“Thankfulness affects physical health.”
These words spoken to me have stuck with me since I heard them. To know that my ability to be thankful, or the lack thereof, can affect my physical health has been huge in changing my mindset. I say ability, because to be frank, we all have something to be thankful for. It is rarely a lack of things to be thankful for, but rather a lack of identifying the things we can be thankful for that inhibits our ability to be thankful.
In my life, I have seen that the opposite of thankfulness is despair. When I lack thankfulness, I tend to lack hope and peace. I tend to feel uprooted and like I’m standing on shifting sand. Being thankful calls to mind the things that ground me, giving me hope and bringing me peace. The main thing I have to be thankful for, and that brings me peace and hope, is my faith. My relationship with Jesus Christ changes everything, and I have to be intentional to remember that.
Another thing I am thankful for is a brain that can think critically. This past year and a half has been a whirlwind, filled with so many unseen difficulties to face. It has been painful, frustrating, exhausting and draining for everyone in unique ways. Although difficult, it has also brought extreme clarity to my life and for that I am so thankful! I am thankful that I can trust my body and immune system to heal as it was designed to. I am thankful that I can clearly take in information and process it, critically thinking and taking responsibility for my health. I’m thankful that I have been challenged to consider what I believe and by what standard I am living.
There is so much to be thankful for if we simply take the time to consider our lives through a lens of thankfulness! I urge you to not take this lightly. The impact on you physically, emotionally and mentally just might surprise you!
-Dr. Sophie Mills, D.C.