Attitude Intervention

The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.
William James - US Pragmatist philosopher & psychologist (1842 - 1910)

As I watched another American Town Hall meetings dissolve into a hate-filled, cat-calling, bitter brawl, I started thinking about a book called the "Power of Positive Thinking." Remember Norman Vincent Peale? My mother always had a copy of that book amongst her paperback library. Unfortunately, my mother died in 1995. Although I am happy that she was spared the current chaos and polarization of our society, I would love to have her input right now. You see, I was blessed with a mother with a quick mind, great faith and the ability to be positive about just about anything. In fact, during the last week of her life, after a year of chemotherapy following a quick cancer diagnosis (that followed a long misdiagnosis) she replied (after having been asked how she was doing), "Pretty good!" Hope, faith and the common sense to look at things in a positive light. That comment made an enormous impression on me. As someone who has worked with hospice for years, I can tell you that positive perspective helps us right up until our last breath.

Indeed, a recent study indicates that there is a correlation between optimism and longevity. Women who are optimistic have a lower risk of developing heart disease and of dying earlier from any cause than those who are pessimistic, according to research. Similarly, women who are trustful of others are likely to live longer than those who harbor "cynical hostility". Life experiences (such as education and income) and habits (such as exercise) explain part, but not all, of this effect. (BMJ Publishing Group Limited, 2009

The more positive a person is, the more resilient they seem to be. No one knows for sure why a positive attitude seems to lead to a longer life. Researchers believe that positive thinking about aging can increase a person's will to live, making him or her more resilient to illness and more proactive about health. Another explanation given was that mental stress of aging is lower for people who have a positive attitude. As I have said, believe that we can strengthen ourselves by embracing life, aging, and imminent change.

We have all seen the results of people "acting as IF…." and getting the results that they have decided they will get. The self-fulfilling prophecy is a statement that alters actions and therefore comes true. For example, a person stating "I'm probably going to have a lousy day," might alter his actions so that such a prediction is fulfilled by his actions. This may be an unconscious gesture. A person who might espouse a self-fulfilling prophecy in a positive way "I'm going to have a great day" might act in ways that will actually make this prediction true.

And so, let us get back to those American Town Hall meetings. Before anyone abandons themselves to anger and rage they should be have enough knowledge to be SURE that the battle is worth it. Whether you dump your anger on another person or inwardly seethe, your anger is negatively affecting you both physically and emotionally.

On the physical level, anger triggers the body's fight or flight response, causing the adrenal glands to flood the body with the stress hormones - adrenaline and cortisol. Blood is taken from the brain and organs and put into the muscles in preparation for action. The constant flood of stress hormones can create many health problems, such as headaches, digestion problems with abdominal pain, insomnia, high blood pressure, skin problems, heart attacks and strokes.

Just a few suggestions to encourage positive thought which seems to result in more positive action and outcome.

1) Help expand options by asking, "If there were no obstacles, what would you do?" Think of possible productive answers to current problems. Get the creative juices flowing if at all possible.

2) Boost positive thinking with questions such as, "What did you enjoy today?" "What do you feel satisfied about?" "What are you grateful for today?"

3) What If you can't conjure up anything optimistic? Visit a positive psychologist, counselor or pastor who is trained to help people change negative thinking patterns and develop a more optimistic outlook. Your health and the quality of your life are important enough to warrant this effort!

I am a social worker, counselor and director of Help At Home, Inc. Our staff works with families and individuals that are looking for some assistance at home (after an illness, surgery or due to the difficulties that aging sometimes presents). We enjoy talking to families to answer any questions that come up. It is our truly our pleasure to help .And we, too, work very hard at staying positive!