Innovative Health: A healthy change of attitude

The following is an interesting post I found  in the The Alamogordo Daily News it was posted by Dawn Greenwald on Posted: 09/25/2011 Complaining and other negative attitudes are a type of suffering: perceiving threats, living with fear, blame and resentments, worrying about the future and dwelling in the past. The result is reactive behavior, acting through blame and based on dependency, not feeling in control of your life but perceiving that there is insufficiency and lack. This unhealthy attitude, or pattern of thinking, can generate imbalances in body chemistry and blockages in tissues, promoting disease and inhibiting body growth processes. The opposite of a complaining, negative attitude is gratitude or thankfulness. Positive attitude removes blame and resentments and promotes a pro-active choice for living by taking control and responsibility for personal thoughts and intentions. Positive attitudes tap into the higher aspects of self, such as kindness, respect and love. These life-affirming attributes promote good health through a growth response mechanism at the cellular level. It takes courage to decide to change personal attitudes. It is a responsible choice that cultivates quality awareness and higher consciousness and is a life-changing decision. Although change is not easy, changing a complaining attitude to one of gratitude represents a personal decision to regain health, open life to receive more blessings and open the door to more opportunities. Negativity always closes doors. The first step to changing an attitude is to become more aware of thoughts and speech. Note when using words like  "can't" or 'stupid," etc., and choose life-affirming words or phrases instead, such as "I'd like to" or "getting better every day." Guard thoughts and choose to stop the chain of negative thinking. Engage in practices such as mindfulness meditation to help shift thought patterns. Practicing in this way will assist in taking the next step. Second, compose a list of things/situations/people for which one is grateful, including personal attributes. Find the golden linings in life. If there is difficulty in seeing the positive, try moving perception to a higher level, looking at it as someone else might or as something might be viewed from a national or global level. The third action that can be taken to change from a complaining to a gratitude attitude is to become the change. If someone asks how a road trip went, for example, instead of immediately saying it had rained the whole way, pause to find the positive, perhaps saying that everyone made it back safe and sound. When feeling resentment threatens, turn the mind and heart to a happy memory or thought. Bring it to life as much as possible. For example, if the smell of pumpkin pie brings fond memories of time spent with grandma, fill a personal space with pumpkin spice-scented candles. If gospel songs fill the heart with joy, play them often. Volunteer to help others in the community. Uplifting someone else is a sure way to bring lightness to the heart. Embrace life with gratitude to receive blessings in life and to enjoy healthy living. References: (1) Bruce Lipton, PhD, 2008. The Biology of Belief; (2) Dawson Church, PhD. 2009. The Genie in Your Genes. Dawn Greenwald is a certified biofeedback specialist and certified in stress and pain management through the Natural Health Certification Board and a licensed Spiritual Health coach. Contact her at 430-7522 or dawng@tularosa.net.