Health blog

Look forward to a better life! It’s good for your health.

December 30, 2015 By Beverly Goldsmith 8 Comments

At the start of a New Year everyone is abuzz with high hopes for a better life ahead. There’s a feeling that the past is done-and-dusted and it’s time to look forward to new opportunities. There’s great hope for stronger family ties, friendships, better health, as well as happier days. Such hopeful “looking forward” is beneficial, and it’s good for your health.

Many of us stand ready to farewell the old year and eager to embrace a fresh start – a new beginning. There’s excitement in the air as we anticipate what might come along in the weeks ahead. Yet as each day of a New Year rolls on, such joyous expectancy often begins to diminish. The glow of happy prospects can seem short-lived. They may even appear to evaporate entirely in the routine of everyday living.

KEEP LOOKING FORWARD

Despite thoughts to the contrary, you can hold on to that pleasurable “look forward” expectancy. Indeed, there’s no need to lose that New Year sparkle. It’s possible to keep it all year long. How? In looking forward to a better life of health and happiness, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, shared her experience in her ground breaking book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures p. 426. She wrote that she “finds the path less difficult when she has the high goal always before her thoughts, than when she counts her footsteps in endeavouring to reach it.”

EIGHT TIPS TO HELP YOU KEEP LOOKING FORWAWRD

1. Even though life may be challenging, keep thought focused on achieving health and happiness. Don’t let this goal mentally fade from sight.

2. Drop old ways of negative thinking. Make way for fresh, inspiring ,new ideas. In this way “Old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” The Bible, II Corinthians Chapter 5:17

3. Keep mentally looking ahead. Don’t look back on past hurts and disappointments. Leave last year’s baggage behind!

4. Be continually pleased that each day can bring evidence of warmth and caring – a welcoming smile, an unexpected kind gesture, a friendly greeting. Such goodness is everywhere.

5. Give a little joy, get a little joy. Remember that each hour brings fresh opportunity for joyfulness.

6. Breathe a silent blessing on everyone you pass. Your small gift of love will lift your heart and theirs.

7. Develop an attitude of gratitude. Give thanks for the good that’s right at hand, and what is yet to come.

8. Every morning, wake to a brand new day! Look forward to a better life. Take the next step to achieving something bigger and better than your current situation. It’s good for your health!

This article was first published on my previous blog site spiritualityandhealthconnect.com.

Give the gift of peace! It’s good for your health

December 2, 2015 By Beverly Goldsmith 8 Comments

Australians love to celebrate Christmas Day. The first one in this country, most likely occurred at Sydney Cove on December 25^th, 1788, when initial white settlers enacted their homeland traditions.

Since then, it’s been traditional in the weeks leading up to the “big day” for family homes to be decorated, Christmas trees installed and greeting cards sent out. On Christmas Eve, carols are sung and church services held, while children anticipate a visit from Santa Clause. On Christmas Day, family and friends gather to exchange gifts and enjoy special Christmas food.

THE GIFT OF PEACE

Giving gifts during special celebrations occurs in many cultures, and faith traditions including Muslim Ramadan, Jewish Hanukkah, African American Kwanzaa, and Ta Chiu. However, there’s one special gift that can be exchanged year round with people of every race and creed. It’s the universal gift of peace.

Peace is not just the absence of war, hostility, violence, fear, or anger. Peace is harmony, contentment, calmness, quiet, rest. It’s a state of mind that finds expression in peaceful and friendly actions on our roads, at home, school, and in the workplace. It’s a spiritual quality of thought springing from a divine Love, and it resides within us.

TIP:

– Be generous. Give the gift of peace – patience, kindness, goodwill to everyone you meet each day.

– Unwrap gratitude for living in a peaceful community. As one recent arrival said, “I’m so grateful to live in peace. All I’ve ever wanted is a peaceful life for me and my family.”

– Give and receive the gifts of respect and tolerance.

– Offer appreciation to parents for the way they educate, house, feed, clothe and teach their kids to live harmoniously alongside neighbours, and work cooperatively with others.

BE A PEACEMAKER

A wise man once commented, “Many wish for peace, and talk loudly for it, who do not follow the things that make for peace. Meekness, humility, self-denial, and love, make for peace. We cannot edify one another, while quarrelling and contending”. – Matthew Henry

TIP:

– Be a peacemaker. Speak gently. Be patient at work, home, and school.

– Nurture unselfishness and compassion in yourself and others. Foster a spirit of unity.

– Be a good neighbour. Help everyone to live peaceably in “secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places”. Bible Isaiah 32:17

– Join with others in planting seeds of peace and reaping the harvest of harmonious, safe neighbourhoods. Bible Isaiah/32-17. and James 3:18

– Let the much-loved Christmas nativity story told in the Bible, Luke, Chapter 2, inspire you to give the gift of peace now, and all year round. Such gift-giving, is good for everyone’s health.

This article was first published on spiritualityandhealthconnect.com

Speak gently! It’s good for your health.

September 28, 2015 By Beverly Goldsmith Leave a Comment

Speak gently

It seems that we’ve all “snapped’ and said things that we later regret! Maybe the unkind words to a family member or co-worker were the result of thoughtlessness, frustration, or stress. One way to maintain good relations at home and at work, is to keep guard over one’s thought and tongue – to think and speak gently. Doing this fosters harmony, and it’s good for your health.

WATCH WHAT YOU SAY

When I was growing up, my Mother’s favourite words of wisdom were, “It’s not what you say, but the way you say it” and “If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all”. Her sound instruction taught me the value of thinking before I speak, and to use kind and encouraging words in conversation. The tongue may be a small thing, but it can cause a fire-storm of damage! Bible James 3:5

TIP:

– Before “opening your mouth”, consider the impact of your words.

– “Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for the body”. – The Bible, Proverbs 16:24

DON’T CRITICIZE RASHLY

Giving unmerited criticism, or expressing an unfavourable opinion of someone or something out of anger or spite, is damaging to health and harmony. If it’s necessary to correct a youngster or a fellow worker, speak gently – use “a spoonful of sugar” it “helps the medicine go down”. Experience shows that it’s more productive to begin a conversation with words of praise or appreciation before giving your hopefully ‘constructive’ advice.

TIP:

– Be careful about using critical words.

– “A soft word turns away anger”. The Bible Proverbs 15:1

SPEAK GENTLY

Each day conversations take place at home, work, school, at the café or supermarket. Some are short-and-sweet, others long or intense. Engaging with others in positive ways by using words prompted by kindness, calmness, and thoughtfulness, enhances contacts and is beneficial to everyone’s health and peace of mind.

TIP:
– Remember “…the world is wide; that there are a thousand million different human wills, opinions, ambitions, tastes, and loves; that each person has a different history, constitution, culture, character, from all the rest; that human life is the work, the play, the ceaseless action and reaction upon each other of these different atoms.” So, “… go forth into life with the smallest expectations, but with the largest patience.” – Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings p. 224

– Put into practice the message of this poem by David Bates. “Speak gently! It is better far to rule by love, than fear. Speak gently, let not harsh words mar the good we might do here.”

This article was first published on spiritualityandhealthconnect.com

Sleep like a baby! It’s good for your health.

August 24, 2015 By Beverly Goldsmith 4 Comments

Oh, to sleep like a baby, without a care in the world! Do you remember what that was like? You didn’t have to yearn for a restful night. You’d simply snuggle down, get comfortable, and fall off to sleep. It was so, so easy. It still can be easy, if you know how. What’s more, it’s good for your health.

SLEEP LIKE A BABY

Wanting a good night’s sleep, but not always getting it, is apparently quite common in our fast-paced life. At one time, I didn’t sleep well. I blamed my bed. But three new mattresses and umpteen pillows later, I was still sleepless. I didn’t want to buy yet another bed, or take sleeping-pills, so I decided to try a new style of “bed-time thinking”. And it worked! Now, years later, I still have the same bed and pillows, and finally, contented, restful, nights. So here are tips and ideas to help you get a good night’s sleep, and to wake feeling refreshed.

PRE-BEDTIME TIPS:

– Before retiring, check your mental state. There’s a connection between what you think and experience.

– Don’t go to bed full of stressful, unsettled thoughts. It doesn’t lead to a restful sleep.

– Prior to bedtime, prepare yourself for a good night’s sleep. Slow your thinking down. Be calm. You are God’s calm reflection.

– Switch off the technology. Take a break. Completely stop what you’re doing, before getting into bed.

– Spend 5 minutes sitting quietly. Gently reflect on the day, pray, or meditate.

– Firmly believe “You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly.” Bible. Proverbs 3:24

DURING-THE-NIGHT TIPS:

– Don’t lie there worrying about tomorrow. You haven’t got there yet! Calm thought down. Stay in the ‘now’. Feel satisfied that you did what you needed to do in balancing work and family commitments. Bible. Matthew 6:34

– Don’t obsess over sleep. It’s not the number of hours you sleep, but the quality of rest you get.

– Don’t get angry or frustrated about not sleeping. Be calm. Reject the thought that you “don’t sleep well”.

– If you do wake during the night, think of three good things that happened during the day, and silently give thanks for them. Gratitude is rest-giving. It stills anxiety, and restores both mind and spirit.

– Think about a caring universal, divine Love tenderly enfolding you – like a baby’s soft blanket. Bible. Psalms 4:8

– Expect to sleep like a baby. Contented rest is within your mental grasp. You can be comfortable right through the night, and wake-up full of sparkling energy. Why not give this “bed-time spiritual thinking” a go!

This article was first published on spiritualityandhealthconnect.com

Get over Mondayitis! It’s good for your health

August 2, 2015 By Beverly Goldsmith Leave a Comment

For many of us, including working Mums and Dads, getting back to work after a relaxing weekend can seem a grind – especially when it involves making a daily commute in peak-hour traffic! While “Mondayitis” is often joked about, some people genuinely dread the start of a working week. Yet there’s a way to get over Mondayitis, and it’s good for your health.

Beat the elephant-in-the-room

Many workers feel pressured to earn a decent wage so they can put a roof over their head, food on the table and clothes on their back for themselves and their family. Others feel stressed by a demanding workload, and the Monday-family-schedule. When such strain occurs, the depressing elephant-in-the-room question raises its head: “How can I get through all that I need to?” The answer is, that you can, and you will. It’s possible to end the Monday-blues and bring order and peace to your workplace and home. Here are some tips.

TIPS for Sunday:

– On Sunday night, train yourself to think differently about going to work in the morning.

– Shut out negative thoughts. Refuse to entertain feelings of self-doubt.

– Confidently affirm that you’re able to complete what you need to do, as you need to do it.

– Take charge of your thinking. Daily challenges are not greater that your ability to cope with them.

– Don’t underestimate yourself. Your true potential is limitless. “We are all capable of more than we do” – Mary Baker Eddy. Science and Health p.89

– Mentally stand firm: you can tackle your workload in a calm, orderly, stress-free manner.

– Go to sleep thinking spiritual, hope-filled, positive, expectant-of-accomplishing-good, thoughts.

TIPS for Monday:

– On arrival at work, take a moment to settle thought down before beginning.

– Keep your thinking relaxed, at ease. Mentally say ‘no’ to any worrying doubts or fears.

– Focus on one activity at a time. Don’t run ahead in your mind.

– Be confident that you can complete your ‘to do list” without anxiety and stress.

– If you do feel pressured, stop for a moment. Allow a higher, comforting Presence, to calm your fears and guide your thinking throughout the day.

– Affirm that just as a shepherd cares for a little lamb, so divine Love cares for you. “[Divine Love] is my shepherd; I shall not want. [Love] maketh me to lie down in green pastures..” Mary Baked Eddy. Science and Health p.578:4-18

– Let this comforting message from the Bible reassure you. “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need…he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths…” Bible. Psalm 23

-When you get to the end of the day, fill your thinking with gratitude for all you accomplished. Give yourself a mental pat-on-the-back. Go home with the knowledge that you’ve done WELL.

This article was first published on spiritualityandheathconnect.com.