feeding the body and soul with what it needs – nutrition from food and life.
I will continue to explore my wellness journey every day, and I encourage you to do the same. Take a small step today and write down three affirmations about yourself. Read them daily so you are nourishing your mind. Add to them as you see fit. Let me know how your positivity quotient changes your well-being.
Until next time, stay positive, be safe and be well…