Yesterday I was reading a wonderful book from the 50’s called The Magic of Thinking Big
” ‘Bad’ health, in a thousand different forms, is used as an excuse for failing to do what a person wants to do, failing to accept greater responsibilities, failing to make more money, failing to achieve success.”
Dr. Schwartz goes on to give several examples of different responses to “bad” health, and then he gives “four things you can do to lick health excusitis” that I thought you’d want to read if you don’t want your health to keep you from doing what you want in life:
“1) Refuse to talk about your health. The more you talk about an ailment, even the common cold, the worse it seems to get. Talking about bad health is like putting fertilizer on weeds. Besides, talking about your health is a bad habit. It bores people. It makes one appear self-centered and old-maidish. Success-minded people defeat the natural tendency to talk about their “bad” health. One may (and let me emphasize the word may) get a little sympathy, but one doesn’t get respect and loyalty by being a chronic complainer.
2) Refuse to worry about your health…
3) Be genuinely grateful that your health is as good as it is…
4) Remind yourself often, “It’s better to wear out than rust out…”
Along that last line, I love his admonishment to “live until I die.”
How has your health kept you from moving forward in your life?
Are you ready to practice Dr. Schwartz’s recommendations above to create a new experience?
How about an experiment for the next 30 days?
Let me know your experiences in the comments below. I look forward to hearing from you!
Dr. Ben
P.S. Want a strategy for maximizing your health in just minutes a day? Begin with Your Road Map to Health.
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my 88 year old grandmother may have read this book–I, and everyone who meets her, marvels at how active and alive she is. She is on the ball, a member of book clubs and bridge clubs and spends much time with friends. I just found out that she has had arthritis for many years, and when I asked her why she never complained about the pain, she responded “oh, what good does it do?”
Gosh I love my grandma….
What a wonderful example!
Thanks for sharing, Kristin!
Dr. Ben
This is a very personal issue with me. Honestly I took a little offense at first. I have found that talking about a stigmatized & chronic illness that takes alot of work to manage, at the right time, in the right place, & with an empathetic person, to be very therapeutic. However, I have learned that there are some people who are insensitive, don’t want to hear about it, & I have to be careful to avoid the subject with them. My health is a major part of who I am, yet I was in denial about it for years, & it was a psychological hindrance. Becoming more open & verbal has been empowering. I have overcome major obstacles in my life & I am proud of that. I understand that it’s possible to talk about my health problems too much, but with alot of therapy, self-discipline, nutrition, exercise, & spiritual maturity, I now tend to talk more about how far I have come & how well I am doing.
Hi Anthony,
Thanks for sharing your feelings, and I love how you’ve guided yourself to a place of feeling good and moving forward in what you wrote above!
Dr. Ben