Humility Comes Before Honor

Ephesians 4:2  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  

First of all, humility does not indicate weakness or groveling.  It actually is strength and confidence without arrogance, whereas pride is confidence with arrogance.  Humility is not just doing something kind for someone, it’s a total submission to God’s will and love.  It’s allowing God to transform your heart.

Without humility you will not be able to do God’s will.  This is one of the most important, but more difficult virtues to develop due to our human nature.  It is essential for all Christians and for all humanity if we are to live in peace, harmony and love. Humility is the remedy for pride and arrogance.   Pride is the enemy of love, peace and justice.   Throughout Christ’s time on this earth, humility was a major focus of His teaching, which is a clue for us to pay close attention to.

Have you ever been to a place that was so magnificent, like the Grand Canyon, the ocean, witnessed a beautiful sunset, the northern lights or a baby being born, where you felt so small and what/whoever created it was so large?  In that moment you were in awe and just thankful to be a part of it and alive.  You had nothing do with creating it, but were grateful for it, became one with it, soaking in it with a sense of peace/love and knew right then there must be a God.  That’s humility.  I have experienced that on many occasions, but sadly, I have not been able to hold onto it.  It often quickly eluded me and self-centeredness found its way back into my heart.

In my journey for spiritual transformation, I focused on developing more humility.  In my last blog I talked about gratitude, which I believe is a companion virtue to humility.  Gratitude helps teach us humility because giving thanks allows us to realize what we have and are able to do comes through us, not from us.  Humility isn’t something that can be willed or forced into existence.  It’s a slow process of dying to self, shedding pride, arrogance, self-will and self-importance.

I see all the gifts of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) – interconnected with humility.  You can’t posses the gifts of the Spirit without first humbling yourself.  It is the foundation on which these gifts are established.

I thought I was a fairly humble person most of my life because I didn’t boast about myself.  As I have stated in my previous blogs, I suffered from low grade depression for many years.  My thoughts were mostly centered on myself in some way, usually in a negative light, but also sometimes arrogantly.  At times I over compensated to make myself feel better about myself.  The end product – arrogance – not pretty.

One night, a few years back,  I was struggling to sleep, tossing and turning till the early morning hours. I tried praying, but that didn’t help.  I finally cried out to God what was the deal.   In my spirit I heard God say, “Anna, you don’t know humility.”

Well that was the last thing I would have thought about myself (little prideful, huh?).  I never really thought of myself as prideful or arrogant because I didn’t think much of myself.  I didn’t usually brag or boast or try to control others.  In fact, I often put the needs of others ahead of mine.  So the idea of not knowing humility didn’t occur to me.  But when I stopped to think about what humility was it became clear.  Looking back, my motives for putting others first weren’t always pure – sometimes it was about people approval.  Also, I would either say negative things about myself or negate things I had done well.  I was under the erroneous belief that if I didn’t acknowledge my God-given talents and abilities I was being humble.  So instead I put myself down in some way.  I was wrong.  Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less – C.S Lewis.

At that time I was consumed with myself because I didn’t believe I was good enough and I wanted to be.  I often compared myself with others.  I didn’t appreciate all that God had given me, everything that was right in front of me.  It wasn’t enough, because in my mind, I wasn’t enough.  When I received this revelation, that I wasn’t humble, I decided to pursue what humility was and how important it is to God.  We shouldn’t boast or be prideful about our talents and the things we do well, but rather acknowledge where they come from and be grateful for them.  Everyone has God-given abilities and talents.  He has provided us with everything we need to function on this earth.  Even knowing all this, even when I pray for humility or try to do the right thing for the right reason,  pride often rears its ugly head.  Those feelings and thoughts just pop up, but I keep pressing on praying for humility.

Being self-critical, or comparing yourself with others (lifting them up while tearing yourself down), complaining and whining are not attributes of humility.  I did plenty of that.  These qualities are actually being prideful because those thoughts and behaviors are self-centered and ego based.  That type of thinking can be all consuming, because it makes everything about the self, not others.

How can humanity achieve peace, love and harmony when thoughts are self-centered?  How can respect for all persons be expressed when we’re either indulging in self-pity, pride or arrogance?  When marinating in self-pity or arrogant thinking, we’re not concerned about the welfare of others.  These types of thoughts can cause ill-behavior and ill-feelings, turning emotions and attitudes into disrespect for others, judging others, anger, breaking up of relationships, creating wars, hatred, resentment, abuse (mental and physical), racism, division, us against them attitude, and more.

So what does God say about humility?

In James 4:6 it says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”  In God’s economy, the first shall be last and the last shall be first.

Proverbs 16:18 – “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.  It is better for us to choose humility, than to be put in our place out of pride by God or by someone else.

Matthew 18:2-4 – And Jesus called a child to Himself and set him before them and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Colossians 3:11 – “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

Sounds like humility is very important to God.  We won’t be able to enter the kingdom of heaven without it.  Whatever happens to us beyond this time we’re in now, according to Matthew 18:2-4, it requires a humble heart, not pride and arrogance to  gain entrance into heaven.   Humility is not something that is just given to us, it’s an attribute we must purposefully choose to possess.  Like you would choose to put on a specific article of clothing daily, you must choose to put on humility, compassion, gentleness and patience every day, then act accordingly.  These are virtues we decide to wear daily, or not.  Humility is a choice and an attribute that needs to be cultivated and practiced daily.  You need to be mindful of your motives and intentions of why you’re doing something.  The following bible verse is one of my favorites, because God really doesn’t ask a lot from us, when you think about it.  Just a few simple principles (Ok, simple, but not easy because of human nature) that if applied, can make a tremendous difference in the quality of our lives and our relationships with others.

Micah 6:8 – “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

  • Being humble is not assuming that we can do things by our own strength, because we can’t.  It was by God’s strength and hands that we were created, not ours.  Everything we have, our gifts, talents, abilities and resources were given to us by Him.
  • Being humble is using our gifts to elevate and serve others.  Opportunities are everywhere if you just look.  We were not given self-serving gifts.
  • Being humble is being kind to others.  This could look like opening a door for someone, helping someone cross the street, opening your wallet to feed someone who’s hungry or just sharing a smile.  You might be the light they needed in that moment.  Even the smallest pebble will make a ripple.  The smallest act of kindness can make the biggest difference in someone’s life.  You never know.
  • Being humble is making this world a better place than how you found it.  Clean up after yourself.  Don’t toss trash on the street.  Better yet, pick it up.  Don’t leave your mess for someone else to clean up.  Plant a garden.  Give of your time and resources to others.
  • Being humble is following and respecting rules at home, at work, anywhere.
  • Being humble is being willing to do God’s will and magnify Him, not ourselves.
  • Being humble is not complaining, but being content with what you have at the moment.  Humility will see its value and worth.  It may not be apparent on the surface.  Maybe God/life has a valuable lesson for you to learn in that instance.  Pride would never see it, humility will.

People who are humble usually have a strong moral compass, are willing to serve others, know their own strengths and limitations, are compassionate, gentle, loving, kind, peaceful, content and not self-seeking.

Humility opens doors to love, building bridges, healing, peace and harmony with others.  It transcends our narrow interests, biases, opinions and beliefs and embraces and respects differences.  Humility allows us to recognize how special and wonderfully we all are and that we were created beautifully and magnificently by God.  If this is not apparent to you, then you need to change your lens to see the inherent worth in those around you.

Imagine if we used our gifts to help others, what kind of world would we live in?  Within that concept, you too would be elevated, but not by your own hands, but by the hands of someone else.  What kind of world would that be?  It would be a kinder world.

Humility may not be an easy path for everyone (it isn’t for me), but without it, this world would perish.  Over the weekend I watched several YouTube videos demonstrating how people from all walks of life expressed humility and kindness in big and small ways to help someone else.  In each instance, their out stretched hearts were warmly and gratefully received.  Instead of watching the news, which is self-serving for ratings and pushing agendas, take a look at some of these videos.  Be prepared to be moved and cry.  Love and good still abound in this world, no matter what picture the news media is trying to paint for us to boost their ratings.  Choose love and good, they win out in the end and make this world a better place.

Please leave a comment and any suggestions on how to make this a world a better place than how you found it.  A humble heart is what this world needs more of and it all begins with you and me.  I want to share this video with you.  It’s amazing.  Peace.  Out.

 

 

 

 

 

Are You Happy?

Do You Wanna Be?

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  1 Thessalonians 5:18

Want a tip for transforming your mind, life and achieving happiness?  Be more grateful. This has been found to be one of the single most effective ways to being content and happy.  Happiness doesn’t result in being grateful, being grateful results in being happy. This means paying attention to what you have, NOT focusing on what you don’t have and not taking things for granted.

In every situation we can be grateful and thankful for what God has done for us and for his promises. He has given us life and all we need to survive here on earth. Every day He is with us, sustaining us. Be thankful for his love and for His gift of life.

Everyday is a gift from God. There are no two days alike. Each day is packed with new blessings, surprises, adventures and opportunities to grow to become a better you – if you’re open to it. Gratitude opens the opportunity to receive more. The lack of gratitude is a blocker for blessings. Why would God give you more if you don’t appreciate what you have now. Go through your day looking for things to be grateful for.  It doesn’t have to be a big ticket item like getting a new car or house. It could be someone smiling at you when you’re going through a tough time, someone opening up a door for you, your spouse bringing you a cup of coffee in the morning, a friend calling you just say hello or the fact you woke up this morning or have a job.

Part of my journey over the years has taken me down a lot of roads, searching for peace of mind – a transformed mind. One of the things I found was just how important being grateful is. Not just giving it lip service but real heartfelt gratitude. This one act alone has proven to be an essential ingredient in lifting my spirits, turning my thinking around, experiencing contentment in the moment, improving my relationships, being happier and more joyful.

One of the ways to transform your mind is to practice gratefulness on a daily basis. How easy it is to take everyday things for granted such as water, our health, food, time, and each other in our busy lives. We settle into our routines: get up, dress, grab something to eat as we hurry out the door to get where we need to be, rush through the day, pick up the kids from school, help them with their homework, make dinner, maybe watch a little TV, get ready for bed, then do it all over again the next day.

Routines can cause us to function on auto-pilot and become numb to life’s daily gifts and blessings – like the love of your family, nature, a hug from your child/significance other, a beautiful sunset, the ability to walk, bathe yourself, or the fact that you can do as much as you do every day. I’ve worked with brained injured adults for many years and watched as they struggle daily to just stand up and take a few steps, comb their hair, speak, eat, things we do effortlessly and without much thought. With each victory they make joy and gratitude light up their faces and their loved ones. Sometimes just the simple ability to utter a few functional words to ask for something is greatly appreciated. Many are truly grateful they survived a car accident, fall or a stroke. I noticed that those who were grateful made the greater gains and or better adjustments to their deficits.

The act of being grateful alone can lead to a more healthy and happy life. This is not a new idea. It goes back thousands of years; it’s talked about in the Bible, by philosophers and spiritual leaders. Now science has backed up the benefits of being grateful. I must admit, this is an area that I did not pay enough attention to. Many times I found myself numb to what was right in front of me, such as missed opportunities with my son, mother, family, friends, etc. Opportunities that I didn’t value much at the time, because I was too busy to appreciate what I had in those moments. My mother is gone now and how I wish I could turn back the clock and spend more quality time with her. I really miss her. Yes, I was generally thankful for what people did for me, all that I have and can do. However, I didn’t fully engage in being truly grateful on a consistent, daily basis.

Being grateful is not just thanking someone for a gift, or being able to purchase a house or car, or getting a promotion, though those things are something to be grateful about. I’m talking about being gratitude for everyday things: like running water, being able to perform simple tasks such as walking, the sunlight, rain, being alive, the love of family and friends, etc.

So what is gratefulness and what are the benefits science has found for being grateful?

I found this definition from dictionary.com: Grateful – warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful

Being grateful is a choice and will be beneficial to you especially during difficult times as proven by Robert A. Emmons, a leading researcher on gratefulness. According to his studies, the benefits of being grateful are numerous. A grateful heart and mind can result in:

Improved mental health
Coping better with daily stress/being calmer
Having a stronger immune system
Being happier and having a more positive outlook on life.
Improved relationships
Improved moods/attitudes
A healthier heart
Suffer less from depression
More engaging socially

Practice gratitude by verbally and or writing down 5-10 things daily. Notice new things, specific things like someone doing something special for you. Tell someone how much you appreciate them and why. Do something kind to show your gratitude. It will make you happier and more fulfilled. Gratitude will help shift your prospective from blah to awesome!

Develop an attitude of gratitude in the good times and during the difficult times. In the good times gratitude will help you not to take things for granted and in the tough times will lift up your spirits and turn your thinking around.

“Even in the midst of the greatest difficulties you will experience in life, you can always find things for which you are truly grateful.” Brian Tracy.

And remember, the more you practice something, your brain is changing, evolving toward that practiced thought/behavior. Your brain is growing in that area, getting stronger with each attempt at perfecting your target behavior and that coupled with faith in God will truly transform your life.

Please leave a comment, questions or any suggestions you would like to share on being grateful.  I would like to know. We learn from each other.  Learning is a life-long process and we need each other to grow in Christ to live a happy and purposeful life.

Peace.  Out. 

 

 

 

 

 

Does Change Come Down to Making a Decision?

COULD IT REALLY BE THAT EASY?

Hello. I haven’t written for about two weeks. I was planning a surprise wedding shower for a good friend of mine. Of course when I said I would host it, I hadn’t broken my ankle. It was a bit challenging to pull it off, but I had great family and friends to help. My biggest thanks, kisses and hugs is to my husband. Without him I couldn’t have done it. Thank you Dennis!!

In my first blog I talked about how I lived with low-grade depression most of my adult life, well into middle-age. That was because I held onto old toxic thoughts, old scripts which influenced my behavior. Thoughts affect how you feel; how you feel affects your behavior; and your behavior will affect how you live your life. My journey has been rocky with many high and low peaks. Sometimes my depression went deep from a day to a week or longer. But I’m glad to report that it’s been smoother sailing for a long while now. Thanks to God!!

As part of my journey I attended church regularly, read tons of self-help books, articles and scripture till my eyes became pinwheels. Applying the principles I learned wasn’t always easy because there were days when the pressure of old scripts pounded at me dredging up old beliefs of inferiority, shame, and unworthiness. Accompanying these negative thoughts was an uncomfortable sensation of nervousness that settled in my stomach, chest or neck. That made me even more unsettled and led to more wrong thinking. Thoughts affected how I felt and how I felt triggered more wrong thinking and or vice versa. The cycle ran amuck. I felt like a prisoner in my own body. In those moments I couldn’t see how to escape. But I was determined to have peace of mind and happiness. I had had enough and I was sick and tired of being pushed around by my own “stinkin’ thinkin.” I had to jolt myself out of it by making a conscious decision to override all that messy thinking by turning to God, praying and purposely applying what I learned to change my thought processes. And all that effort is paying off.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12.

Clothe yourself – To get dressed is something we do everyday. We purposely choose what to wear and then put it on. I take this verse to mean we purposely choose how we are to think and behave and then do so accordingly. I chose to think and behave differently to achieve healthier thinking.

For years I watched others enjoying their lives. It was beyond my comprehension how they lived and not let things bother them. I was one of those hypersensitive people who soaked up emotions, facial expressions and attitudes from others like a sponge until they affected my own state of mind. I took things too personal, when there was no need to. Ninety-nine percent of the time their thoughts, emotions and attitudes had nothing to do with me. But for some reason I made it all about me. The biggest take away from those experiences was: they don’t like me; I’m not good enough; I’m not pretty enough; anything negative, of course. This way of thinking wasn’t 100% of the time, but it was enough to develop a pattern of behavior.

Why was I so sensitive of what others thought of me? Why did it bother me if someone liked me or not? Why did I need the approval of others? My mind got stuck in low gear where my thoughts would grind over and over again on self-doubt, self-deprecating thoughts, jealousy, fear, shame, self-hatred and/or a combination of any of the above.

Shame was one of the biggies I carried around for so many years. I was ashamed of how I looked (I didn’t like my body). I was ashamed when I didn’t know something or made a mistake (Thinking others would think I was stupid. And who doesn’t make mistakes?) Oh, how I wished I could be and look like so and so. I often asked God why He didn’t give me a better body, more talent, make me smarter, funnier, happier – and the list goes on.

I like what Joyce Meyer said, “Just make peace with your thighs. God gave you what He gave you, accept it.” So I began to make peace with me right where I was. But shame and fear of not being enough continued to haunt me, when it didn’t need to. I know that now as I look back. Some of the things I used to worry about seem silly now. Then I began to feel shame about how long it took me to realize how much time I wasted being ashamed. Ok, I can laugh at that one. I make plenty of mistakes and when I do – well now I say, “so what.” We all falter. When I observe others making mistakes or not knowledgeable in some area, I never think less of them. It’s really no big deal. It’s not humanly possible to live a perfect life anyway (how dull that would be) and not slip up now and then.

I want to be open with my readers. There were times when I wanted to end it all. I didn’t want to really commit suicide, I just wanted the toxic thoughts to stop and the pain of them to go away. I wanted it all to stop. Ending it did cross my mind, but something inside me quickly rejected the idea and I pushed on. I believe it was God and the idea of leaving the bad example of taking the coward’s way out for others to follow. I imagined God talking to me and saying, “Anna your victory was just around the corner. If you had only held on a little while longer you have seen your life turn around. You knew the right things to do, you just weren’t consistent enough to follow them through. You didn’t persevere. You gave up too easily.” So I hung in there searching, praying and seeing a professional counselor (best money I ever spent).

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial, because having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12.

I learned a lot about me from my counselor and so my journey continued on a more positive note. But I still wasn’t out of the woods yet. Then I found science, neuroplasticity and believe it or not quantum physics. That’s where I saw Jesus – in the field of possibilities. (The invisible realm, where anything and everything is possible). Somehow it made sense to me. But that’s another blog. I began to see God’s work everywhere- in science, movies, in the everyday stuff of life. Slowly I was able to pull my legs out of the heavy muck, one at a time. Often they slipped right back in. But I kept hearing God tell me, “Anna don’t give up, you’re victory is coming.” This kept me moving forward – one step in front of the other.

 

Depression is serious and real. I know, I lived with it for years under a smiling mask, most of the time. It’s not easy just to change your thinking. Depressed thinking is complex. I am not a psychologist. I’m not trying to fix any anyone. I’m just sharing what worked for me. It took years for me to turn my thinking around. I’d take two steps forward and five backward. However, I’ve heard it said enough times that if you don’t quit you will succeed; that if you make the decision to accomplish something you can; that winners never quit and quitters never win; the Bible states multiple times “fear not and be anxious for nothing.” “For God has not given us a spirit of fear or timidity, but of power, love and self discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7. I love that verse. I repeat it daily where it has sunk deep into my heart and soul. I was created magnificently and so were you.   We all were, warts and all.

For me it all boiled down to making a decision to turn my thinking around. Like I said in my other blogs, with resolve, determination and faith in God, anything is possible. My journey is still on-going, I may never fully arrive, but I’m on my way.

I still have moments were I have to get my thinking right, but instead of ruminating on the negative thoughts and old scripts, that keep trying to hold onto precious cerebral real estate in my head, I pray. But I also allow those thoughts to sit for a few seconds. I don’t judge them. I don’t yell at them (anymore) to go way. I don’t hide from them them or push them down. I don’t get upset at them (try not to). I just watch them – thinking about what I’m thinking about – look them straight in the eye and gently say, “no thank you,” then release them. I envision them flying away like a balloon or a butterfly with no judgement or condemnation.

Thoughts, new and old, will cross you mind daily. We generate about 30,000+ thoughts a day. Don’t fight the ones you don’t like and don’t judge yourself for having them. It’s what you do with those thoughts that make a difference in your life. The more you fight them, they more they become real. It has the opposite affect than what you want when you fight against them. Thoughts will come, that’s a sure thing. But they don’t have to rule over you. YOU can rule over them. Gently release the ones that don’t serve you well and nourish the ones that do. This process will have to be done over and over and over and over again, until it’s a habit. (Please read my earlier blogs on neuroplasticity and changing your thinking).

“Finally, brothers and sisters, 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 on such things.” Philippians 4:8.

Please talk with a professional counselor or your priest, pastor or minister if needed. There’s no shame in that. And please don’t go on your journey alone, it will only get darker and longer. You’re not alone. At one time I felt I was alone in my shame and fear. But I learned differently. There are many people who feel lost and alone in their depression, negative and toxic thinking. We all have something to overcome and all to varying degrees and in different areas. Trust God, because He made you. The same power that is keeping you alive is keeping us all alive. God is good and love, therefore you are too.

So back to my original question. Does change come down to making a decision? Yes. But it’s a daily decision to keep on keepin’ on the path to healthy thinking, peace and happiness. Never give up!  Could it really be that easy?  No.  It takes hard work, determination, faith and God to stay the course.  And yes, it will get easier with time, if you persevere.

Please leave a comment, questions or any suggestions you would like to share on conquering depression, negative, toxic and unhealthy thinking. I would like to know. We learn from each other.  Learning is a life-long process and we need each other to grow in Christ to live a happy and purposeful life.

Peace.  Out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trusting God When You Don’t Understand

“For we live by faith, not by sight.” 2Corinthians 5:7
"And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." 1 Peter 5:10
hamsare-mosafer.blogspot.com

Have you ever felt all alone and that God was nowhere to be found?  You may have asked, “Where the bleep is He?  Why doesn’t He answer my prayers?”  “When will this end, because I’m at my wits end?”  I have felt that way many times, yelling out “Where are you God?”  “Why can’t you just fix this, or give me a sign or something?”  “Why does life have to be so bleepin’ hard?”

I’m still working on transforming my mind. This will be a life-long process. It challenges me daily to conquer my negative and toxic thinking and doubts in God’s presence in my life, though it has become easier with daily practice. Learning to trust in God has been a biggie on my list and one that I am determined to be a victor over.

It took me years to fully realize that God has always been there by my side. I was just so busy yelling, crying and demanding answers and results that I didn’t feel His presence. It wasn’t until I stopped complaining and became still that I could sense Him with me.

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14

It was then I began to gain insight and answers to my problems.  Sometimes the answer was, there is no answer, at least not the way I wanted it or when I thought I needed it. I just wanted what I wanted and I wanted it now. Sometimes we may never know “the why,” and have to be patient for “the when.” I believe that He was using each circumstance to teach me something. I also believe that God kept me in a circumstance longer than I wanted so I could grow my faith and spiritual muscles. I’m probably one His most stubborn children at times and He knew that I required, in that moment, more time to learn a spiritual lesson. He wanted me to gain something from that experience: patience, humility, kindness, wisdom, gratefulness or to be a blessing to someone else and to stop thinking about myself. So instead of continued complaining and fighting Him I decided to be still, take a breath and let go.

God is God and there is nothing He can’t do. He doesn’t owe us an explanation. We only know in part. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9

There are so many things that we don’t understand. We only know in part. It’s like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle by just looking at one piece. It doesn’t make sense. It’s not until we look at the picture on the box and put the piece up next to it, that we see the big picture and where the piece fits. Even then we can only sometimes figure out where it goes. We don’t see or know what God knows. He sees the big picture and how it all goes together. We only see a piece or two at a time. So how can we know the outcome? Is our attempted solution of trying to fix a situation the correct response? We don’t always know.

Have you ever tried to make something happen and only made matters worse? I’m guilty. Trying to fix our children, spouses or friends is not our job. Yes, it is our responsibility to speak up when we see someone going off the cliff, to give advice, to provide support, but not to fix them. We don’t know what God has in store for someone else.

We don’t have control over our own lives, other than how we decide to respond to our circumstances. Of course we make goals and work toward them. That’s a natural thing to do. Without planning and setting goals we would never move forward as a society. Goals are necessary. Most of the time our planning may go our way. But there are times, when no matter how well we plan, the forces of nature will determine our next step.

For example, about a month ago, my husband and I were going for our Monday morning walk. I had the whole day and week planned out. After the walk I was going to run errands and then work in my yard. Plus, the following Saturday I had planned on getting together with friends, among many other things on my list. However, as we started out on our Monday walk, I stepped off the curb wrong at the end of my driveway and fractured my ankle in two places. So my husband took me back in the house and there I was on the sofa for the rest of the day. At first I thought I just sprained it, but the next day an x-ray revealed 2 fractures. For the last 4 weeks I have been pretty much confined to the house. I broke my driving foot. Breaking my ankle wasn’t on my list of things to do. I had things to do, places to go, and people to see. Now I was dependent on others to help me. Sometimes it will rain on your parade. It did on mine.

Sometimes we work so hard at planning our life right down to the last dotted “i” and the last crossed “t”, then those plans don’t happen the way we thought they would – or something happened that wasn’t fair. You deserved that promotion, not the newbie who just walked in the door. Or maybe you thought you heard from God to start something, so you stepped out in faith and it didn’t turn out right. Or something tragic happened to a loved one. Or a child died or was born with a handicap. As a parent, you want to protect your child from all the hurt and pain in this world, but you can’t. As difficult and hard as that sounds, somethings are just out of our control. We question God, “Why?” “Why me?” “Why this?” “Why now?” “If you have to know the reason behind everything, then you may spend your whole life trying to figure it out and you’re never going to have contentment and satisfaction. You will never enter the rest of God because trust requires having somethings unanswered in your life.” (Joyce Meyer). Something’s are just out of our control and we may never know “the why.”

In our powerlessness is when God can walk us through our circumstances. But without faith and trust in the One, we will bump into things, feel lost, discouraged or make matters worse. Go through it with Him. Be still and listen for insight and wisdom. There just may be something in that circumstance for you. Do you need more humility, love, patience? Maybe you need to pay more attention to your loved ones.  Maybe not work so hard where you’re missing out on real living and or harming your health.  I don’t know your situation, but I can bet we all have something to learn from our time on this earth.

These are the times, in our weakest moments, when God IS working in our midst. We often cry out in our anger and frustration and think God is uncaring, but He is right there with us, though we don’t see Him, He is still there. His presence can only be seen with spiritual eyes and heart. As humans we don’t always understand why things happened. As humans we only know in part. Don’t turn from God, turn to Him. A shift can take place, if you’re open to it, to understand the love of God. This doesn’t mean that we won’t continue to struggle, but we can find peace in the midst of our trials.

So why did I break my ankle that day? Don’t know. But I resolved to trust in it. Hey, it gave me more time to pray, practice mindfulness, read, and research how to use my blog site. I am NOT a techie, by any stretch of the imagination. I didn’t know a widget from a gidget.  Though I am learning. Yeah!

Please leave a comment, questions or any suggestions you would like to share on how you conquered negative, toxic and unhealthy thinking. I would like to know.  Learning is a life-long process and we need each other to grow in Christ.

Have an awesome week. Peace. Out.

 

Neuro-Chemical Activity of Thinking

Why you want to be aware of your thoughts and their effects on your wellbeing.
"If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought again." Peace Pilgrim

What we habitually think and do become hardwired into our brains, which contribute to defining who we are.

As humans we are blessed with the ability to build on our past experiences and future opportunities, whether negative or positive ones. Especially today, with science providing us with so much information regarding how our brains function and how our thought-life can affect our health and wellbeing positively or adversely. Toxic thoughts are like poison, but the good news is, you can break the cycle of toxic thoughts. And once that cycle of toxic thinking has been broken, your thoughts can actually start to improve in every area of your life – your relationships, your health and your personal/professional accomplishments. (Who Switched Off My Brain-Dr. Leaf Ph.D.). You are not doomed to your current thought life if you are not happy with it. As long as you can think, you can make better thought choices.

Stress:  That word has certainly become part of our daily vocabulary and way of life. It’s connotation has come to mean something negative and toxic. But stress is not all bad. In fact, it does have benefits when used in moderation and for only short periods at a time.

When you perceive a threat, your nervous system responds by releasing a flood of stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones rouse the body for emergency action.

Your heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, and your senses become sharper. These physical changes increase your strength, stamina, speed your reaction time, and enhance your focus – preparing you to either fight, flee from the danger at hand or meet a deadline to complete a school or work related task. At the end of the emergency situation, whether life threatening, or racing to meet the deadline to complete an important project, the body will bounce back to a normal state. You feel relieved and calmer.

So stress is necessary for your well being and survival, in short doses. It’s when it spills over into our everyday life and becomes chronic that it’s a problem. Our bodies weren’t meant to be under constant attack. That’s when your health and well being become threatened. (Article- Understanding Stress from helpguide.org).

Cortisol regulates and supports functions in your heart, immune system and metabolism. But high levels through the brain can cause impaired memory and dendrites to shrink and fall off. (Who Switched off My Brain?-Dr. Caroline Leaf, Ph.D.) Can you recall taking an important test and not able to remember the answer? It wasn't until later, after you calmed down, the answer came to you.

The most dangerous thing about stress is that it can sneak up on you without you realizing it. In a sense it has become a new normal for many people, but nevertheless, it still wreaks havoc on your body. Your body is paying a price for it, whether you realize it or not. That stress can turn into depression, anxiety, high blood pressure (the silent killer), angina, coronary artery disease and other health issues that may necessitate the need for medications and/or render you less efficient to perform your daily tasks, whatever they may be.

TOXIC THINKING

Stress wears different faces. It could be as obvious as a life threatening situation such as a predator chasing you, or it could wear the face of trying to fit in a days worth of errands into one hour. A less obvious look would be worrying about making ends meet while sitting in your easy chair. Stress could be based on fact or fiction. The brain doesn’t know the difference, and will respond to both in the same manner.

Your thoughts create changes right down to the genetic levels, restructuring the cells’ make up. Stress is the direct result of toxic thinking. This is more than an increased heart rate and an uneasy feeling. I’m talking about chronic stress and a habituated toxic thought life – worry, anger, jealousy, resentment, etc. Frequent quantities of chemicals released into your body can distort the DNA of the immune cells, which renders them less effective in killing cancer cells. This may be an extreme example, but your body is being taxed in negative and harmful ways.

Habitual thinking patterns that cause intense feelings of fear, anger, shame or guilt are not only toxic, but also addictive in nature. (Toxic Thinking Patterns – How Pseudo “Feel-Goods” Put a Hold On Your Brain (1 of 2) By Athena Staik, PH.D.)
As your thoughts become habituated, they eventually become hardwired. As I stated in my previous article, “neurons that fire together, wire together” and at that point you’re pretty much on autopilot (which is your subconscious behavior- a conditioned response).  If you’re addicted to something, you seek it out. You want more of it – like a drug addict seeking out more drugs or needing that cup(s) of coffee in the morning. Our body and mind get used to something and want more of it and in some cases seek it out on a subconscious level (Who consciously wants turmoil in their life?).

When a thought has been developed over time – months, years – it’s easier to activate that neuro-net without really thinking about it – it’s on “autopilot,” unless you make a conscious decision to shut it down. I liken it to the app programs that run in the background sucking up of the battery life on your phone and iPad, until you go back and deliberately shut them off. Your toxic thoughts are always running in the background sucking up your energy and precious cerebral real estate that could otherwise be used for a more productive thought life.

Every time you have a thought such as for anxiety, stress, worry, or compassion, the brain fires in the same sequence, pattern and in the same combinations for that thought.  So overtime as you continue to produce the same type of thoughts, your neurons fire in the same ways creating a network, a stronghold of thinking, so to speak. When you make a thought a chemical is being released in another part of your brain to match the way you think. The brain is in constant communication with the body. Now you think the way you feel and feel the way you think. As a feeling pops up somewhere in your body (for me it may be in the pit of my stomach, chest or neck, when I’m worried, stressed or experiencing fear) it will trigger the thought to match that feeling. It’s the same in reverse – a thought will trigger the feeling. And so the cycle goes. (Dr. Joe Dispenza – “The Science of Changing Your Mind”).

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you eat or what you drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing. Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these". Mathew 6:25-34.

Toxic thinking wreaks havoc on your body, health, wellbeing, and spiritually. It robs you of peace, happiness and forming healthy and loving relationships and much more. It’s never too late to change your thought life, if you want to, no matter your age. I’m 65 and still learning and evolving. Think good thoughts, learn to let go and let God- control is an illusion anyway. We only think we’re in control. The only thing we can control is our thought life and how we decide to respond to our circumstances. Have a blessed week.
One more thing. Please read the “Just a few more facts” below.     Peace.  Out.

Just a few more facts:

  • The average person has over 30,000 thoughts a day.
  • Through an uncontrolled thought life we create the conditions for illness – we can make ourself sick!.
  • Research shows that fear, all on its own, triggers more than 1,400 known physical and chemical responses and activates more than 30 different hormones.
  • Neurologically, your heart is sensitive to what you think and feel. Your thoughts directly affect your heart.
  • The signals your heart sends to your brain influence not just perception and emotional processing, but higher cognitive functions as well.
  • Toxic thoughts and the emotions they generate interfere with the body’s natural healing process. They compound the effects of illness and disease by adding new negative biochemical processes that the body must struggle to overcome.
  • When your body faces toxic thoughts and emotions, it cannot discern its true enemy and attacks healthy cells and tissue, losing its ability to fight the true invaders.
  • A sudden burst of stress lowers immunity (one way to catch a cold).
  • Researchers show that 87% of the illnesses that plague us today are a direct result of our thought life.
  • What we think affects us physically and emotionally.
  • Resentment, bitterness, lack of forgiveness and self-hatred are just a few of the toxic thoughts and emotions that can also trigger immune system disorders.
  • There is intellectual and medical reasons to forgive!

 

The Nuts and Bolts of Neuroplasticity

4 Principles to Make Positive Changes In Your Life

"A Transformed Mind Comes Before a Transformed Life." Joyce Meyer

Hello again. Overall it’s been a great week, other than the fact I fractured my ankle in two places. Way to go! Now I’m sportin’ an orthopedic boot and scootin’ around on a scooter. That scooter is a life-saver. I hope you had a great week too. I must admit that I had a few moments where I needed to really focus on some of these principles. Some old negative thought patterns popped up affecting my emotions, attitude and confidence, out of nowhere. I believe the ankle thing had something to do with that (being laid up and not being active – I am a very active person). But nonetheless, I was feeling a bit icky and down again (nothing to the degree I had experienced in previous times), though I was feeling out of sorts. The awesome thing was that it didn’t take me as long to rebound.  In the past, it could have taken me days or weeks to get over something because I would allow those thoughts to marinate in their juices. One of the issues I had was shame/regrets.  Oh the dangers of allowing shame to overshadow your thoughts. I was feeling bad about past “things” that I couldn’t do anything about anyway. That will be another blog.

I can’t stress enough about my excitement for neuroplasticity and how science and faith intersect. Keeping God’s design and faith engaged in every situation and remembering that His Word never fails, has been my saving grace. This whole process of learning how the brain works has led me to understand God is always in control. He gave us the tools to become what we were created to be, and to be over-comers. I believe it is our job to learn what these tools are and then USE them.

You don’t really need to understand how the brain works in order to overcome your issues. Your brain knows what to do with whatever you throw at it, negative or positive, unhealthy or healthy. It obeys your every command. This just helped me and I thought it might help you too. The key is to be consistent and intentional in your efforts. As a Christian, knowing God’s Word is the first and most important thing. But knowing how He designed us has let me see and understand just how awesome, wonderful and ever-present He is in our lives. He wants us to rely on Him for everything.

Recap from my last blog. Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to rewire and create new circuits at any age as the result of input from your environment and your conscious intentions – we can create a new level of mind at any age.

I would like to touch on two ideas today. 1. Hebb’s axiom. 2. Four principles of neuroplasticity. There are 10, but I will be discussing 4 of them.

Hebb’s axiom: “Neurons that fire together wire together.” Each experience we encounter, whether a feeling, a thought, a sensation—and especially those that we are not aware of—is embedded in thousands of neurons that form a network (“net”). Repeated experiences become increasingly embedded in this net, making it easier for the neurons to fire (in response to the experience/thought), and more difficult to unwire or rewire them to respond differently. (Article: Being Known – Rewiring Your Mind: Insights for Practical Living: Neurons that fire together wire together by Curt Thompson, July 14, 2010). That’s how habits, skills, behaviors and personalities are formed.

This holds true for the opposite-“neurons that don’t fire together-don’t wire together.” (Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, Dr. Joe Dispenza). This piece of information is important to remember, because when you want to undo a habit, it takes time to unwire a neural net. When you don’t allow a thought or an emotion to “marinate in its juices”, or stop practicing a skill, those neural nets begin to break apart overtime. Those neurons can now be repurposed for another neural net- hopefully one can that will better serve you.

Principles of neuroplasticity: These principles are not new ideas. In fact we say some of them frequently. They are really common sense ideas. How they create neural patterns and other factors like neurochemicals released during a thought may not be commonly known or understood. That’s were things get interesting.
(In my next blog I will be discussing – neuro-chemical activity of thinking and why you want to be aware of your thoughts and their effects on your wellbeing.

I have applied these principles to train myself to be mindful of my thoughts and to be in the moment as well of other skills I want to improve in. Being mindful is a learned skill and is very effective in letting go of unwanted thoughts by learning how to release them as they enter my mind and focusing on the moment. When I do that, negative thinking is kept at bay and positive ones take their place. A big part of my mindful practice involves praying, reading and meditating on scripture dealing with a particular issue such as anxiety, fear, pride, love, compassion and humility. As negative thoughts pop up I immediately let them go and focus on praying, scripture, asking God for assistance to guide my thought life or being in the moment of whatever I’m doing. This week I slacked off with this practice of proper mindfulness. But I got back on the horse.

All of these principles tie in with each other as you will see.

Four Principles of Neuroplasticity

1. Use it or lose it – Failure to drive specific brain functions can lead to functional degradation.

If you stop practicing or using a particular skill, over time it can become rusty or you could lose it. Remember playing the piano as a kid? If you didn't stick with it, you probably can't play the piano now. The neuropathway for that ability diminished. That's what happened to me anyway. I lost that pathway. But most likely it wasn't very developed to begin with. Not enough neurons wired together for playing the piano. Currently for me, this principle involved taking time to practice mindfulness (anywhere from 10-30 minutes a day) and incorporating it throughout the day. I had slacked off doing this practice daily and old thoughts crept back in. This is a needed habit for me to maintain so old thoughts won't take over again, like weeds in your garden. Everything begins with a thought.

2. Use it and improve it – Training that drives a specific brain function can lead to an enhancement of that function.

If you want to be good at something, for example, playing the piano, speaking another language or excelling at something in your profession you need to use that skill regularly in order to get better at it. The more I practice mindfulness the better I will be at it.

3. Repetition Matters – Induction of plasticity requires sufficient repetition.

Do whatever it is you're learning over and over again. It takes time to build strong neuropathways. Practice, practice, practice.

4. Intensity Matters – Induction of plasticity requires sufficient training.

Focused training/learning over multiple hours. Think of someone training for a Cirque de Soleil performance or the Olympics. Now that's intense training. I'm getting tired just thinking about it. Making neuroplastic changes requires intense training over time.

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (English Standard Version).

In other words, changes occur overtime. It takes time to undo old habits and to make new neuro-connections. So be patient with yourself and know that God is ALWAYS working behind the scenes. You are never alone.

Whatever you want to accomplish, becoming a happier, more compassionate, loving, confident or productive person you need to be purposeful in your intentions and give yourself time and always be kind to yourself while renewing your mind. I won’t sugarcoat it, the road will be bumpy with ups and downs. Old “stuff” will raise it’s ugly head, but if you persist, I promise you better days are ahead. Neuroplastic changes are no respector of person. Your brain just responds to your every command. This is a journey well worth the effort.  I am now seeing the fruits of my labor, but I have not yet fully arrived. I may never fully arrive, but I have left the place where I once saw little hope to a place where I now see possibilities for real positive changes.

God’s blessings to you. Peace. Out.

God’s Handiwork-The Brain and Neuroplasticity

How It Can Transform Your Life
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
Romans 12:2

In my first blog post I stated that I am a Christian. I believe that science can explain how the mechanics of neuroplasticity can alter our thinking but God is the architect of those mechanics. So for me as a Christian, if I truly believe that then wouldn’t it make sense that as Christians we should ask for God’s assistance in the “renewal of our minds”? This is where, for me as a Christian, science and faith intersect. At one time I tried to change my way of thinking by just applying the principles of neuroplasticity, (just positive thinking) but there were always components missing – true contentment, joy and peace. It all become complete and made more sense when I turned to God for assistance and allowed His Will to work in my life.

I ended by first blog by identifying the next topic regarding God’s handiwork – the brain. I want to begin by discussing neuroplasticity. I’m not trying to come across as an expert in this field. I am not a neuroscientist. I just learned the principles of neuroplasticity, then applied them to my life. I love this word and what it means, because it gives me hope. It means I am not stuck with “stinkin’ thinkin'” and old learned negative behaviors. Just because I’ve experienced things I didn’t like in my past, I don’t have to continue on that path. I don’t have to continue to be that person if I don’t want to. I am not doomed to an unhappy, depressed, or unproductive life. And the same goes for you too.

Your brain was marvelously designed. God installed a “built-in-system,” so to speak, to enable you to change, grow and become the person you were created to be, no matter what situation or circumstance you were born into. Some of you may not have been dealt the most optimal hand and have suffered hardships in one form or another. But there is hope.

It was once believed that the brain was a static organ after a certain age – an old dog can’t learn new tricks. Science has found this is NOT true. Your brain changes throughout your lifespan – no matter what your age. Neuroplasticity will not change your eye color or height, but it can change aspects of your personality, abilities, evolve you into a happier and more productive person and so much more. When the bible says we are to renew our minds, (Romans 12:2) we really can on a cellular level. (Who Switched Off My Brain? Controlling Toxic Thoughts and Emotions – Dr. Caroline Leaf). I love science, but it is only discovering what God has already made. I want to always keep that point in the forefront and in perspective. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is just, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8. In other words, think more positive, grateful and loving thoughts on a consistent basis. I realize that sounds easier said than done. True, but that’s where neuroplasticity and faith come in to play. Consistency is the key.

What is Neuroplasticity?

You may have heard that the brain is plastic.  You know that it is not “plastic.”  It means the brain has the ability to change and is malleable like plastic.  Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to rewire and create new circuits at any age as the result of input from the environment and our conscious intentions – we can create a new level of mind.  This is why what you think, say and do are so important.

“The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”  Luke 6:45

Is it really possible to change old ingrained habits, learn new things or change the way we think and behave? The answer is a resounding YES. Research has given us insight into how we can change our brains. With advanced technology, science knows the mechanics of how your thinking can affect you and the goings on behind the cellular scene that bond your thoughts into hardwired behaviors that have been passed down from generation to generation. It demonstrates how those nasty little habits are formed (those things about yourself that drive you or your loved ones crazy) or made you into the wonderful person that you are.

Old habits are hard to break, but the key is that the power to break an undesired habit, make a decision to learn something new, or expand your horizons, belongs to you. Whatever, your mission, YOU have to change something you’re doing. The turnaround amounts to giving up unconscious behavior and adopting conscious new patterns to get you out of undesired behavior(s)/thinking. This is called meta-cognition – thinking about what you are thinking about.

Once your mind begins to pay attention, your brain can build new neural pathways to reinforce what you learn. Applying awareness in any form, through such things as resolve, discipline, good intentions, and mindfulness, has the power to create neuroplastic changes. Now things are shaking, moving and evolving in you. The practical dilemma is how to use your strengths, motivation and faith to help yourself remain committed to wellness as a lifetime pattern.

“We are what we repeatedly do – excellence then is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle

I hope this has been of some value to you. I know it has been for me. I can feel neuroplastic changes evolving in me, but the changes have been slow, over a long period of time – years. But don’t despair, the rate of change varies from person to person and when it happens, you will be glad you took the effort to evolve your brain. It took time to get you where you are today, so it stands to reason it will take some time to develop new thoughts/behaviors, which in turn will transform your mind, attitude and life. It’s been an uphill journey for me, and one that I am still on. I used to say that I had a good day every now and then. I now can say that I had a bad day every now and then. God is amazing and how He designed us.
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce my friend Dan Dendrite who will show up in some of my other blogs. I created him a few years ago when I was still working.

The human brain has approximately 100 billion neurons.  They communicate with each other via dendrites creating neural pathways.  Each neuron grows dendrites, similar to branches on a tree.  The more dendrites the healthier the neuron is and the more connections they can make. Dendrites receive information from other neurons and have the ability to grow and shrink. Learning and engaging in challenging activities stimulates their growth, while stress, diseases, and substance abuse, for example, can cause them to shrink back.

In my next blog I will discuss some of the principles of neuroplasticity that you can apply to efforts in making any changes in your life.  In the meanwhile, think about what you are thinking about.  If your thoughts/actions don’t line up with your new vision of yourself, change them till they do.  Be consistent, persistent and insistent in your resolve.

 

—-Blessings to you. Peace. Out.

 

My First Blog Post

Hello, my name is Anna.  This is my first blog and I would like to introduce myself to the blogging world.  I have a variety of interests and my blogs will reflect some of those.  But what I’m most interested in is spiritual and personal growth to learn how to love myself, others and the world in a more healthy way: letting go and becoming the real person I was meant to be.

I’ve been semi-retired for about three years now.  It’s been an interesting time and some getting used to.  Going from 100 miles per hour to 5 was an adjustment to say the least.  I’ve worked steadily since I was in my early 30’s and now 65.  My highest aspiration in life was to be a housewife and raise a family.  I still think being a mother is one of the highest callings in life.  But life had other plans for me.  Sorry to say after 8 years, my marriage didn’t work out, but I got a wonderful son out of the deal.  My second marriage is great! We’ve been together for 21 awesome years – married 19 of those.

When I was in my late 20’s I decided to go back to school to get a degree in Speech Language Pathology.  It was a marvelous career.  I’m still a therapist but only practice now and then.  It was being a therapist that I learned how the brain works.  This will be a big part of my initial blogs.

Though I have an awesome husband, son, granddaughter and had a great career, I have suffered from low grade depression for as long as I can remember.  I really can’t complain, I’ve had a fairly good life, but there was always an undercurrent of sadness, insecurity and self-consciousness that hovered over me.  I never really felt comfortable in my own skin which led to unhealthy thinking, often ruminating on negative and toxic thoughts – “woe is me” type of thoughts.  As most of you know, nothing good comes from a self-absorbed, pity-me, down-in-the-dumps mentality.  Over the years I developed a habit of toxic thinking.

Sad to say, I carried this into middle age.  But it’s true.  I got to the point where I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.  I went to therapy, which helped, but didn’t completely cure me of negative thinking.  I bought umpteen self-help, spiritual and many other types of books to fix me.  They were also of some help, but those undercurrents of sadness and depression continued to loom over me.  I never really felt that I fit in, though I knew the right social things to say and do.  It’s funny because many people thought I had the perfect life.  Little did they know that inside of me was an insecure person who wished could connect with others in a more real and sincere way.

One day I decided to understand the anatomy of a thought.  I had had enough.  I needed to understand why in the world I couldn’t move out of this dreary space.  It’s been a long journey, one that is still in progress.  But I have to say that I love it (the journey) and looking back on my life, I am grateful for the challenge of turning my thinking around.  Why? Because it all brought me closer to God, a place where I find daily comfort, peace, courage and more.

I bought several books like Evolve Your Brain: The Science of Changing Your Mind, by Dr. Joe Dispenza; The Brain that Changes Itself, by Dr. Norman Doidge; Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One, by Dr. Joe Dispenza; Who Switched Off My Brain: Controlling Toxic Thoughts and Emotions, by Dr. Caroline Leaf and more.  I just didn’t read books, I also read articles, listened to TED Talks and the list goes on.  In addition, I’ve soul searched using the Bible.  I am a Christian.  I’ve gone full circle with secular research and back to God, who I now fully rely on.  There was a time when I stopped going to church for almost two years.  But that’s another story.

Some of you may click me off because God is brought into the discussion.  I hope you don’t, but if you do that’s okay.  This is where I am and there’s no turning back.  I have finally found peace of mind and wouldn’t trade it for anything.  What I’ve learned about the brain and how it was marvelously designed helped me over a great hump, but that in itself couldn’t keep me there.  The brain really is a marvel.  There has to be a bigger brain behind our smaller brains.  There is – God.  Call Him what you like, but there is a higher source.  Man could never design anything so spectacular.

So science gave me some of the nuts and bolts of how we work, but God gives me what I need to live on a daily basis.  Science may have figured some things out, for which I am grateful, but it’s God who designed it all and sustains me-us.  We are truly marvelous creatures – with a brilliant design for function and purpose on this earth.

I would like to briefly discuss some of God’s mighty handiwork – the brain.  I will start with neuroplasticity in my next blog, which will be following soon.

Thank you.  I hope this will be the beginning of a good and blessed relationship with you, my readers.  Life is good.  We’re only here for a short time.  Use your time wisely.  We’re here for a reason.  I believe it’s to bless one another and with that we need healthy thinking.  Everything begins with a thought.  Peace.  Out.