How Can I Save My Marriage? You Can Start By Asking Yourself A Few Questions

A majority of people who get married either get divorced or stay in unhappy marriages. A happy marriage is not a myth; but it might as well be for most people. When the honeymoon’s over, the happy marriage isn’t far behind. What’s most surprising about this is how surprised most people are when they realize they’re not happy – or that their marriage is a wreck. The time to save your marriage is before you get married; but, if you’re reading this article, that time has presumably come and gone. So what can you do to save your marriage? Try asking yourself these questions:

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Mind Control: Do Yourself A Favor And Learn To Control Your Mind

Are you often stressed or depressed? Do you get sick frequently? What if there’s something you can do to change all of that? Would you spend the time and effort to do it? The fact is that there is something you can do to improve your physical, mental and emotional health – not to mention every other aspect of your life. Though it is easier said than done, all you have to do is learn to control your own mind.

Consider that your body is a reflection of your mind. The thoughts you are aware of (conscious) and those thoughts you aren’t aware of (unconscious) all seek expression in your physical form and life. If you’ve thought about this, it’s pretty obvious; but most people simply don’t think about such things. If you haven’t ever considered this reality, I’m sure it seems far-fetched, unlikely, hard-to-believe or difficult to understand. Nonetheless, this is the truth. This is how reality works.

Coming to grips with the fact that your thoughts count is the first step in learning to control your mind. It is a difficult step for many; but, if you don’t understand or believe how your mind shapes and controls your life, health and body, you won’t have any reason to focus your time and energy on learning mental discipline. After all, if thoughts are simply things that come and go – without having any affect at all on our lives – why bother learning to control your mind?

If you’re religious, consider that all religious icons – in one way or another – have said, “As a man thinketh, so it is done unto him.” If you’re more scientific in the way you approach the world, you should already be familiar with Albert Einstein’s opinion on the subject – a view shared by quantum physicists all over the world for nearly a century. If your interests are more practical, or if you are business-minded, then consider the words of Henry Ford, “If you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right either way.” No matter who you are, or what your beliefs, there is someone you trust who has hinted at the great secret of life: “It’s the thought that counts!” Accept it and move on.

Step two involves developing concepts of how the mind operates so you can learn to work with it to produce the results you desire. If you can imagine a television randomly switching from one channel to the next, you have an idea of how the average person’s mind works. Most people “channel surf” in their minds. But, if you see a television behaving in that way, you can bet that there’s someone holding a remote control that’s causing the erratic behavior. Whether their surfing is the result of boredom and lack of concentration, or they’re simply sitting on the remote control unconsciously changing the channel, the outcome is still the same – chaotic signals creating a chaotic experience.

You hold the remote control to your mind. You can use your brain to focus on the signals (thoughts) in your mind that you want to watch on the screen of your mind, or the screen of your life. It isn’t easy at first; but it is possible. Imagine trying to pick up a very heavy weight. You may not be able to at first; but, after some period of exercise – where you gradually increase the amount of weight you lift – you will eventually find that you can lift that heavy weight. Where your mind and thoughts are concerned, meditation is the “exercise” that increases your mental endurance. People meditate so that they can learn to focus for greater and greater periods of time – controlling distraction such as stray thoughts or extraneous noise and activity.

When you learn to control the thoughts you think, you will be able to control your life, emotions and health. Think about it, if you are stressed or depressed, you’re thinking about stressful and depressing things. If you could control your thoughts, why would you continue to think about depressing things? You can indeed learn to control your life by learning to control the mind. It takes effort, but it’s worth it.

Health And Wellness: Negative Thinking Makes You Sick

The more I study the mind and human behavior, the more amazed I am with humanity. I am amazed at our potential for greatness; and I am equally amazed at our potential for ignorance. The mind is a great ally or a powerful foe — depending, of course, on how you use it. This phenomenon is far reaching; but it is most evident in our many expressions of health. Plain and simple: Your mind can make you sick or well; it can kill you or heal you. The choice is yours.

In the past, I’ve understood the resistance most people have to this concept. But now, the effects of thinking on our health are so well-documented, well-known and so obvious that the typical skeptic seems not only ignorant, but bent on self-destruction. Religious people balk at scientific findings that our mind controls our health; while more scientific minds balk at religious notions of faith healing and health through prayer. No matter who you are or how your mind is arranged, there is no way around common sense.

Every religion teaches — in one way or another — that we are the products of our thoughts. “As a man thinketh, so it is done to him…” is but one of the ways religions teach us that our thoughts are important. And for those who have little use for religion, you still have a mind you are responsible for; so I’ll make it as simple as I can:

  1. When you think negative thoughts (worry, fear, anger, resentment, grief, etc…), you feel bad.
  2. What you’re feeling are the effects of the stress response that is activated whenever you think thoughts of a negative nature.
  3. When you think negative thoughts, you turn on your stress response.
  4. When your stress response is turned on, it turns off your immune system.
  5. The only thing that heals you or keeps you from getting sick is your immune system.
  6. When you think negative thoughts, you experience stress, your immune system shuts down, and you not only feel bad, but you open yourself up to illness.

It really is as simple as that: Negative thinking activates the stress response and suppresses the immune system; Positive thinking turns off the stress response and stimulates the immune system. You can argue, disagree, or simply refuse to believe your mind has so much power, but this isn’t a matter of opinion; this is common sense and a matter of basic science that is within the grasp of the average middle-school aged child. Science or faith, your job is the same: Master your thoughts and you will master your life. This may be easier said than done (after all, we have always referred to those who have achieved this level of self-control as, “Masters”), but there is very real value in making an effort to think more positively. Give it a try; you’ve got nothing to lose and potentially everything to gain.

Dying For A Change: Will Murtha’s New Book Featured On Ponder Central

PONDER on THIS for Monday, November 30th, 2009 by Will Murtha in DYING FOR A CHANGE

“Will Murtha: When I haul myself out of bed every day, I see the whole process of life as one big fight. In my present sales environment, I either get there first for the order, or I miss out and lose. We all have to fight for what we have achieved. We must all struggle for what we have. That’s what life is about, isn’t it? Fighting for what you believe. Fighting for what you want.

Voice of Higher Presence: What if I told you that fighting for everything isn’t necessary? There is always enough in the world. There are always enough sales orders, food, housing and clothing. There’s an abundance of water, shelter, love and compassion. The question is never about whether there is enough. It is about whether people want to share what they hoard. Please do not make the mistake of believing that life should be one constant fight and battle from birth till death. When life is approached in that way, it will be empty of the joy you are so desperately seeking in the world.

And, please, do not confuse passion with fighting. They are direct opposites. One leads you to disconnect from both your heartfelt dreams and other people. The other leads you, wonderfully, to a place of fulfillment. A place where you discover what it means to truly be a human being. Passion leads to freedom. Fighting leaves you imprisoned.”

William L. Murtha, in “Dying for a Change”