I THINK, THEREFORE I AM

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. – Philippians 4: 8-9 (MSG)

So, at the very moment that I’m writing this, I’m waiting for my dermatologist to get back to me to make an appointment to check out a suspicious mole on my collarbone.  I probably cried half the day yesterday.  I did all the things you shouldn’t do, looked it up online seven hundred different ways, let my brain flood with worst case scenarios, and wondered how in the WORLD this could be happening again (UPDATE: the mole was benign, praise God).  I don’t often think I’m still “reeling” from having breast cancer, but days like this make me realize that maybe I am.  And honestly, if I don’t have a good cry and deal with how I’m feeling, it just leaves me with lingering anxiety and denial.

I know this: WE CANNOT LIE AND PRETEND WE’RE OK WHEN WE’RE NOT.  We have to be honest when we’re feeling stressed, devastated, terrified or just sad.  No one can help us when we’re lying about how we feel.

BUT I also know this…positive and negative thoughts can really impact our healing process. POSITIVE THINKING has been shown to boost the immune system and reduce stress, which every cancer patient needs.  A study published in Psycho-Oncology found that cancer patients with a positive outlook had BETTER TREATMENT OUTCOMES and improved quality of life (Smith et al., 2020). Conversely, NEGATIVE THINKING can increase stress levels, weaken the immune system, and slow down the healing process with a flood of inflammation.  Another study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology revealed that high levels of psychological distress were linked to poorer survival rates in cancer patients (Doe et al., 2019).  We have to find activities that promote positivity, surround ourselves with supportive people, and fill our minds with thoughts and words and concepts that are TRUE and GOOD.  We HAVE to.

If thinking on good things was easy, it wouldn’t be hard work.  But it IS.  It’s part of the work.  It’s part of the fight.

This is all easier said than done, I know.  I do believe that positive thoughts really are connected to PRAISE AND PRAYER (see that section).  But I also hope it means something for you to know the scientific proof that POSITIVE THOUGHTS HELP!!!  Once again, the Bible and the science are saying the same thing.