Coming forward to protect yourself, your family and neighbors in a time of crisis is considered noble and right.  On the other hand, putting others at risk by selfish behavior is considered unwarranted and wrong.  Most people intuitively understand this.  But did you know that your positive and negative beliefs, emotions and behaviors strongly affect the efficiency of your immune system?

      For over 200 years, every serious scientific study to determine whether a medication works or not has involved a placebo.  A placebo is something you believe will cure you, but really has no curative power of itself.  In almost all studies, a placebo works much better than no treatment at all, and often works even better than the medication that is being studied.  Medical professionals, without a doubt, have long proven that beliefs and attitudes strengthen your immune system and heal your body.  In this post we look at the science of how the human mind works and reduce it all down to 5 universal Laws of Mental/Emotional Health.

5 Laws of Mental/Emotional Health

1. Belief/Attitude – Your subconscious mind is working 24 hours a day to make sure that what you believe to be true will become reality in your life.  If you really believe that you are the world’s greatest basketball player, then not only will you be highly motivated to prove it, but as you act, your mind and body will learn the moves to reinforce your beliefs.  The power that belief has over your body is almost unbelievable, even on the cellular level hormones, messengers, even DNA expression is affected.  Because the mind is so powerful, positive affirmations will always build you up and lies will always destroy you.  The greatest emotional stress you can experience is when your words or behavior do not reflect your real beliefs, such stress is physically evident (like a lie detector).  Your attitude is the manifestation of your beliefs.  To be strong (even your immune system), follow this advice: In all you say and do, to your own self be true.
2. Learning – Since you are the only person that can ultimately determine your beliefs (and your mental/emotional health) learning truth is about the only way to really make a difference.  Remain curious, fascinated, excited about new ideas.  As you learn, you form your beliefs.  As we have learned, your mind makes your beliefs real in your life (including your health).
3. Choice – You, and only you, can choose what you believe.  You are responsible for your beliefs and resulting actions.  The consequences of your actions cannot always be determined but choosing what you feel is right always wins.  The power of choice is a great gift.  True freedom is experienced even in the worst of circumstances, even when it feels like everything else has been taken away, for those who realize that they can choose what they believe and how they act despite all impinging circumstances.  Strong mental and emotional health ensues for those who choose to follow their beliefs.
4. Balance – Balance is also a central principle of life.  All of your cells strive to maintain chemical balance.  When something living is knocked out of balance, it will always attempt to come back into balance.  This is how you can tell if something is alive, whether it be a cell, an organ, an organism, a person, a society, an economy, an ecology, a corporation.  If something gets out of balance (checkbook, excess or deficiency of one thing or another), a living organism will strive to bring it back into balance.  Balance is certainly a sign of strong mental emotional health.
5. Action – All our beliefs, desires, wants, needs, imbalances all will lead to action.  If we choose our beliefs wisely then our actions will be to the benefit of everyone around us.  If we choose poorly, it will lead to the destruction of those around us.  If we desire to be strong and healthy mentally and emotionally, it is our choice.  And as our mind so powerfully controls our body, we will also be strong in physical health.  Oh, be wise and live!

As more scientific evidence pours in on how the mind works, the above laws become more and more evident.  We follow the laws and we grow mentally strong.  Mental strength determines everything.  I have found personally that as the mind grows strong, so does the body and our ability to act.  We have the strength to draw a circle big enough to include everyone.  What a wonderful thought!