Clearing Away the Negativity Leads to Better Health
by Randi Botnick, CHT

Recently I found an old diary of mine from when i was about 12 or 13. I was surprised to see how often I had written, and the recurring theme in the entries. Mostly I was amazed at how often I proclaimed myself to be "fat" or "ugly."

It shouldn't have surprised me that I felt that way then. After all, I was slightly overweight, and going through a physically awkward adolescent phase. I was surprised because I realized that I still hear that same voice -- the critical, selfdom voice that tells me how awful I look -- even now, 27-years later.

We all have judgemental, limiting tapes that play in our heads. For some of us, those voices tell us we're not smart enough, not good enough, or not worthy. for others, the voices say those same things about the other people in our lives. If not changed, these tapes will continue to haunt us for the rest of our lives.

These messages can often be so subtle we don't consciously hear them anymore. However, they do become ingrained in the beliefs we hold about ourselves. Slowly they have whittled away at our self-esteem, affecting both how we project ourselves into, and receive information from, our world.

Studies show that how we think and feel is directly related to our immune system. In fact, it has been seen that those of us who feel unworthy of love meet our personal relationships with cynicism and anger. When we don't feel good about ourselves, or when we feel victimized by the rest of the world, we can live isolated lives, disconnected, separate, and lonely. these factors create dis-ease, which may eventually manifest in our bodies as pain and dysfunction. Tension headaches, depression, muscular/skeletal pain, disrupted sleep patterns, susceptibility to viruses and disease, and addictions to anything including drugs, alcohol, food, sex, gambling, consumerism, exercise carried to the extremes, domestic violence, aggressive behavior, and TV can all be results of negative thinking and mental/emotional stress.

On the other hand, individuals who have high self-esteem feel more comfortable expressing trust and love in relationships. These people live healthier lives, more connected to those around than and the world. there are many tools available to help us begin to clear old, negative belief patterns and move into a new space of self-love. Some of these tools include:

• Undergoing therapy, counseling, or coaching;
• Using hypnotherapy or EMDR to access deep-seated memories of how these thoughts first manifested;
• Training yourself to replace the negative and limiting thoughts every time you notice them with positive, optimistic thoughts;
• Using hypnotherapy (to access the subconscious mind) or affirmations (on the conscious level) to create and repeat suggestions that solidify the new ideas; and
• Developing a spiritual practice. Studies show that those who believe in some form of God or higher power as loving and just lead more connected, authentic lives.

September 2003