WHAT REALLY CREATES HEALTH AND WELLBEING?
By Margaret Paul, Ph.D.

Most of us know that eating well and exercising is important
for good health. Yet often we hear about people100 years old
and older that are still vital and have not eaten perfectly
or exercised much. What is the secret of their good health?

Research indicates that a major factor in good health – more
important than genes, food, or exercise – is how we handle
stress.

Our bodies are equipped with a "fight or flight" mechanism
that enables us to mobilize our strength when necessary.
This mechanism allows us to fight or flee from real and
present danger. However, this mechanism is also activated
when we BELIEVE there is danger, even when no actual
survival danger exists.

For example, it is appropriate for the fight or flight
mechanism to activate if you are being physically attacked.
When the stress response is activated, blood is taken from
our brain and organs and put into our arms and legs to
enable us to fight or flee. Our immune system shuts down to
give us more energy to physically protect ourselves and
ensure our survival in the moment. Once the danger is over
and we have discharged the stress through fighting or
running, our bodies go back to normal and blood again flows
to our brain and organs.

However, what if your thoughts are creating the stress? What
if you are imagining being attacked, or being rejected, or
losing money, or losing your job, or losing a loved one? In
this case, there is no actual real and present danger
occurring in the moment. Yet the body does not know the
difference between something that is really happening and
something that you are thinking about. The body goes into
the stress response the moment you think scary thoughts. But
instead of being able to fight or flee, you are stuck with
the anxiety caused by your thoughts. The blood is in your
arms and legs with no way to be released. You can't think
very well due to as lack of blood in your brain, your organs
are being robbed of necessary nutrients, and your immune
system is not functioning properly. Strenuous exercise may
release the stress response, but if you keep thinking the
scary thoughts, it will just come right back.

Perhaps the most important thing you can do for your health
and wellbeing is to become conscious of your thoughts that
create stress and become adept at changing your thoughts.
People who have learned how to let challenging things roll
off their back generally have good health. People who allow
the challenges of life to constantly stress them out often
have health problems, even when they eat well and get
exercise.

Our minds have been programmed from infancy with many untrue
thoughts – many false beliefs. It is when we think these
untrue thoughts that we cause ourselves anxiety and our
bodies go into the stress response. However, we all have a
"Wise Self" that knows truth from lies. When we move "out of
our minds" and into our knowing, we will stop thinking the
thoughts that cause anxiety and instead operate from the
truth of our knowing.

Thoughts that are untrue cause anxiety. The truth brings
peace. If you have a thought that you cannot survive being
rejected or being alone, you will feel anxious. However,
while this might have been true as a child, it is not true
as an adult. Your anxious feeling is letting you know that
your thought is untrue. If you then think – from your Wise
Self rather than from your programmed mind: "I can handle
rejection. I've been rejected many times and I have not
died. I've been alone many times and I have not died," your
body will release the anxiety and you will feel peaceful.
Your peaceful feeling is telling you that you are now
thinking the truth.

The very best thing you can do for your health and wellbeing
is to become aware of the thoughts from your programmed mind
that create anxiety, and practice thinking the truth from
your Wise Self that creates inner peace.

About The Author:

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and
co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me
To Be Loved By You?" and "Healing Your Aloneness." She is
the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing
process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a
FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or
email her at mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone
Sessions Available.