Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCCLXIX

My friend, Monty, performed the experiment on our little group of friends as we sat around talking in the lobby of a Hampton Inn in Arlington, Virginia. Here's how it worked: We had to close our eyes and stretch our arms out in front of us, side by side, with our palms facing upward. We then had to imagine that he was actually doing what he said. The first thing he told us was that he was placing a feather in our left hands. Next he said, "I am now placing a bowling ball in your right hand. I will now stack a second bowling ball on top of the one I just placed in your right hand. Now open your eyes." When we opened our eyes, our right hands were much lower than our our left hands, although they were empty. The experiment was to see how much our minds affected our actions, even when we didn't realize it. If you really start looking at it, you will be amazed at how our minds can affect our physical appearance, and even our health. My wife was telling me that she had read about a study that proved that. It said that a person who is generally happy will have lines coming from the corners of his eyes, a person who is a worrier will have creases on his brow, and a person with an inferiority complex will likely have stooped shoulders. Therefore, an individual who is trained in that field can tell what kind of person someone is just by looking at him. Practically anyone who runs as many miles as I do will testify to the fact that our sport (most any sport) is as much mental as it is physical. When I reach the halfway point of a full marathon, I'm usually still feeling pretty good, but if I'm only running a half marathon, I'll start feeling wiped out by the time I reach mile ten. If we start out with negative feelings about the run, it will not be a pleasant run. On the other hand, if I begin with a positive attitude, chances are I'll have a much better run. That same principle holds true in practically every aspect of our lives. I understand that it's easier said than done when it comes to maintaining control of our attitudes, especially during times of stress or distress, but it can be done. The trick I use is when those old negative thoughts and attitudes try to force their way in, I treat them like useless waste and flush them, replacing them with positive thoughts. I have enough confidence in myself that if someone else has won this battle, then I can too. In fact, it's a good idea to find testimonials of people who have fought and won the same battles you're fighting. They will tell you that they went through some tough times, but they never gave up hope and they never quit trying. This is true with health issues, family issues, financial hardships, occupational problems, or just about any other issue that I'm not thinking of right now. Whatever our challenge may be, half the battle is in our minds. When we win that part of the battle, we're well on the road to victory. Preston