“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.”—Willie Nelson What Are Thoughts? A thought is “an idea or opinion produced by thinking or occurs suddenly in the mind.”—Oxford English Dictionary Brain function produces thoughts, but beyond this fact, neuroscientists do not know where they come from. How the brain works as it relates to the creation of thoughts is still a fascinating topic of scientific discussion. But we all have thoughts. Every day and throughout the day, we constantly think, whether it be a thought, an idea, a memory, an event, an opinion, or a belief about ourselves and the world around us. These thoughts…

“The way to overcome negative thoughts and destructive emotions is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more powerful.”—Dalai Lama You are in no way a slave to your negative emotions. You can change them. You can create a positive emotional state. Tina’s Story: Tina, a teacher, was raised by an alcoholic mother. For years Tina suffered from feelings of guilt and insecurity. Then she decided to come to grips with the problem. What did she do? “First, I worked to identify the thoughts that caused negative emotions. Whenever these thoughts would surface, I would rethink them rationally and objectively. “Then, I would work on making positive thoughts…

“Meditation can wipe away the day’s stress, bringing with it inner peace.”—Mayo Clinic Staff Pick out your most comfortable chair. Sit down, loosen your skirt or trousers, slip out of your shoes, and close your eyes. Now imagine your feet dangling in a mountain lake’s cold, clear, blue water. Smell the aroma of nearby flowers. Can you hear the happy songs of carefree birds? You feel stimulated by the fresh mountain air. For a few minutes, eliminate, as far as possible, all other thoughts. With this peaceful scene in mind, meditate; focus your mind in silence. Feel better? More relaxed? What Is Meditation? Meditation is an ancient practice that has…

“If you don’t think your anxiety, depression, sadness, and stress impact your physical health, think again. All these emotions trigger chemical reactions in your body which can lead to inflammation and a weakened immune system. Learn how to cope, sweet friend. There will always be dark days.”—Kris Carr Meet Tammy, a stressed-out family caregiver: “My husband had three strokes within three months. I had to drive him from the hospital to a nursing home for rehab each time it happened. “I wanted to cry because the nursing homes were awful. “I felt such rage because I had spent eighteen years dealing with my husband, and not one relative offered to…

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”—Martin Luther King, Jr. Did you know that forgiveness is much like the money? You can choose to spend forgiveness freely and mercifully on others, or stow away forgiveness and only use it for yourself. We should work to foster generous spending habits when it comes to forgiveness. Why? A vengeful or unforgiving spirit may only worsen matters and can harm your health. Take the example of Betty. Betty refused to talk to her sister-in-law for over eight years because, as Betty says, “she did me an unbelievable and unforgivable hurt…

“The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.”—Albert Ellis Cathy, a full-time caregiver to her husband of 44 years, felt like a victim. Cathy’s husband, a sixty-seven-year-old brittle diabetic, had suffered a mild stroke but had recovered and doing well. Lately, however, Cathy experienced stubborn resistance from her husband to everything she tried to do to manage his health regimen, the household chores, and money. Cathy felt frustrated and resentful and said: “I am waiting for things to get…

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.”—Rabindranath Tagore The above quote summarizes how I felt when caring for my dear loved one during his illness. Joy. So, imagine how I felt when reading the following comments posted to my Caregivers Hub Support Group: “Will we EVER get to spend time with anyone besides this old man? I’m thinking I will die before my 94-year-old father does. I need out of this! I have nothing left.” Priscilla “I’m in the same situation. I’m 74 and mother if 98. That generation is tough, and was not…

“We will be more successful in all endeavors if we can let go of the habit of running all the time and take little pauses to relax and re-center ourselves. And we’ll also have a lot more joy in living.” –Thigh Nhat Hanh Towers Watson, a leading global professional services company that helps organizations improve performance through competent people, risk, and financial management, revealed its latest “Health, Well-Being, and Productivity” survey. The survey showed that of those employers able to measure well-being, 86 percent thought that stress caused by excessive workload or extended hours was the most significant to health and well-being. Do You Agree? Consider these facts: Fact 1:…

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in yourself! If you think success, you will be successful. Apply to your problems such Bible text as ‘If you have faith…nothing shall be impossible for you.’”—Dr. Norman Vincent Peale (1889-1993) Are there parts of your self-concept with which you aren’t happy? Do you expect to be rejected by others? Do you evaluate your performance less favorably than others? Do you feel threatened by people you view as superior in some way? You might have an inferiority complex if you answered yes to these questions. Alfred Adler (1870-1937), psychologist and founder of the school of Individual Psychology, coined the term “inferiority complex,” which he described…

“Journal writing is a voyage to the interior.”—Christina Baldwin Are you a family caregiver? If so, how does caring for an ill loved one make you feel? Do you feel lonely? Do you feel fearful and uncertain? Do you feel grief, which is the opposite of joy? You are on an emotional rollercoaster. Caring for an ailing loved one can be overwhelming, thoroughly exhausting—stressful, and rewarding. Meet Doug: “I do not complain. I am a caregiver to both my wife, Ann, age seventy-three, and my dad, Walter, age ninety-four, and I consider it an honor and privilege to serve them both. “My wife had had a collapsed lung and had…