I love the way you talk about positive thinking. Have I told you that motivation is part of our business? I have read ALL of Anthony Robbins books, I am also familiar with Zig Ziggler, Tom Hopkins and many of the American motivational speakers. I also LOVE Oprah when she is doing her shows on positive things, I really enjoy her "finding your spirit" segments too.
We organise tours in our area for business & motivational speakers, and we are friends with a business man who has personally known Anthony Robbins for years! LOL His mail is easy to recognise because he has "Open with enthusiasm!" stamped on the front of the envelope. He is full of energy and lives the ethos of positive thinking and actions.
Pollyanna is a wonderful example of positive thinking. She is a very good example of how we can beat this pain! I know it sounds like a "fairy tale", but there IS a HUGE amount of research to back it up.
I am sure you are familiar with Mary Kay? Yes ....the pink cadillacs & all that :-) Well I have read all of her books too, and in her autobiography, she talks about an experiment she conducted back in the sixties in a nursing home. She was invited by a Doctor to come to the nursing home for a number of weeks, each day to work with some of the residents.
Mary Kay & a couple of other consultants would arrive with their full make-up kit & set to work. They would help the ladies with a simple facial & finish with brushing their hair & putting on just a touch of make-up. These residents I must point out were chosen because they no longer bothered to get dressed in the morning....choosing to stay in their night clothes all the time.
Within several days there was a noticable difference in these ladies, they started to dress, not just in any clothes but their "Sunday best" so to speak. They greeted the day smiling & became talkative & social. It completely changed the atmosphere in the home.
There was one lady who had a stroke, she sat in a wheel chair all day & couldn't raise her head at all. The doctor asked Mary Kay if she would try working with her. She did and as she gave this lady a facial she would chat to her about what was happening in the home, about her family and so on.
After about a week, Mary Kay arrived at the home and one of the nurses came rushing up to her & insisted that she follow her. The nurse lead her to the lady in the wheel chair, her head was raised just a little, her eyes were sparkling & she was doing her best to smile.
Even the male residents started to dress & socialise. They too wanted a facial and some attention! :-)
So Lynda, I always think of that story in particular when I am feeling low......that's why I also volunteer for the "Look Good....Feel Better" program for female cancer patients. All the big name cosmetic companies donate product, and we spend three hours with these ladies teaching them about the changes in their skin due to the radiation & chemotherapy treatments, give them a facial and show them some make-up tecniques to compensate for lost eyebrows, eye lashes etc......everyone always goes home with a smile & a bag full of cosmetics.
Perhaps we could start a positive thought for the day posting.......or a gratitude journal....or something! I'm sure we could all benefit from a few happy stories..... just like those fantastic "lists" that you have come up with from time to time :-) that make us all laugh :-)
I'm going shopping later....I am going to buy a new copy of Pollyanna & I am going to put it on my dressing table....so that I see it every morning & remind myself every morning to put my Pollyanna suit on too!
My good idea for the day........volunteer to help someone else.....it REALLY does make you feel better too!
Love our chats Lynda love, hugs & cheers Jo :-)
-- Words that I live by: You will never never know.......if you don't give it a go :)