Kathy Truman is a Life Coach , Emotional Release Facilitator and Spiritual Counselor. She enjoys teaching and has been a guest speaker at several healing conferences and retreats throughout the state and is a columnist for two magazines , Utah Cancer Connection and Hasten.
In the previous issue, I shared information about physically moving from fear to peace through a series of movements that have been shown to decrease stress and refocus the mind. Physical movement is one tool to move from fear to peace , but more can be done. Here are some additional insights on how to mentally move from fear to peace. These revolve around words , thoughts and spiritual beliefs.
Research has proven that our thoughts have a profound effect on our well-being. In a compelling study , Dr. Masaru Emoto , an internationally renowned Japanese researcher and author of ‘The Secret Life of Water , brought this concept to life during a project in which jars of water were labeled with different words (love , fear , hate , thank you , you idiot , innocence , etc.) and each word – in thought – was directed at the individual jars.
Dr. Emoto then flash froze water droplets from each jar and visually captured the structure of the droplet at the moment of freezing using high-speed photography. The results were astounding! Water droplets from the jars that had positive words written on them were in beautiful snowflake-like shapes while droplets from the jars with negative words either could not form a shape or were very misshapen. Considering that our bodies are made up of about 80% water, this study is very sobering. Dr. Emoto’s water study has effectively proven that thoughts and words have a direct connection to our physical health.
Our thoughts and words are not just inanimate words on a jar. Each word has emotions attached. They come with intent and with the history of our life experiences. According to various studies , the thoughts that we most commonly think will actually create their own neural pathways in our brain. As new stimuli follow the path of least resistance , we are more and more likely to think the same thoughts on a daily basis. It’s as if we have our own mental ‘playlist’ that repeats over and over again in our mind. We may find that we also have some ‘greatest hits’ that we get stuck on! The question then becomes , what are we repeating in our minds? Is it time to change the station?
Thought patterns stem from years of listening to others around us and creating thoughts based on life events , information received and daily experiences. It is easy to be conditioned to thoughts that may not be the most beneficial for our well-being , but it is possible to change our thoughts and program new pathways that lead to better health. Take an inventory of your thoughts throughout the day and decide if they are helping you or causing more grief. You may realize a need to change your thoughts and create a more positive environment in your mind.
While we often cannot change our circumstances, we can change our perspective about our circumstances. Many times it can be very difficult to make sense of suffering and illness. In frustration we may cry out , “Why me , Lord? What did I do to bring this suffering upon me? Am I being punished? Chastened? Did I do something to attract this cancer to me?” When we suffer for no discernible reason , it is very easy to feel like a victim.
Although the Law of Attraction is an absolute law of the universe , as is the Law of Gravity , I believe that God can transcend this law. It is my belief that sometimes there is a much higher purpose for our illnesses and suffering. In the book , ‘The Soul’s Remembrance’ , author Roy Mills shares information about spiritual lessons and the choices he made before he was born as he prepared for life on earth. In his account , he explains:
“Our physical bodies are only a temporary home for our spirits, and nothing can truly harm who we really are. So when I selected my earthly experiences , I had no concern for what they would do to my physical body. I knew that the more I suffered for others , or because of others , the more I would grow in spirit. And with that knowledge , I had a completely different perspective on adversity and the experiences I chose for my own life. The angels explained to me that an illness triggers a chain of events that can lead to spiritual growth. Some spirits choose a life of extreme sacrifice or nearly unbearable suffering. The light of God shines brightly around these people, and in Heaven they are thought of as mighty spirits , because they come to earth to suffer so that others can grow in understanding and love. Some mighty spirits choose to…suffer a life-threatening illness such as cancer…Many of these people who suffer from such challenges live their lives thinking they are inferior or unworthy…But the truth is that they are mighty spirits who denied themselves and have come to earth to help others grow. These courageous souls chose their conditions in order to inspire love , compassion , caring, patience , or forgiveness in others. They also suffer to gain experience and knowledge that will help others who face similar challenges…Like Jesus , the mightiest Spirit of all , these souls suffer in our place so that we can learn , experience , and grow without bearing the same cross they carry.”
What a paradigm shift! This new perspective was confirmed again when a cancer survivor friend shared a very vivid dream that she found extremely helpful. In her dream , she was in a room in heaven with all of her family members when her particular type of cancer came into the room. It said , “Someone here needs to experience me for the learning experience of all.”As she looked around at her husband , children and grandchildren, she couldn’t imagine any of them having to experience the cancer and the suffering it would bring. Because of her great love for them , she raised her hand and said , “I will. I will take this experience to spare my loved ones.”
From these experiences and the information presented on the power of thoughts , I have personally changed my viewpoints concerning the power of positive words , as well as opening my mind to new perspectives. Both shifts have benefited my life and given me greater power to move from fear to peace. May it benefit and bless your life as well!
– By Kathy Truman
