Barack Obama spoke of hope in his presidential campaign. Hope and change to detoxify, to unify, to restore vitality and heal a nation.
The physical body is not unlike the body politic. With hope and by making better choices, it is possible to change one’s physical and emotional status, to detoxify, to revitalize and to truly heal.
Making better choices is critical to the change process, but hope is the prime mover. Without hope, our efforts are hollow and minimized. With hope, all things are possible.
This is not a metaphysical, spiritual, pollyanna pep talk here about maintaining a positive attitude. This is about the physiology of hope. The mind-body connection.
As we think lovely thoughts, as we visualize successful, healing outcomes, as we keep our hearts and minds open to all potentials and possibilities, regardless of how seemingly improbable they may be, we reduce our cortisol stress response, we augment our immune system, we generate endorphins and other chemicals that soothe, invigorate and heal.
As we use the physiology of hope to repair ourselves, we also use the motivational flame that hope fans in order to make the lifestyle choices that will contribute to increased physical and emotional well-being.
A few important lifestyle choices helpful to pay attention to, other than eating right, exercising, meditating, and avoiding toxic people, places and circumstances, include holding positive and optimistic thoughts in our minds while releasing the resentments, grievances, judgments and petty jealousies, forgiving others as much and as best we can regardless of what they have done to us, and being of service to others.
As we embrace these choices consistently, with compassion in our hearts and hope in our minds, we increase our potential to heal ourselves and the planet.
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