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Horizons Magazine
DECEMBER 2001
Creating our own reality, feeling happy boosts your immune system
Hello and welcome to the December 2001 issue of Horizons Magazine.
Wow, the end of the year already and what a year it's been. I always love
the week after Christmas and before the new year, because it is a time to
decompress after the rush is over. I use the time to sit with friends and review
what's gone on the past 12 months. We pull out the lists we made last year,
our lists of things we'd like to see happen in the new year. I'm always delighted
to see that many things have come about that we each forgot we had on our lists!
That's one reason lots of us are slow to realize we create our own reality ~ we forget what it is we've asked for. We move on to the next "I want" without having properly credited ourselves for manifesting what we wanted last time. We skip the final step of manifestation, which is basking in and appreciating what we've received, and spending time feel grateful and expressing gratitude. When we skip this final step of appreciation, we're lots less likely to remember the manifestations that have come our way, and thus our next manifestation may take lots longer to arrive. Or lots longer for us to realize it's already arrived and we just haven't noticed it. When we don't maintain some focus on what we want, and what we've achieved in the past, we're less likely to notice when new opportunities arise.
Think of a delicious experience, like enjoying your favorite dessert. You begin to think about it ahead of time. You bring to mind everything you know about it, and everything you remember about it. The flakey melt-in-your-mouth crust. The juicy, succulent filling. The rich, smooth, chocolately topping. The little dab of fresh whipped cream and cherry at the peak. It's a delight to look at. It smells heavenly. You can't wait for it to be done cooking. You take a bite and savor it slowly, tasting each ingredient as they blend together on your tongue. Aaaahhh... heaven! You congratulate the cook. You rave to your friends about it for days afterward.
Just as deeply as you spent time anticipating and enjoying and being satisfied by the dessert, that is how much time you should spend on recalling and appreciating your small triumphs in manifestation if you want them to continue. That's why I make lists of what I want to achieve, and keep them displayed to review often and cross off my items as they happen. And making and reviewing lists with a group of friends is one of my favorite thing to do, and doing it during the holidays is what I like best. Closing out the past year. Making plans for the new year...
Not everyone spends the holidays with friends or family. If you know someone who's alone during this time, you might take a moment to call or stop in and just let them know you're thinking about them. Maybe ask them what was the best news they got in 2001, what was the best thing that happened to them this past year. Better yet, I hereby appoint all you guys as roving reporters for Horizons and ask you to interview your neighbors and see what good things happened to them in 2001. Your job is to keep them focused on reporting the GOOD news of 2001.
Rev. Sue Bailey told of how Harvard did a scientific study which involved having the subject place their foot in a bucket of ice, and then have their pain threshold documented. Rev. Sue joked that just the image of having her foot in a bucket of ice signaled her threshold for pain! It was discovered that the subjects could handle twice their normal threshold of pain if just one other person was in the room with them. Not someone they knew. Not anyone who was talking to them. Just one other person's presence in the room. The other person's mere presence allowed them to withstand twice as much pain as they normally could.
Wow, that's powerful. Maybe their state of mind was that if they needed something, someone else was nearby. Maybe their attention was just focused in a direction that took them away from their pain. Maybe us merely being together helps us experience comfort.
Research shows that premature infants who are lovingly touched grow and gain weight quicker and leave the hospital sooner. Likewise, the presence and loving touch of a friend can be very comforting and healing. I'm always going around hugging my friends, holding their hand in church or throwing an arm around them in meetings. I like to brush their hair and rub their back and massage their hands when we visit. I do it because I like it. I do it because I'm usually in such a good mood that I can't help smiling, and cuddling my friends is just one way I've found to express my joy.
Feeling happy boosts your immune system, too. I have friends who are working through serious health conditions, and they say they all but forget their discomfort when we visit. So next time you visit with friends, hold hands and talk about what good news you had this year. And remember, the best present you can give anyone is your presence.
In this issue, Lloyd Thomas gives a great lesson on the value of silence and Ken Thornton-Smith gives 9 guidelines for growth; one of which is "Shut up, now. Stop talking, or the gems of others sent to help you will be lost in your own inconsequential chatter." We can all think of times we could've kept our mouths shut and didn't, right? Lots of folks are addicted to chatter, and feel uncomfortable in the privacy of their own thoughts. They've always got the radio on or the tv or they're on the phone or they're checking email or they're reading the paper or the cereal box - instead of just sitting with themselves in the silence and being in the moment, considering their life. Rev. Beth Head discussed the HeartMath Institute teaching that we can learn to release negative energy simply by shifting our attention.