I wonder if we realise how much what we think about, the type of thoughts we allow in our ‘headspace’, plus their accompanying emotions, determines the outcomes of our life?
Murray Smith
I was visiting someone in hospital who was struggling with layers of physical challenges. I had sensed that there were attitudes and emotional issues, hurts and disappointments from relationships with others, which were directly influencing their physical state. I gently addressed this sensitively in a non-judgmental way.
Shortly after, I received a message from this person acknowledging they had been struggling greatly with unforgiveness. The text said, ‘I’d tried so hard to forgive, but last night God helped me do it – it was like a ton of bricks coming off.’ My next visit, I saw a very ‘different’ person who literally shone.
An MRI Result of the Brain. Photo: Anna Shvets pexel.com
Our brain’s functions and its capacity for affecting the whole of our body is astounding and it means the tracks we allow our thoughts to go down, must be carefully regulated.
If our brain is to serve us optimally and assist positively in our wellbeing, evicting negative thinking, anxiety and fears which change our brain wiring in a negative direction and throw our mind and body into stress, is imperative. Toxic thinking wears down the brain – with widespread results, particularly in diminishing our body’s natural healing capacities.
A verse in the Bible says that, ‘as a person thinks, so they will be’. (Proverbs 23:7)
Research proves conclusively that dwelling on negative thoughts, fostering regret, grudges or resentment actually damages our DNA – yet amazingly, by turning our thoughts to positive things, damaged DNA can actually be repaired by engaging with feelings and thoughts of love, joy, appreciation and gratitude.
Thoughts carry an emotional component in addition to carrying information. As we think – we also feel. This means when certain thoughts drift into our consciousness, they’re likely to bring up attached emotions. Good or bad. We’ve all experienced when negative thoughts float into the conscious mind, how an associated emotion can bubble up too -we feel that emotion… a sense of turmoil surfaces and a knot in our stomach develops. Again, it’s in our best interests to heed the Bible’s injunction… “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things”.
Indulging habitually in negative thinking – for example, unforgiveness, bitterness, irritation, worries and anxiety, damages our DNA immediately putting our brain into protection mode, releasing negative stress. But there’s good news from various studies that offer us hope – because incubating wholesome thinking, positive attitudes and good choices, rewires everything back to a positive healthy state.
The self-help industry offers visualisation and verbalisation advice, but often with these ‘techniques’ the intent of the heart is not considered, leaving a disconnect between what is being said, and what is really believed and felt deep down. Mere repetition of the ‘right’ words alone cannot bring about sustainable change.
Our need is heart-felt, inward transformation. I know countless people who testify that receiving Jesus, as the source of life, resulted in experiencing a renewed mind, freedom and wholeness.
