Submitted by synadmin on
Each of us has had multiple experiences of receiving hurtful, disrespectful and "seething" comments from others through our lifetime. I don't know anyone who loves receiving these caustic and deeply stinging words but it happens all the time.
We can never control the words from another person yet we have full control of what we utter to others. Many refer to this as our "filter"
With all this said, here is my “Ah Ha” moment. We don't need to wait for the critical words from others or be anxious for when they may come because the greatest critic in the world is ourselves and we are hearing our messages 24/7/365. It's called our "self talk"
We have all seen someone on the street mumbling words aloud and we reference that person as "not all there", crazy or maybe disturbed. Yet the only difference between that person and us is the external volume of their voice.
The unconscious mind listens to the thoughts that ruminate all day long and minute by minute they create enormous changes within our bodies. Muscles will tighten, arteries restrict, hormones are released along with every system of the body being impacted beyond our awareness in a symphonic adaptation to the thoughts that we think.
This message is not new, nor is it New Age thinking. I bring this to your attention because it is rarely seen as a culprit to our healthcare circumstances.
There has been volumes written on our self talk – empowering words and thoughts that have been demonstrated to provide support, encouragement optimism and overall life enhancing changes to our physiology. Science has shown us that endorphins will heighten our mood, relaxation creates a parasympathetic impact to our nervous system leading to a calming response and there are so many more subtle modifications that go beyond our senses and therefore completely immeasurable. On the other hand, there is plenty of good science demonstrating how anger, aggression, bitterness and the inability to forgive, lends itself to hormone production and nervous system behavior that lowers our immunity and brings harm to our overall well being.
Our homework, for those who resonate with this message will gladly give consideration to the following questions.
- In my most authentic voice, as I take inventory, here are the five most often thought about voices in my head. (List them)
- Determine with all the humility and honesty that you can muster, answer this question. Are the thoughts that you consistently have "the wind under your wings lifting you to the goals aspirations and simply your best version of yourself"?
- What can I do daily to deliberately challenge those thoughts (