I apologize for being so far behind on my blogs - I have no excuse and I will try to catch up as much as possible in today's entry.
Following the FEAR of POVERTY and the FEAR of CRITICISM we began to discuss the next fear in Napoleon Hill's list of the "Six Ghosts of Fear". This all can be found in chapter 15 ("How to Outwith The Six Ghosts of Fear") of his classic book, "Think & Grow Rich".
THE FEAR OF SICKNESSYou likely already know this but, people (yes, even you!) can literally make themselves sick! I had listed on my "status" on Facebook this topic and one of my friends made the comment that they once had a coworker that would end up going home for the day not feeling well if they had discussed at all any type of sickness or someone else that was sick!
Napoleon Hill even talks about an experiment that he had carried out in which he had three different people come in to the "victim" and express the idea that, "Wow, you don't look too good. Are you feeling o.k.?" The "victim" responded to the first query with something along the lines of, "Oh no - I'm doing fine!" However, once the second person came in and asked the same question the "victim" would then respond with something along the lines of, "Well, you know, I am feeling like I'm coming down with something." and then, by the time the third person came in with the same comment, the "victim" would admit that they were, in fact, not well.
Isn't that amazing? Yet, we can do the same thing ourselves AND that being so - out of necessity - it must also be suggested that we can IMPROVE our health by controlling our thoughts!
THIS IS STILL ALL ABOUT OUR MINDS and the THOUGHTS and SUGGESTIONS that we allow there! Mr. Hill states the following:
"Powerful and mighty is the human mind! It builds or it destroys!"What are the SYMPTOMS of this FEAR of SICKNESS?1. AUTO-SUGGESTION - Huh? Wait a minute! Isn't "auto-suggestion" a positive thing? Well, it CAN be! However, just as we can feed our mind POSITIVE information in order that our subconscious mind can then "automatically suggest" those positive thoughts and beliefs back to us, so is it true with negative thoughts. We can also allow negative thoughts to be fed into our subconscious mind (yes, WE/YOU/I control this!) and that is what we will receive through auto-suggestion. We can so fear getting sick that our subconscious can contiually suggest to us that, indeed, we DO feel bad and ARE getting sick!
2. HYPOCHONDRIA -
We all have likely heard this term, right? We call those with this "phobia", "hypochondriacs". Mr. Hill describes this as a medical term for imaginary diseases and he suggests that, many times, what we IMAGINE brings about worse health than the actual disease/sickness feared! He also suggest that NOTHING in a bottle is able to cure this - again, it's all in the mind and we DO have the power and ability to control and CURE this plague from our lives! 3. EXCERCISE - (or the lack of it!) We can't excercise - or so we've told ourselves - because we suffer from this problem or that problem that prevents us from doing so. Poor me!
4. SUSCEPTIBILITY - This fear actually can break down our immune system and make us susceptible to the very sickness that we try to avoid. Worry and fear, again, can literally make us sick. We won't sleep properly, excercise properly, eat properly or think properly which will - in turn - lower our body's ability to fight off the illness.
5. SELF-CODDLING - Directly from this chapter, here is what Mr. Hill has to say about this one... "The habit of making a bid for sympathy, using imaginary illness as a lure. (People often resort to this trick to avoid work). The habit of feigning illness to cover plain laziness, or to serve as an alibi for lack of ambition." Hmmm...know anyone like that?
6. INTEMPERENCE - The habit of using alchohol and narcotics (I would include even prescription or over-the-counter medication) to destroy pains such as headaches, etc. instead of destroying the cause. Maybe even now - in our current situation - spending endless hours looking over medical help websites to try to see what might be something that could fit how we feel (or THINK we feel).
Wow - do you find yourself in there anywhere? Sadly, most of us can probably relate to at least SOME of these symptoms!
Now, listen - I do understand that there ARE some diseases, illness and even headaches that we may not be able to control simply with positive thoughts. However, there are many things that we DO bring on ourselves, wouldn't you agree?
I do know this - a POSITIVE attitude is ALWAYS welcomed by doctors as one prepares for surgery and the recovery to follow. The doctors KNOW that our mindset can make all the difference in the world in how we go through surgery many times as well as how our recovery goes!
Even if you DO feel bad (for example, with a headache) you can still DECIDE how you will allow that headache (or whatever it may be) to control your day! My wife is a pro at this and she amazes me in how she can DETERMINE not to let it impact her day. And she usually succeeds in that task. She will tell me that she is NOT going to let her feeling bad ruin her day and she will put a smile on her face and proceed to, indeed, have a good day IN SPITE of how she feels.
What's the cure of this and the other fears? It's in everything that I (and others like Napoleon Hill) talk about every single day... the fact that YOU/ME/WE have the ability to control our day and our attitudes by our thinking.
Some won't want to hear that. Why? Because some LIKE being sick! (Remember symptom #5?)
PARENTS: Please pay close attention to this! Sickness is BIG BUSINESS! Parents have been sold a bill of goods many times into thinking that their child needs this medication or that medication for this and that to the point that so many of our kids are so "doped up" that they cannot even function properly! (This REALLY gets me angry!). The result? "Oh well, but at least they are behaving themselves." Again, this may step on some toes, but - if it will help some folks WAKE UP - then it's o.k. by me. Parents, most of what has been labled as some "illness" or problem with children (for which prescriptions are given) can be "cured" simply by spending quality time with your child and sharing your life with that child!
This is a whole separate topic but, to the point, we have gotten LAZY in raising our children and many times take the easy way out. It's easier to attach some "name" to the problem and have medicine prescribed and administered than it is to do the "work" of parenting. Ouch!
Here's the thing on ALL of this - creating and maintaing this POSITIVE mindset TAKES WORK! It's something that requires attention each and every day - much like raising a child!
That's why it's so important for you to continue to visit this blog and listen to my podcasts (as well as other's that can help you in this process) each and every day. It's an ON-GOING battle of the mind!
And I'm glad I am able to be a part of the solution - thanks for allowing me into your life.
Keep up the battle - you CAN overcome this fear as well as the others.
And, as always, be sure to remember to...
"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"
Mike
