Most of the people reading this blog know me or have interacted with me in some venue. And most of you would say that I am a positive person, usually cheerful, and open minded. I am proactive in this regard, and the system I outline below is how I stay positive. When I do get down, it is usually short-lived. If you would like to be more positive and change your behaviors, try it!
Renewing your mind is an exercise needed when times get tough, patterns become ruts, and habits become destructive. There are steps to this exercise that will allow change to occur in beliefs and behaviors long established and seemingly indelible. (I use the terms "belief" and "behavior" interchangeably without any religious implication. Belief is simply something you take as fact about yourself. Behavior is a habit that has become ingrained and part of your definition of yourself.)
HOW TO RENEW YOUR MIND
Step One: Confront the belief. Who do you say you are? What do you believe is your reality? Do you say, I am fat? Do you think, I am a victim? Do you think or believe less dramatic things that are still restrictive?
Thinking of yourself as a victim or a loser can be one of the most destructive habits we indulge in. Yes, you may have been victimized at some point in your life, by a parent or by an employer, but defining yourself as a victim allows continued victimization. You may not have a job, but defining yourself as a loser because of that is downright wrong and you become less employable with that attitude.
Step Two: Now that you have identified the belief/behavior, say it out loud. Say, "I am fat." Say it out loud. Say, "I am not lovable." Out loud. "I am always negative." "I can't get a girlfriend." "No one will hire me." Whatever your belief, say it out loud. Make sure you hear your own voice saying that negative and destructive belief you have about yourself. I know it's hard to speak it and to hear it, but it's important.
Step Three: Refute it by saying a new statement about yourself out loud. Say "I am not fat. My body is normal." Say "I am not unlovable. I am loved. I love myself." "I am not negative. I am positive." "I do not neglect my health. I am becoming healthy." "It is not true that nobody will hire me. I have skills that an employer wants." What you are doing when you refute the negative belief is recording a new belief over the old one, like rerecording a new song on a used cassette tape. Maybe you don't think it's true yet, but say it anyway.
I will repeat this because it is so important. Recant the old belief and record a new belief. "I am becoming slender." "I am a lovable person." "I am in charge of my life." "I am a nonsmoker." "I do not want or need alcohol." "I am _______ (fill in the blank)" Say it loud and say it proud. Yes, this is an affirmation. But it is more than an affirmation. It is also a refutation of beliefs and behaviors that have been damaging to your life. And it works.
Step Four: Do it again, and over and over again. It takes a few weeks to eliminate the old belief. Whenever you hear that old belief in your mind, start at Step One and go streight through the steps without stopping. After all, you have spent years scraping that rut into your life. Take a little time to infill.
This system works. It's how I stay positive. When I am frightened by the state of my health or feel like none of my clothes fit anymore or think I have no friends (and I do feel that way from time to time), I renew my mind. It's like taking a mental shower.
My husband, who is a certified counselor and the Spiritual Advisor at a large alcohol & drug treatment facility, taught me this method. He lectures on "Renewing Your Mind." Part of his source material is from the writings of James Allen, specifically "As A Man Thinketh." He does not use a Biblical approach even though he is a Christian because clients come from several religious/nonreligious belief systems. His employer sells CDs of his lecture for $10 each. If you are interested in purchasing one of them, contact http://www.serenitylane.org/contact.html and ask for Dwight Lee's CD on Renewing Your Mind.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Term limits for SCOTUS?
I believe members of the Supreme Court should be subject to term limits. Admittedly there is a long learning curve to be a Supreme Court justice, but after a period of time, the justices have established their philosophical constitutional interpretations and should be allowed to fade away.
Who is going to retire from a job that pays $208,000 a year for an associate justice and $217,000 for the chief justice? They have lifetime tenure as long as they want it or unless they are impeached. Six of the current court were appointed by Republican Presidents. Only three were appointed by Democrats.
The lifetime appointments keep justices on the Supreme Court long after their beliefs are no longer relevant or even keeping with constitutional understanding. Politics weigh heavily in court decisions, no matter how much they deny it. Their deliberations are secret. The Supreme Court is the last appelate court to which one can go. No one can overturn their decisions but the Congress.
Justice Stevens has been on the court since 1975. (35 years!) Justices Scalia and Kennedy were appointed in 1986 and 1988 respectively. (24 years and 22 years). Clarence Thomas came to the court in 1991 (19 years). These are overly long held posts. Their judicial wisdom is not irreplaceable.
I propose a 20 year term limit on a Supreme Court justice. Twenty years is a very long time, and federal retirement benefits are generous. A justice could even seek another office. Heck, even 25 years would do. But there comes a point when history, and the Supreme Court, needs to move on.
For additional information about the Supreme Court, see Wickipedia.
Who is going to retire from a job that pays $208,000 a year for an associate justice and $217,000 for the chief justice? They have lifetime tenure as long as they want it or unless they are impeached. Six of the current court were appointed by Republican Presidents. Only three were appointed by Democrats.
The lifetime appointments keep justices on the Supreme Court long after their beliefs are no longer relevant or even keeping with constitutional understanding. Politics weigh heavily in court decisions, no matter how much they deny it. Their deliberations are secret. The Supreme Court is the last appelate court to which one can go. No one can overturn their decisions but the Congress.
Justice Stevens has been on the court since 1975. (35 years!) Justices Scalia and Kennedy were appointed in 1986 and 1988 respectively. (24 years and 22 years). Clarence Thomas came to the court in 1991 (19 years). These are overly long held posts. Their judicial wisdom is not irreplaceable.
I propose a 20 year term limit on a Supreme Court justice. Twenty years is a very long time, and federal retirement benefits are generous. A justice could even seek another office. Heck, even 25 years would do. But there comes a point when history, and the Supreme Court, needs to move on.
For additional information about the Supreme Court, see Wickipedia.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Stieg Larsson
My new favorite writer is Stieg Larsson, "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" and "The Girl Who Played With Fire." Larsson was an editor and political activist in Sweden. He died in 2004 of a massive heart attack, not long after he had delivered his last three manuscripts to his publisher. The two Girl novels listed above are those manuscripts, along with a not yet published "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest." I have it on order. Movies are planned. I can only hope the films convey the sense of place and character that Larsson's books hold.
The main characters in Larsson's books are Mikael Blomkvist, a investigative journalist, and Lisbeth Salander, a quirky young computer geek with a photographic memory. The mysteries they deal with are like matryoshka, Russian stacking dolls. Within each mystery they confront are other even more personally challenging trials. Larsson's liberal sensitivities come across in his novels, which also appeals to me. I highly recommend him!
The main characters in Larsson's books are Mikael Blomkvist, a investigative journalist, and Lisbeth Salander, a quirky young computer geek with a photographic memory. The mysteries they deal with are like matryoshka, Russian stacking dolls. Within each mystery they confront are other even more personally challenging trials. Larsson's liberal sensitivities come across in his novels, which also appeals to me. I highly recommend him!
New possibilities
I have Stage 4 Renal Failure. And Type 1 Diabetes. Plus a few other things. I am officially disabled according to the Social Security Administration. I have insurance, both through my husband and through Medicare. I am blessed.
I will have to start kidney dialysis soon because of the renal failure. I get to do hemodialysis, which is the kind where you go to a dialysis center three times a week for a few hours each time. I did not want to do home dialysis (also called peritoneal dialysis) because of the rigorous daily routines one must follow. I am blessed.
And even greater possibilities arise. I have been approved for an evaluation by Oregon Health & Sciences University for possible kidney transplant. I have insurance through my husband's employer and through Medicare, and my insurance will pay for this evaluation and most likely the transplant, should I be approved. I don't know yet when the evaluation will be scheduled - most likely in the next month or two. I might even get a new pancreas!! The possibility exists, and I am blessed!
UPDATE: 1/27/2010 I learned my kidney function has improved to 25% of normal. Dialysis has been delayed as long as the percentage stays this high. Need I say it again? I am blessed!
I will have to start kidney dialysis soon because of the renal failure. I get to do hemodialysis, which is the kind where you go to a dialysis center three times a week for a few hours each time. I did not want to do home dialysis (also called peritoneal dialysis) because of the rigorous daily routines one must follow. I am blessed.
And even greater possibilities arise. I have been approved for an evaluation by Oregon Health & Sciences University for possible kidney transplant. I have insurance through my husband's employer and through Medicare, and my insurance will pay for this evaluation and most likely the transplant, should I be approved. I don't know yet when the evaluation will be scheduled - most likely in the next month or two. I might even get a new pancreas!! The possibility exists, and I am blessed!
UPDATE: 1/27/2010 I learned my kidney function has improved to 25% of normal. Dialysis has been delayed as long as the percentage stays this high. Need I say it again? I am blessed!
I am convinced that we must be positive...
I am convinced that we must be positive as we undertake this new, post-Massachusetts-Senate-race world. We have 57 Democrats, 2 Independents, and 41 Republicans in the Senate. That is our reality. What is good about it? We are in the majority! We have the ability to create change in our world. We, as individuals, are powerful in our neighborhoods. We can effect change, and we can affect the outcome. Be as positive as you can muster!!
What's the alternative?
What's the alternative?
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