I also really enjoyed this article. It reminds me of a few articles I read in college (Mind/Body Health course). Essentially, I had read that frequent and unquestioned negative thought processes have the same unintended side effects and "byproducts" that are similar to excess and chronic stress (for instance, many lifestyle-related diseases, including some cancers, heart disease, obesity, etc).
Conversely, there really is a power to "positive thinking", and can actually provide a buffer to stressors. I appreciated your comment that "we should not always choose to be happy and carefree", as that would not be "real" or even human, either. There is an important balance, as with all human behaviors and emotions, that we are continually striving to achieve in the ideal world. We can be aware of our feelings and emotions, identify them, and then act: change what is changeable and important, and then "let go" of what we can not change or is unimportant.
Just as you said that you were so angry about something that was important at the time, but then can not recall the situation days or weeks later. This would likely be classified as an unimportant and unchangeable event...somewhat like "road rage", actually!
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I also really enjoyed this article. It reminds me of a few articles I read in college (Mind/Body Health course). Essentially, I had read that frequent and unquestioned negative thought processes have the same unintended side effects and "byproducts" that are similar to excess and chronic stress (for instance, many lifestyle-related diseases, including some cancers, heart disease, obesity, etc).
Conversely, there really is a power to "positive thinking", and can actually provide a buffer to stressors. I appreciated your comment that "we should not always choose to be happy and carefree", as that would not be "real" or even human, either. There is an important balance, as with all human behaviors and emotions, that we are continually striving to achieve in the ideal world. We can be aware of our feelings and emotions, identify them, and then act: change what is changeable and important, and then "let go" of what we can not change or is unimportant.
Just as you said that you were so angry about something that was important at the time, but then can not recall the situation days or weeks later. This would likely be classified as an unimportant and unchangeable event...somewhat like "road rage", actually!
July 12, 2009 - 2:37pmThis Comment
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