This quote by Norman Vincent Peale, whose well-known book is The Power of Positive Thinking, sums up our topic today.
Change Your Thoughts and You Change Your World1
There are four easy tools to implement to help move you from Negativity to Positivity. These will bring a dramatic change to your thought life, emotions, physical health and dreams for future.
Our mind is more powerful than any computer ever created!
Think about some of the greatest breakthroughs in technology. The iPhone was first released in 2007. It was mobile telephone, which had the capacity of a computer. Ten years later, Apple has released a new version that replaces the iPhone, the iWatch. Everything can be accessed on your wristwatch!
This one example shows the power of the mind to take our thoughts from infancy and create, develop, and bring to life a product that changes the world.
Understand the power contained in the mind is more than POSITIVE THINKING. Our mind sends signals for action based on whether our thought life is negative or positive.
Positive thinking in your mind creates positive outcomes in your life. Negative thinking in your mind, creates negative outcomes in your life. Here is one man’s story of the power of the mind and his decision that changed his life and the lives of others.
In the movie Hacksaw Ridge, Private Desmond Doss determined in his mind that he would not take a life. His focus was to save the lives of others. Here is an excerpt of his story.
“Private Doss fought in Okinawa which was the second most bloody battle of World War II. The battlefield, located on top of a sheer 400-foot cliff, was fortified with a deadly network of Japanese machine gun nests and booby traps.
The mission was thought to be near impossible, and when Doss’s battalion was ordered to retreat the medic refused to leave his fallen comrades behind.
Facing heavy machine gun and artillery fire, Doss repeatedly ran alone into the kill zone carrying wounded soldiers to the edge of the cliff and singlehandedly lowering them down to safety. Each time he saved a man’s life, Doss prayed out loud, “Lord, please help me get one more.” By the end of the night he had rescued an estimated 75 men. (The always-modest Doss reckoned he saved about 50, but his fellow soldiers gauged it closer to 100. They decided to split the difference.)”2
Doss was awarded the Medal of Honor for his role in rescuing the lives of the other soldiers.
Doss set his mind on what needed to be done, which in turn determined his actions.
There is a brain science, which proves the way we think and the words we speak can release good things or bad things.
There are many books being written on the subject. My favorite is by Dr. Caroline Leaf, “Switch on Your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking and Health.” It includes a 21-Day Brian Detox Plan.
Let’s explore how your thought life impacts your body.
In Dr. Leaf’s book she writes, “Scientists are proving that the relationship between what you think and how you understand yourself — your beliefs, dreams, hopes, and thoughts — have a huge impact on how your brain works.”3
She cites research, including a Harvard Medical Study, which is discovering that 75-98% of mental, physical and behavioral illness comes from one’s thought life.
Stunning!
This research indicates that only 2%-25% of our illnesses comes from environmental and genetics. Even if we take the highest 25%, that means that 75% of what ails us is from our thought life.
Think about this for a moment….
Our thought life can affect the health of our body, our organs, our emotions. Which means we can live a much healthier life by changing the way we think. We can make changes in the way we think and the words we speak about ourselves in order to keep ourselves healthy.
I am definitely oversimplifying this science of this, but I think you can capture the heart of the matter.
When you speak words that bring hope, bring life, bring purpose and direction —- your cells, your bones, every part of your body responds.
Think about this in terms of an athlete. They determine their ability by what they decide in their mind and their decision drives their body.
Do you remember Olympic Gymnast Kerri Shrug?
In the 1996 Olympics, Kerri Shrug was part of the Magnificent Seven gymnastic team. In her first vault she was unable to land properly. She heads back for the second run and her Coach continued to shout— “You can do it!”
She was determined to make that second vault, and win a Gold Metal for the United States. The pain in her ankle was increasing. She only had 30 seconds to reset and run toward the vault. Unknowing her ankle was broken from her first landing she began her approach.
Kerri began saying the declarations she prepared for competition to motivate and focus on completing the vault in front of her. She begins her run toward the vault and she lands it — perfectly — on one foot.
How did she do it with a broken ankle?
She had trained her mind, and her body followed. She had completed that same vault over and over. The judges gave her a score of .971. Her coach carried her to the platform to receive her Gold Metal!
In both examples, Private Doss and Kerri Shrug, were faced with impossible circumstances. And both made a decision, and then trained for the decision to be the product of their actions.
The training of our minds to focus on the positive creates health for us.
The book of Proverbs says, “Your words are so weighty that they have power to bring life or release death…”4
Consider what you are speaking over your body.
Are you nourishing your body, your mind with positive thoughts and words?
- My body is healthy.
- My bones are strong.
- My heart pumps in perfect sync.
- My mind has clarity for today’s assignment.
When you begin to declare good things over your physical body and your emotions, your actions will line up with your mind.
The same science that brings us health is true for our dreams and goals in life. We have touched on this before in Episode #3. You can listen to the entire episode on iTunes.
The seed of a dream comes from your mind and is planted inside you. Everything you do feeds, waters and nourishes that dream. Until one day, you see that dream come alive.
“Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve” by Napoleon Hill is my husband’s favorite quote.
And he lives by it! He is one of the most successful men I know. When he sets a goal, I guarantee you it will be accomplished!
I have seen it over and over in his life, and as his wife, I have benefited greatly. So have our children.
Now is a time for action!
Here are a couple of quick steps you can do to turn the negativity in your mind into positivity.
1. Determine for the next 30 days there will be no negative talk.This could be a little challenging, especially, if you are around people in your life that chose to be negative. This is where your determination to be positive will be tested.
Invite them to join you in the 30-Day Positive Words Only Challenge. Learning to change your words, so both of your lives can be changed. Share this podcast with them and make it a team thing.
2. Begin each day with Positive declarations over your life.
Follow my Daily Positive Word on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
My book Believing God and Believing His Word will help you reset the way you think. It contains 93 short stories to empower your mind, your emotions, your physical body and your dreams.
Each short story will take about 5 minutes to read, but it will be worth it to start your day off with a determination of success. You can purchase my book on Cindy-Stewart.com.
3. Journal your plans for change for both today and the future.
When a declaration goes from our mind to paper, it creates a deeper ownership.
Begin each day by writing what you expect from today in positive words and then write the expected results for the next 30 days because of your decision.
4. Turn around your negative words quickly.
As soon as you catch negative words coming out, stop and reverse the verbiage.
For example:
Negative: I will never be able to walk a mile.
Turn it around: I will continue walking and each time I will go a little further until I am able to walk a mile.
5. Write what you are dreaming for the future.
Remember, what you seed in your thoughts will come out in action.
You can go back to Episode 3 Dreaming and listen to the Podcast or read the Blog. It comes with a Dream Worksheet to get you started.
If you need some help processing through any of these elements, I would appreciate the opportunity to talk with you. Fill out the Connection Form and we will begin the conversation. Looking forward to assisting you in your journey of connecting you to your best!
Remember, you are the best investment you can make!
1 https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/normanvinc130593.html 101917
2 http://people.com/movies/the-true-story-of-hacksaw-ridge-and-desmond-doss-the-medal-of-honor-winner-who-never-fired-a-shot/ 101917
3 Leaf, Caroline. Switch on Your Brain: the Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health. (Baker Books, 2015) 33.
4 Simmons, Brian (2015-05-01). Psalms Poetry on Fire and Proverbs Wisdom From Above: 2-in-1 Collection with 31 Day Psalms & Proverbs Devotionals (The Passion Translation) (Kindle Locations 9007-9009). BroadStreet Publishing Group LLC. Kindle Edition. Proverbs 18:21