A Healthy Attitude Is the Best Medicine

Published May 21, 2010

We are at a period in American history where our economy is in the toilet and millions of people are losing their jobs left and right. We’re stressed out because we’re struggling to make ends meet and wondering how we’re going to be able to feed our families and afford health insurance. And in the midst of all of this, we need to find work and put gas in our cars. It’s no wonder, therefore, that most Americans are feeling the pinch. However, while jobs may come and go and the economy may go up and down, we do have one thing in our control at all times: our attitude. Critics will poo-poo the fact that a good attitude can cure (and in many cases) solve a lot of the problems in our lives.

Look at cancer patients. I recently read a study that a doctor had conducted in which he looked at various cancer patients and their medical history. Most of the adult cancer patients had made themselves sick, he argued. His hypothesis was this: Someone who is extremely anxious all of the time can make themselves ill because the anxiety or feelings of anxiety actually causes the chemistry in the body to change. These chemical changes can actually cause cell distortion, which may lead to the formation of abnormal cell growth (I.e. cancerous cells). I’m not sure if this is all true or not, but it certainly is an interesting idea nonetheless. The point is, most people who are cancer patients, who have a healthy, positive attitude, actually fair much better than their counterparts.

In fact, the life expectancy of someone who is positive and upbeat is much longer than that of someone who is always pessimistic. More often than not, when you expect the worse but do nothing about it, you can almost guarantee that the worst will happen. Developing a positive attitude is something that we all need to learn how to do and do effectively. Having a positive attitude shouldn’t be confused with being realistic, however. We can still be realistic and positive, and there is a difference. When you are not sure of what is going to happen in the future, it may seem daunting. You don’t want to be overly optimistic and fool yourself into thinking that everything will be great, but you do want to take a look at things realistically. For example, if the economy is bad, you wouldn’t want to think to yourself “Gee, everyone’s losing their jobs, but I’m a great employee; therefore, I don’t see anything bad happening to me.” And then, from that realistic vantage point, pick out the positive chunks and focus on those.

Many would said that something like this is much easier said than done. But like anything else, developing a positive attitude is something that requires patience and consistency. It may not happen overnight for you, but if you continue to work at it and practice having a positive attitude, you will begin to see the great effects it can have on your life as well as the lives of those around you.

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A Healthy Attitude Is the Best Medicine

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