Can Illness be a Positive?
by In time of illness our body forces us to slow down and look at our values.
Can illness ever be a positive force for your own good? It can be if it forces you to slow down and focus on your life and the future you desire. Everything that happens to you moves you ahead, either in a positive or negative direction. An illness can shove you out of a negative rut you have gotten yourself into. We are not going to live forever and we can’t take for granted that we will always be free of illness. Though we often do take health for granted, when a major illness befalls us it stops us in our tracks. That’s when we begin to recognize the things that really matter, and learn what our values really are.
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Most of us don’t stop to reevaluate our beliefs that served us well twenty or thirty years ago. We plug along and continue the same old routine. We don’t often stop to ask ourselves if those values still serve us or if it’s time to update them. Are these old beliefs worth living for and are they even important to us now? Do we need to let them go and find values that serve us better? A major illness forces us to look at our selves and see what is lacking. This is a good time to see our life in a constructive way and make changes.
The way to do this is called imagery. Everyone can imagine, it’s the way we think. When we bring up negative memories it’s called worrying. The body does not know the difference between imagination and reality. Your heart pounds, your blood pressure shoots up, your body behaves in a negative way. Taking charge of your imagination can be a very powerful thing. It can turn you away from negative worry to imagining your future as a positive experience. It can show you where your strength and weakness lies. Believe in your potential to grow, to change, shift your focus away from worry, fear, guilt, and anger. Find your peace and things will begin to happen.
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It doesn’t matter if you are Christian, Jew, Hindu, Agnostic, any religion , no religion,or have your own brand of spirituality. Your mind and body will always respond to the positive. Let go of judgement. There are 360 degrees of everything that exists on this planet. Whether you are looking at a weed or a human being, there are 360 ways to look at it. unless you have explored every angle, there’s no way you can totally know that object or person, and without knowing, you cannot possibly judge. When you let go of judgment, you will let go of your own guilt, and change will happen.
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Post CommentGeorge W Whitehead
On August 16, 2009 at 2:49 am
I’m not too well at the moment and I can tell you Ruby, I’m really not feeling positive!
Engel15
On August 16, 2009 at 3:47 am
Really liked it good job. Could you take a look at my Triond article and tell me what you think thanks.
http://healthmad.com/beauty/easy-and-cheap-way-to-lose-acne/
raman13
On August 16, 2009 at 4:31 am
Very helpful. You’re right
Best Regards
Christine Ramsay
On August 16, 2009 at 4:58 am
I did this a while ago as the fact I was overweight was really making me feel unwell. I have lost a good deal of the weight and I feel so much better and more positive in my outlook on life. This is a very true and well written article.
Christine
ken bultman
On August 16, 2009 at 5:49 am
Good one! A positive outlook may not make everything alright but a negative one makes almost nothing O.K. I didn’t begtin tending to my health until ten years ago. Once all my numbers came down I didn’t feel any different physically but felt better about myself.
chitragopi
On August 16, 2009 at 6:02 am
thoughtful essay. liked it
deep blue
On August 16, 2009 at 6:41 am
I definitely felt better reading about your piece Ruby. Everyone of us live life as if we are impregnable. But down to our smallest bits bacteria and viruses are slowly eating us up. Positive attitude allows us to govern our physical self as if these microorganisms are part of ourselves and we seem to be quite invulnerable, literally hard to chew up, kidding. You have a great insight in looking at the avenues of an issue in a 360 deg angle. At least I have my utmost respect for someone with the most open mind to think that way. Keep up the good work and Godbless.
Will
CHAN LEE PENG
On August 16, 2009 at 6:51 am
I strongly believe that positive thought can sometimes cure the disease. The strong will to survive has rescued many cancer patients to stand bravely to face their lives. Have my liked it.
Lostash
On August 16, 2009 at 6:52 am
PMA is certainly useful and I have to agree that some tragedies do make you re-evaluate your life in a positive manner.
Jeremy James Noye
On August 16, 2009 at 10:12 am
Thank you for the wonderful article Ruby!
Mr Ghaz
On August 16, 2009 at 10:31 am
Well done! ..that was very interesting and helpful article. Nicely done. I liked it. Thanx a lot for sharing.
George Firth
On August 16, 2009 at 10:39 am
It\’s not beneficial in the way your talking about, however it doe\’s strengthen your immune system, so I guess that\’s a plus…
ceegirl
On August 16, 2009 at 12:26 pm
No, illness can’t be something positive, it’s up to you how you go about the illness.
ashan1614
On August 16, 2009 at 1:57 pm
I believe illness CAN be a positive. It’s our body’s way of telling us we’re overloaded. I was confronted with a serious health problem about a year and a half ago. It caused me to take a look at the things I was doing (or not doing) in terms of taking care of myself. I also had to take a look at how much I was juggling at the time and re-prioritze my life.
Anne Lyken Garner
On August 16, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Amen, Ruby. You’ve put it very well. You’re right that illness can force us to slow down and take stock of what we’re really doing with your lives and health.
I Have Had Enough
On August 16, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Due to my childhood illness I am a rare breed of man, I don’t suffer from man flu (in fact I have not had a flu or a cold since about the age of six). Illness can definitely be a good thing, if you take the positive aspects from it. I was determined not to allow my illness to rule my life; and I apply that same philosophy to all negative influence or experiences. Great article Ruby, everyone should remember this next time an illness brings them to their knees.
PR Mace
On August 16, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Very thought provoking article. In 2003, in fact it was August 16th, I had emergency surgery and I alnost did not make it. It made me rethink in life and what I wanted to do with it. I made many chances and one was writing. Great work, Ruby.
Mary Patricia Bird
On August 16, 2009 at 6:25 pm
It took me awhile to find the positive in my illness, but now I don’t for one minute regret acquiring fibromyalgia. I had to stop working and because of that I got to raise my children and follow my dream of writing. Also, it forced hubby to stop his partying ways and step up to the plate. We must always look for the silver lining.
Mary Patricia Bird
On August 16, 2009 at 6:36 pm
It took me awhile to find the positive in my illness, but now I don\’t for one minute regret acquiring fibromyalgia. I had to stop working and because of that I got to raise my children and follow my dream of writing. Also, it forced hubby to stop his partying ways and step up to the plate. We must always look for the silver lining.
Mary Patricia Bird
On August 16, 2009 at 6:36 pm
Sorry it posted twice. I was getting server error messages… same with the “I like it” click.
CA Johnson
On August 16, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Great job! I really did enjoy reading this article. Unfortunately, some of my relatives have been really sick lately and we all tried to stay positive and they are getting better. Positive thinking really can make a difference.
WriteEditSeek
On August 17, 2009 at 2:50 am
I really liked this article. You explore a lot of New Age concepts, which I’ve been looking into quite a bit lately. I find that when I don’t get hung up on the label of “New Age,” I discover that there is great wisdom in many of the ideas. I believe that every experience, including illness, is not objectively positive or negative per se, but it is our interpretation of the experience that creates our reality. We can choose how to respond and thus create our experience. This sounds really airy fairy, but I think it is also more concrete than that. I think our thoughts do have a concrete effect on reality, as I have experienced this “create from the inside out” way of thinking and seen my reality change. All of this is still difficult for me to wrap words around.
Ruby Hawk
On August 17, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Thank you my friends for your attention and your comments. A positive attitude is always a plus in any situation. We do need an attitude adjustment every once in awhile. for the most part, we are what we think.
Daisy Peasblossom
On August 17, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Very well written Ruby! And I could not agree more.
Lex92
On August 18, 2009 at 1:39 pm
you might be right… but being sick definitely doesn’t make you feel positive
loualbert
On August 21, 2009 at 2:39 pm
I found this read very positive. What there is in it holds truth, at least for me. After a misfortune, one seems to see life more wonderful and sweeter. People who have suffered usually see in life a deep meaning.
Good job!
By the way, check my writing on the site and spread the news; would you, please?
Netty net
On August 25, 2009 at 7:57 am
this is good