Image by Mojpe from Pixabay
Originally published December of 2017
Welcome back!
I want to give fair warning: this post has the potential to step on a few toes. To be sure, what’s below applies as much to me, as anyone who reads it. So, take your shoes off, relax, and get ready for some toe steppin’.
Words have meaning, if they did not, we would not use them. Just as important as the meaning of a word, is the importance we give to that meaning. And when we repeat words to which we have also ascribed importance (whether consciously or sub-consciously), our beliefs follow in lock-step.
Stay with me here…
“I am no good at that.”
“I am good at that.”
“I am a crappy shot with a gun.” (Which I am)
“I will never be able to do that.”
“I can do that.”
The words we use can become reality, and this is done through a cyclical process in which seemingly insignificant thoughts, using words, become what we actually believe. Think of it this way: think, speak, believe, think, speak, believe, etc.
You may ask, “So what?”.
Every year around this time our office is filled with words like these:
“Someone coughed on an airplane and I got sick.”
“Mr. So & So got me sick”
“I got sick from being around the kids at church.”
Do you see a pattern?
If you believe it was someone else who made you sick, let me ask a question: if others make us sick, why aren’t we all sick? If there are two people in the same environment, and one gets sick and the other does not, then WHAT GIVES?
Let’s take this a step further and do a little thought experiment. At the risk of sounding macabre, let’s consider what would happen if we placed a deceased person in a sealed container. We all know the answer-they would decompose! They would decompose because the seeds of destruction and decay (i.e. germs, bacteria, etc.) are already present inside of them. So what keeps that person from rotting while they’re alive? Their immune system!!
Yes folks, our immune systems are designed to take care of us and keep in check those germs, bugs, etc. When it is working properly, we stay well, regardless of what environment we are in. Caring for the immune system requires vigilance, particularly when we’re dealing with external stressors. But the areas that can cause us some of the most stress on our bodies are ones we have control over:
Our diets.
Our sleeping patterns.
Our exercise routines.
Our reactions to others.
I do not want to mince words here: we make ourselves sick. Sickness comes from the inside out. And for this reason, so does health. If we can begin to internalize this truth, we will be much better equipped to take care of ourselves during this season of excess.
And it starts with our words.
Health and sickness are both inside out jobs. Let your language reflect that truth.
Season’s Beatings,
ks
PS: I want to give a special shout-out to Jordan Freiburghaus for his insight in the editing process of this Blog post.
And for great and further reading on this topic, please check out these two books:
Anatomy of an Illness: As Perceived by the Patient
Also, if by chance you have missed the first three installments of Season’s Beatings, please click on these links to catch-up and we invite any and all of you to offer your thoughts, opinions, and questions. Let’s continue our online discussions and grow this online community.
Season’s Beatings: Unconventional Wisdom About Stress Relief #1
Season’s Beatings: Unconventional Wisdom About Stress Relief #2
Season’s Beatings: Unconventional Wisdom About Stress Relief #3
Dec 07, 2017 at 1:22 PM
Well said!
Dec 24, 2021 at 2:43 PM
EXCELLENT! I have been learning about the power of thought and words. Also, noticed that for some reason, our society is BLAMING each other for our health issues when in reality the responsibility is OUR OWN.
Dec 28, 2021 at 12:00 PM
Cindy, you are on the right track. Stay responsible! Cheers, ks