SAMEVATTING:
Die mens se denkende gees (mind) is orals in die liggaam en het ‘n uiters belangrike invloed op die lewe en gesondheid. Baie mense leef met negatiewe emosies en dit breek die mens se gesondheid af – veral die epidemie van stress. Daar is oplossings, veral in dankbaarheid en ‘n lewende verhouding met ons Skepper-Vader.
People believe that the mind is in the brain – but that is only half the truth! Although the brain and the subconscious mind have major roles to play, there are other organs and systems that form an integral part of the mind. The large intestine, as an example, is sometimes called “the second brain” because of the large amount of nerve cells; sixty percent of the heart’s cells are nerve cells that can feel – it is not only figurative speech to talk about heart sore; it is a physical; reality. Research further shows that all emotions have a physical influence on each cell in the body – neurotransmitters carry the messages to all the cells in the body.
Negative emotions have a negative effect on the body – most of the time diseases can be traced back to emotional traumas or hang-ups. A person who does not want to forgive people who in the past did hurt him/her, is slowly poisoning him/her with bitterness or wrath. These emotions specifically tend to attach themselves to the liver and can cause big problems like a toxic liver or cirrhosis. Many live in fear: for other people, or of disease like cancer, or financial problems, the future, death, and even of life itself.
One of the biggest enemies of wellness is stress which in our day is like an epidemic. We all need to have positive tension in order to tackle everyday life with all its (uitdagings). It becomes a problem, however, when this tension becomes a continuous part of emotional life without release of the stress. First of all it affects the adrenals, small glands positioned on top of the kidneys. They are the source of the hormone adrenalin which the body uses to handle stress situations through the “fight or flight or freeze” mechanism. On the long run these glands become exhausted and then we have what is known as the “burn-out syndrome”. Bad stress is also one of the major influences in heart and vascular problems as well as other deadly diseases like cancer. One reason is that stress drastically lowers the effectivity of the immune system which makes it easy for all types of pathogens as well as cancer to get a grip on the body.
There is a well-known maxim: “as a man thinks, so is he”. This is indeed true. The mind’s influence can make or break a person. Negativity is one of the hallmarks of modern life but it is an learned attitude – we are all influenced by the general mood of those around us; negative friends or family members can affect our emotional status and we can be so overwhelmed by the bad news on the radio, television and in the daily papers and magazines that we only see the bad side of life. These negative emotions are disastrous for one’s health – it leads to stress, worry an fear which can lead to diseases of the mind and body. And remember, no stress-relieving or ant-depressant can change this dangerous influence – it only masks it.
Is there a cure? Yes, absolutely. Start to look objectively to all the positive elements of life; grow an attitude of gratitude and become a beacon of hope to all the hope-less people you meet every day. Above all: hope grows when one has a spiritual anchor. This does not necessarily mean religion – it is a personal relationship with our Creator-God who made us and love us and wants to change us from helpless creatures to bearers of his image and carriers of his practical love.