Think about the Pure and the Lovely

This year I’m guiding and encouraging you to improve your
mental, physical and spiritual health.

Scripture has some great instruction for mental health. My mother’s and subsequently my favorite
is Philippians 4:8 –

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.

I’ve read that it is highly beneficial to your overall health to start you day with a positive thought. Let’s agree that you can force positive morning thoughts. When you wake visualize something that is pure and lovely. For me a blooming flower gives me real joy. The idea that a thing of such beauty comes from a seed placed in dirt, even manure, is for me just one of the miracles of this life. You choose something that makes you smile-petting your cat or dog, gazing at a photo of someone you love, or being grateful for the beat of your heart. Find whatever works for you, whatever triggers positive thoughts to begin each day.

Positive Thinking from Mayo Clinic

Positive thinking often starts with self talk. Self talk is the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of a lack of information.

When I was a young adult I bought Norman Vincent Peale‘s book, The Power of Positive Thinking.  I had a sense even then that there was something essential about thinking positively. I’ve read the book more than once. First published in 1952, it is still in print. Many other books are published on the subject of positive thinking. On Amazon there are 3,916 responses for “positive thinking.” It appears that we all need help learning how to think. I realize that positive thinking is not the same thing as faith. They are, however, very close cousins if you ask me.

I didn’t know until the last few years that how we think has a direct affect on our health. From the Mayo Clinic:

Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:

• Increased life span
• Lower rates of depression
• Lower levels of distress
• Greater resistance to the common cold
• Better psychological and physical well-being
• Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress.

Making a conscious effort to think positively has as much to do with your physical health as it does to your mental health. I strongly encourage you to make the effort.

Let me know how it goes.

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I am a Certified Professional Coach and I hold a 
degree from Lamar University in Speech and a Master’s from the University of Texas. I married Sam after raising three children as a single mother. I was an educator in regular and special education for twenty years, finishing my professional career as a Braille teacher. In 2007 I founded SMORE for Women. SMORE is a nonprofit association whose goal is Single Moms, Overjoyed, Rejuvenated, and Empowered. My stories have been published in several Christian books and magazines. My Website.