Not long ago my very good friend, Sue bought me a book called, BADASS Affirmations by Becca Anderson. The book was put together based on the wit and wisdom of wild women. This book fits perfectly with my most recent interest, Positive Intelligence. Shifting from negativity is so valuable for our mental and physical health! What we say to ourselves becomes our truth. Affirmations are positive statements that we can make out loud, every day to shift our mindset in a positive and productive way. Saying your affirmations in the mirror while looking at yourself straight in the eye levels up the value of the statement. This isn't magic but it is a way to rewire our reflexes toward negativity. We can choose positivity...it takes practice.
One of the things that Ms. Anderson points out in the book is that there is no ‘try’. Affirmations start with “I am” and “I will”. There is no ‘I will try’, no ‘I am trying…’ The same is true of ‘I want’…we all want…an affirmation is a positive statement declaring what WILL be.
Affirmations do not need to be complicated…they can be as simple as, “I am confident. I am strong. I am powerful”. Or “I am capable. I am a leader. I go after what I want”. Thinking about what is happening in your head and creating personal affirmations for yourself is a way to move toward achieving the positive influence of your mindset. It may seem simplistic AND it works.
Here are a few examples of the affirmations that ‘spoke’ to me in the book.
I will do what it takes to change the world for the better.
I am unstoppable.
I learn from every setback.
I will not listen to negativity.
I will learn from any failures and push forward.
I can survive even my greatest fears.
I have important things to say.
I am considerate of myself and others.
I am the only one who needs to understand my choices.
I am capable of making positive impact.
So my challenge to you this week is to catch your negative thoughts and reframe them into positive affirmations. Each morning after brushing your teeth and washing your face, look yourself in the eye in your mirror and say the statement that shifts that negativity. Say it like you absolutely believe it…and before long, you will become what you say you will be. Skeptical? Prove me wrong…but give it your best shot. :)
The Avoider Saboteur
One of the accomplice (to the Judge) saboteurs is the Avoider. This saboteur is characterized by avoidance of conflict and saying yes to things one wouldn't want. Those with the Avoider saboteur downplay importance of real problems and try to deflect others. Avoiders have trouble saying no. They resist others through passive-aggressive means rather than directly. Avoiders lose themselves in comforting routines and habits and procrastinate unpleasant tasks.
Thoughts that this saboteur can elicit include…this is just too unpleasant. Maybe if I let it go it will take care of itself. Or…if I deal with this now, I will hurt someone's feelings and I'd rather not. Or…If I get into conflict with others, I might lose my connection with them. Avoiders don't want to rock the boat. They often think that they have found balance and don't want to mess it up. They would rather give someone else their way than to create a scene. What the Avoider may be feeling is anxiety about what has been avoided or procrasinated. It can become the focus and cause fear and suppressed anger. Resentment may occur instead of expressed anger and speaking up for oneself. Some Avoiders may feel like they are on an even keel and they fear losing their hard-won peace of mind.
Unfortunately, we may tell ourselves justification lies like, “You are a good person to spare others' feelings”, “No good comes out of conflict”, “It is good to be flexible”, or “Someone needs to be the peacemaker”.
The impact, unfortunately, may cause us to feel numb and what is avoided doesn't go away. It festers…under the surface until it shows up again. It always does…one way or another. Typically, when it shows up again it feels even more powerful. Our relationships may feel superficial when we avoid conflict. We may lose the trust of those important to us when we are not true to ourselves.
Avoidance is a learned behavior. It can arise from both happy and difficult childhoods. In happy childhood, one might not have learned resiliency of dealing with difficult emotions. So, later in life, these emotions are simply avoided. In a childhood of high conflict and tension, the Avoider might come in to play peacemaker and learn to not add fuel to the fire. They avoid any negativity or tension of their own on top of existing family tensions. They learn to hold in their emotions so calm can return to the home…albeit, temporary most times.
Confession….Avoider is one of my accomplice saboteurs. I learned to be the peacemaker in a home full of tension and angst. I became the calm within the storm. My father was an Avoider and he simply slipped out of the picture for many years. There were many reasons for tension in my childhood home. Not all of this is a bad thing. I learned to stay calm in a crisis and this helped me many times as a nurse. It took me many years to confront this saboteur and know that it is okay to speak up for myself. I went along with many things in my life that were not my choice. I am, however, grateful for those experiences because I feel that they led me to the place I am now. We become stronger when we learn what's going on behind the scenes (in our heads). We can shift our negativity to more positive thoughts and actions that lead us toward more happiness and contentment.
What power does the Avoider have over you? You can take the PQ assessment free on positiveintelligence.com.
What Cancer Survivors Do
Cancer feels like a death sentence. Most people who hear the words, “You have cancer” automatically think it's the end. The diagnosis ignites our deepest fears. There are some, however, who choose a different response. They choose healing. They choose something different.
Conventional cancer treatments can provide extra time on this planet and that can be a really great thing. For some people, though, those extra months can be difficult and some choose alternate paths. When my friend faced cancer, he was scared…so scared that he almost was frozen in time. I did what I do…research all treatments, conventional and ‘alternative’. I came across the book, “Radical Remission” by Dr. Kelly Turner. The book is excellent and I recommend it to all readers…those with cancer, their families and anyone who wishes to reduce their chances of dying from cancer (that would be me). I have always been fearful of a cancer diagnosis…I've seen the devastation the diagnosis can bring. It took my mom and my sister at early ages. Fear for some causes an inability to focus on anything else…for me, it causes me to jump into action and learn what I can. What I learned from this book is that there are 9 key factors that people who sent their cancer into remission without conventional therapies. These, obviously, may not work for everyone and the author is clear in saying this information is not intended to offer false hope but for some…the cancer is gone. In my mind, it's worth a try even if conventional treatment is chosen, as well.
The nine are:
Radically change your diet (you guessed it, a whole food plant-based diet)
Taking control of your health
Following your intuition
Using herbs and supplements
Releasing suppressed emotions
Increasing positive emotions
Embracing social support
Deepening your spiritual connection
Having strong reasons for living
Sending cancer away is not easy feat. It takes a 100% all in attitude and thousands of people have accomplished this. Look at the list. Which resonate with you? Food is medicine (or poison)…we get to choose. Our emotional health is high on the list.
The book takes each of these and elaborates on each one in depth. Know someone with cancer, you may want to share. The book is inspirational, in my mind. It does offer hope when the medical establishment often does not. There is so much we can do for our own health…owning it is the beginning. Take back your power. We have the power to heal when we do the things that may take us there.
Every 3-4 seconds, around 50,000 cells in your body will die and be replaced by new ones.
This is great news for those of us making health changes! We have the power to replace unhealthy cells with healthy ones…50,000 at a time :)
Ideal for when you’re nursing a cold, or anytime you want something warm and comforting, this flavorful vegan noodle soup comes together in just 30 minutes. The recipe features fresh spinach and brown rice spaghetti, but feel free to substitute your favorite greens for the spinach and any whole-grain pasta for the brown rice spaghetti. Fusilli or penne would work nicely too! This soup is delicious leftover, but it will thicken as it cools. Keep extra vegetable broth on hand to thin it out when reheating. Serves about 6.
Ingredients:
1 large yellow onion, diced 3 medium carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced 3 garlic cloves, minced
¾ teaspoon dried thyme
Pinch of red pepper flakes (more if you like spice)
1 tablespoon brown rice flour
8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
8 ounces uncooked brown rice spaghetti (½ pound)
2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas (drained)
2 cups baby spinach
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½–¾ teaspoon sea salt Freshly cracked pepper
Directions:
Combine the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes in a large soup pot; add ⅓ cup of water, and sauté over medium-high heat until the onions soften, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add more water as needed to prevent burning.
Stir in the brown rice flour. Continue to cook on medium heat, stirring constantly for another 2 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth, cover the pot, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, crack the spaghetti noodles in half and add them to the pot. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook, partially covered, for another 12 minutes. Add the cooked chickpeas and continue to simmer for another 3 minutes.
Add the spinach, and cook for 1 more minute, just until the spinach is wilted. Turn off the heat, add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Depending on the vegetable broth you use, you may need more or less salt. Serve hot.
Recipe from Ashley Madden at Forks Over Knives
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My Favorite Quotes
Our health—and indeed our entire lives—can be seen as the sum of all our moment-to-moment decisions. This includes how we choose to eat and drink, think and feel, act and react, and move and rest on any given day.
-Kelly Turner, PhD, Author of Radial Remission
Important Disclaimer
The content in this newsletter is intended for educational/informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace the advice of your health care professional.
