”As a man or woman thinketh in their heart, so are they,” were the words of the English author James Allen which he penned from the Bible. We have heard much and more about what positive thinking can do for us, but it can only do so much. The path to effective implementation of change is comprised of three things: emotion well being, thoughts and behavior. The recent emphasis on changing how we think in order to improve our lifestyle has been a step up from what we’ve been doing. One cannot be forced into changing their habits and behaviors solely by focusing on the physical manifestation of those changes. The missing ingredient is emotional well being which I discuss in my recent book “Diet Desperation- Total Transformation”.
Mind Over Emotions
We value our bodies more than we do our minds. We forget that the mind is where everything happens. We forget that there is an entire subconscious dedicated to the execution of tasks we do not think about. The subconscious mind remembers how to tie shoelaces and you are not required to consciously think about and complete each step of the process. The same cannot be said of our emotional processing. At best, we are able to recognize and pinpoint the exact emotion we are experiencing. At worst, the emotion remains unattended and runs amok in our system directly affecting our emotional well being. Your Present State of Mind, if especially intense, and those are the ones that count, that emotion will influence our entire state of mind.
Focus and Feelings
That state of mind directs where we focus our attention. Where we focus our attention is where we do work. If we are depressed, we will notice that we are depressed and we will be especially aware that we are depressed. Our focus will remain on the fact that we can feel that we are depressed and that this is apparently so. We will end up effectively trapping ourselves in that one state of mind. Meanwhile, everything that we end up not doing because of that state will only serve to prolong that feeling of imprisonment causing mental and physical stagnation.
The Key to Lasting Change
What is the key to changing our state of mind? In his 2014 TED Talk, psychologist and author Guy Winch points to the seriousness of emotional injuries and the reason we should all practice emotional first aid. We should feel compelled to practice emotional hygiene with the same fervor we brush our teeth every day. Emotion well being an integral part of the human experience and they cannot be ”walked off”. And this is why weight loss is not simply walking the weight off. The body we wear matters not, what matters is who wears the body. Practicing emotional well being could be our key to a healthier life. The world will not care for who we are inside but if we ourselves do not take care, we will only ever continue as we were and nothing will change.
