Giving Health a Boost

After a costly break-in at her home, a naturally upbeat woman responded to queries as to how she was feeling by saying, “Pollyanna didn’t have a stomach!” What a great answer. Though touched with humor, her honest response let people know that she and her stomach were very upset by the destruction, loss, and violation of her home. Even when we wish we could deny we’re in physical and emotional pain, our bodies know better. Even when our mouths say, “Oh, I’m fine,” our bodies respond honestly through discomfort, illness, and exhaustion. Bodies are designed to process and express darkness and dis-ease. They are safety valves, and it is wise to listen as they try to get our attention.

Well into the writing of the first edition of this book, I thought I’d overcome my initial fears about taking on a subject as big as hope. However, I was having recurring flu symptoms. It turned out, I had denial-flu. After a two-year sabbatical, I was harboring the fear I’d forgotten how to write, but I wasn’t allowing myself to see the anxiety tensing my stomach. However, I wasn’t allowing myself to see the anxiety tensing my stomach. Neither my dreams nor my body believed the denial. Both continued to be uncomfortable until I faced the fear, embraced it, and began taking care of myself. As I honored my feelings, shared them with people I trusted, and moved through them as gently as I could, the light of hope began to peek through the clouds of doubt. Naturally, I also recovered from the “flu.”

As we learn to accept, appreciate, and constructively express genuine feelings, our bodies are free to maintain or return to health efficiently and quickly.

Excerpted from How to Stay Upbeat in a Beat Down World by Sue Patton Thoele. Available on Amazon.