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Daily Gratitude

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Daily Gratitude: This quote is exactly why I am so “into” IFS and neuroplastic theory (mind body medicine). The tools we need to “fix” ourselves are within our reach. We can make changes in our minds – our thoughts and attitudes. Those changes will affect our health and can change it – for good or for bad (if we live with negativity and stress).

We can’t just go to a doctor and expect them to know all about you and be able to give you a magic pill. People complain that that’s all doctors do. But you know what? That’s what patients demand. Sure when they’re feeling ok they’re all about natural methods and why don’t doctors teach all that. But as soon as they start to feel bad, they don’t want it to take a long time to heal. They want it NOW and natural methods don’t work that way. They take time. So now they don’t want to spend that time. I’ve experienced this as a doctor and it’s extremely frustrating. Patients demand results and they demand them in their time line.

I think we all (doctors included) need to incorporate all modalities. We are complex systems and need multiple ways to heal or to prevent illness.

And it all starts within. Your mind is much more powerful than you realize and it’s your responsibility to keep it in shape and continue to go to the gym – the mental gym.

Take this opportunity to start forming those mental muscles. Keep track of your thoughts, monitor them. Watch for progress or even regression. People are so obsessed with weighing themselves and say that they are monitoring their weight. What are you doing to monitor your mental weight?

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Daily Gratitude

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Daily Gratitude: Once you become aware of your weaknesses, you have a starting place. For what? To reassess what you want to work on to bolster your strengths. You can always turn your weaknesses into strengths once they are out there on the table. Awareness is the first step in every single thing we do if we wish to change. Why? Because awareness takes everything out from the shadows. it’s hard to see something when it’s in the dark. Shining a light on your weaknesses gives you new tools. At that point you can also lay out your strengths next to the weaknesses and if you’re lucky, you have the entire puzzle ready for you to put together.

This may sound simplistic but I mean for it to help give you a visual image to help change your mental approach to problems. Putting a big jigsaw puzzle together can be overwhelming and so can some of your puzzles. But if you remember that when all the pieces are on the table with none remaining in the box or hidden on the floor, a smile might come to your face and then you can attack the job with joy and excitement.

You really have no weaknesses. They are just strengths in disguise.

Can you apply this to something in your life right now?

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Daily Hotline Message

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Message 327

This week may seem to be a week of repetition but it just happens that these things have come to mind again because the end of the year is a good time to review important points you’ve learned all year long.

WILLIAM JAMES said
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”

This is such a valuable concept for each of us to grasp onto at this time in our lives.

Things are chaotic. Things are stressful.

We don’t really know what’s going to happen at any point in time.

We could let these thoughts overwhelm us to the point where we do nothing and just watch our lives dwindle away while we complain about things.

We experience anxiety and fear.

In some instances that fear is warranted but in many others it’s not.

Knowing that when faced with a choice of thoughts, we can pick whichever one we want should be an immense relief.

Awareness that you can have opposing thoughts is the first step.

It’s not all black or white.

How you react or respond to something is totally up to you.

Several months ago i talked about contrast and clarity.

This is another place where you can use that exercise.

When you find yourself feeling anxious or down, take out a piece of paper and write your thoughts.

One per line.

When you’ve emptied your mind, go back to each line and write the opposite thought.

Don’t question whether or not you can believe that thought.

Just write it down.

Do that for every item on your list.

When you’re done with that, look this list over.

Go back and select the thoughts YOU WANT to think (you can circle the ones you want or cross out the ones you want to eliminate- pick whichever method is more symbolic to you).

Then it would be good to transcribe the ones you want to think onto another page (not necessary but helps to cement the feeling).

Carry this page around with you all day. Refer to it frequently, reminding yourself they you can choose different thoughts.

This won’t be easy at first because you’re accustomed to thinking those other thoughts automatically so give yourself some time to practice changing your thoughts.

Your world will begin to change too and you’ll see the power of intentionally picking what you want to think about.