Negative Thinking Stifles Good Health

Let’s do an attitude check. If someone were to follow you around this week, how would they describe you?

1. Gracious or cranky?
2. Complimentary or critical?
3. Encouraging or bitter?

Our attitudes are important to health and success in life. Our lives affect those we have contact with, either positively or negatively. Because emotions and behaviors involve a complex interplay between the heart, the mind, and the body, it benefits us to know how our mind is influenced and how our brain works.
Your body believes every word you say! We do not merely experience anger in our minds, we feel it biologically in our body—our muscles tense and stomachs ache. Understanding ourselves, and other people, is critical to mind change and our overall growth. If we were to look at our brain, we may see a dark abscess caused by the stronghold of anger. The same is true for envy, anxiety, lust, fear, depression, and other emotions.

The Bible says, “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones” (Prov. 14:30). There is a direct correlation between pessimistic, toxic thinking and illness. If we do not have a change of mind, we can actually make ourselves sick! Our body truly speaks our mind.

Even as a Christian, my mind continued to create negative thoughts, which translated into bad feelings and behaviors. Not only was my mind and heart tormented, but so was my physical body. I was diagnosed with lupus, gastritis, and shingles. No question, what you think influences your biological body. Toxic thinking can manifest itself in bodily symptoms such as cancer, diabetes, allergies, to name a few.

Research confirms some of our behaviors actually prevent us from being our best selves. The reasons may be varied, from psychological or biological causes to spiritual warfare, or a combination. We know our brain speaks to our body and vice versa. There is an ongoing symphony of chemicals playing through your body twenty-four hours a day. Our way of thinking affects the functioning of that whole electrical-chemical cycle. When the cycle is upset, all sorts of illnesses and injuries can result, impairing our ability to decipher truth and live a fulfilling life.

Finding the root cause does not excuse bad behavior or lessen the need to seek spiritual or therapeutic help. Rather, it allows us to better understand why we do what we do so we might choose better alternatives.

I will be exploring many of those alternatives in upcoming blogs.

This is an excerpt from the book: Breaking the Cover Girl Mask
Check out my website: www.olivebranchoutreach.com/edindex.htlm for lots of inspiration, Scripture and help.