Kudos, and a big "Huzzah!" goes to the wonderful developers of PBS' new documentary, "Emotional Life" airing this week on TV and available online at
http://video.pbs.org/.
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When I find a great resource, I MUST SHARE IT WITH OTHERS! I was probably sharing about a Phil Donahue guest in this photo. I hope you will watch "This Emotional Life" online.
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I've been raving about this on Facebook, encouraging folks to check out this wonderful exploration of our human experience. Granted, I'm an egghead, who could listen, blissfully, to a lecture on neurophysiology for hours on end. But, what captured me about this series, was not so much the latest findings about our cerebral cortex, neurotransmitters, and seratonin. What captured me, was the wonderful job they did, of addressing the TRUTH that our physical, cognitive, and emotional systems are interdependent. That is, if our physiology is off, it will impact our cognition, and how we perceive and process information. The more our perceptions are accepted without a reality check, the more they are reinforced--both in our thinking life, and in our physical neuroanatomy! In short, "stinkin' thinking" becomes habit, and habit causes rewiring in our brains, which won't just self-correct!
Negative thinking must be recognized, rebutted, and replaced with healthy, objective thinking. The great news, is that negative patterns in our thinking, is reversable!
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| What rules, roles, and assumptions are chaining you to a life you have outgrown? Time for better mental hygiene! |
All of us wrestle with doubt, fears, envy, and other distracting mindsets, but there are times that those feelings become entrenched and eclipse the positives in our lives. This can be so burdensome that we become fatigued, despairing, and reclusive. Often, the chance to "think out loud" or process our experience with someone else, lifts those burdens, and we can get back on the life path we deserve. Other times, the chronic stress of hopelessness or heartache has shifted our brain and body chemistry, and the solution depends on bringing the body back into balance with exercise, nutrition, rest, and sometimes, medication. The good news is, we can combat negative, defeating thoughts in our heads, and we can correct the physical hardware in our brain that corrodes after months or years of stress.
Our bodies are like any other instrument or machine. Use them according to manufacturer's instructions, and they will serve us well. But if we misuse our body or abuse our body, we'll face unpleasant consequences. Chronic stress has a nasty effect on our body and our brain chemistry. Dark thoughts, left to themselves, impacts our body, our brain chemistry, and our support systems. Constant worry has a debilitating impact on our body, our brain chemistry, and our support systems. Anger, when it is not channeled constructively, has a wicked effect on our body, our brain chemistry, and our support systems. Sadness, especially when it is laced with shame, can have a severe impact on our bodies, our brains, and our support systems.
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| Do you see a sunrise or a sunset? How we view life has a major impact on our quality of life. |
The good news is, that worry, anger, sadness, and fear, can be our friends, if we allow them to alert us to issues we need to address, or needs we deserve to acknowledge and fulfill. In the same way that our bodies are capable of withstanding incredible challenges and adversity, and have the capacity to heal from wounds, infections, and disease, our soul has means of surviving and thriving, despite the heartaches and hardships we face. We are wired with resilience, to help us cope with difficulties in life, and to overcome trauma. We are wired for help-seeking, and help is available. It is available in many forms, such as: support groups, online support groups, growth groups, "think out loud" cognitive behavioral therapy and coaching, counseling, and logotherapy. Exercise, medication, nutrition, biofeedback, and meditation, are also means of finding balance and rediscovering joy in life. The choice to choose a better life, can feel like a scary, overwhelming one. However, when life itself has become scary, and overwhelming, we can ask ourselves this question, "shall I continue to live in fear, hurt, pain, and this sense of futility--or will I dare to face the kind of fear and pain that leads to hope and new life?" When your world has become too heavy to bear, what is there to lose, by seeking help? It if presents pain, you're already there. If it seems fearful and daunting, isn't that what life has become otherwise? Better to struggle, and suffer, on the road to the life you deserve, than to struggle and suffer in a private riptide. Remember, there are counselors, therapists, pastors, family doctors, PAs, and other folks to whom you can unload whatever is burdening you. Seek those resources as a sign of self-love!
Long story, long... Check out PBS' Emotional Life, live or online. It may be your ticket to a train that'll take you to your best life!
