Change the way you think and change your life

I have come across many people who wanted change; change their life style, change their behavior, or change who they are.
Change is difficult - and I write about it extensively in Happiness Discovered - but it is doable. Many people who wanted change said to me that they tried very hard, that they spent hours praying that their wish comes true, that they had this immense desire to be someone else, and nothing happened.
My answer is always that nothing is going to happen ever; that they will stay exactly where they are now. Because wishing or even desiring change is just not good enough, neither are prayers.
If you wait for change to happen, you are in for a very long wait indeed.
The only way to change is for you to take action. And with action I mean real action and not just wishing or praying. And it begins with changing the way you think.
Easy? No it's not, but it is most certainly doable. There are a few exercises - mind exercises - that you can do that will take you to the next step. You did the first step already: realizing that you need or want to change. I will talk about the subsequent steps in my next post/s.

There have been a few days between this post and the one before. Even though I want to post something almost every day, sometimes it's not possible. Right now I am reformatting Happiness Discovered for electronic reading devices, which takes up a lot of my time. Another big chunk of time is allocated to my wish to get well again. This is currently my wish for change - see, I take action, real action.
See you soon.

Happiness Discovered by Udo Stadtsbuchler

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Utilize the Power of your Thoughts 2

Referring to my previous blog, is there any guaranty that utilizing the power of your thoughts - your mind power, if you will - will overcome any serious or life threatening disease? No, of course not; however, not using this power won't change anything to the better either. And, as I explained, there is a huge body of research that proves the benefits of utilizing your power.
If you decide to use your mind power - and I urge you to do so - then do it wholeheartedly; don't hold back and believe in yourself. It most certainly does not mean that you should forgo everything else, such as medical care, diet and perhaps change of life style. It also does not mean that you should "hedge your bets" and do what somebody, whose name escapes me now, suggests in Cervan-Schreiber's Anti Cancer, which is to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Maybe there are some who feel more comfortable to do so. However, I am absolutely opposed to it. Hope is good, but not good enough if you just hope that something will change out of the blue and without any input on your part. To hope and still prepare for the worst means sabotaging the positive effect that your mind power can have on the illness that had you befallen. Hoping that something will change, wishing it and desiring it with all your heart are not changing anything.
You need to take action and combine whatever tools you have at your disposal: medicine, diet, life style, exercises and, last but most certainly not least, the power of your mind.
I for one do it all, and I am about 6 weeks away from letting you know by how much my health has improved over the past 6 months.
If you want to comment on my thoughts, feel free to do so.
If you want to ask me anything that you don't want to ask publicly, send me an email to stadtsbuchler@telefonica.net I am known to answer all my emails.

Happiness Discovered by Udo Stadtsbuchler

Download it in PDF at U.S. $19.50 go to http://happinessdiscovered.110mb.com/

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Utilize the Power of your Thoughts

There is not one shadow of a doubt about the link between thoughts and feelings, and  physical and mental health. I wrote about it in my book Happiness Discovered; Servan-Schreiber writes about it in his book Anti Cancer. We both quote numerous scientific research on this subject.  You can click on the image on the right and you will get to Anti Cancer's Amazon site.
Thoughts are not just something that pop into our brain from nowhere and then they vanish again without a trace into the blue yonder. Thoughts are so much more than that; thoughts are indeed real forces and every thought that we think leaves a lasting mark in our brain. Not only in our mind, however we define it, but in the actual grey matter of the brain. The more we concentrate a particular thought on one particular subject, the more intensified is the force of this thought and the more pronounced this mark becomes. If an individual is confronted with a serious or life threatening disease, as I am, it makes sense for this individual to change their thought processes from gloom and doom, from a focus on all that's negative, to thought processes that are positive, uplifting and optimistic. There is a vast body of evidence that confirms this view; which you can see Happiness Discovered, Servan-Schreiber and all research in the field of PNI.

Let us look at it from my own personal point of view. I have mentioned in a previous post that I am looking forward to my next blood test with positive expectancy. I am certain that its outcome will be such that I can celebrate it with great joy. I have already discounted the possibility of a negative outcome; there are no ifs and if nots, and there are no buts. Of course I have not established this mindset only once I was told that I was ill. I have worked toward this attitude for many, many years. This does not mean that only those can be successful who have been working toward it as long as I did. No, of course not. Everyone can achieve this mindset within a few weeks, provided that they are determined and are prepared to put in the work every single day without exception. Affirmations and visualizations are great and easy to use tools to change your mindset; meditation, auto-hypnosis are more difficult for many people who may need guidance for it; reframing, meaning changing are essential to chnage your mindset and fairly easy to do, provided that you practice, practice, practice, and then you prarctice some more. All these tools are described in Happiness Discovered in great detail.
Let's talk about it tomorrow again.

To download it in PDF at U.S. $19.50 go to http://happinessdiscovered.110mb.com/

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Power of Thoughts vs Illness

Therefore it makes sense to use the power of our thoughts to assist us in combating illness, to speed up recovery, or indeed to maintain our health.

This is the sentence that ended my last post from the day before yesterday. This is exactly what I do to fight the noeplasm in my body. In addition to a few other things, like diet for example and to take certain supplements. But certainly not any form of medical intervention. The medical profession has put me on the "watchful waiting" list anyway, and according to them that's all they can do. My next test will be mid August and it depends on its result, whether I continue to "wait watchfully" or if they suggest to do something different, i.e. operation, chemotherapy etc. However, as I see things there is the strong likelihood that the tumor markers will be lower, much lower. And that the medical profession will step back and I continue on my path of self healing. What makes me say it?

I need to go back to the emotional reaction that I had when I encountered my first cancer scare some six years ago. My GP had sent me to get X-rays done and I did not suspect any serious outcome. That's why it came as an enormous blow to me when the radiologist told me that I had cancer. The first thought that sprang to mind was how to protect my wife from knowing it. It lasted just the split of a second and then I realized of course that this was impossible anyway. From there on everything moved quite fast, tests, scans, interviews with the surgeon, and of course I had to make appointments for all of them. Plus I had my work to keep me busy. In this period I saw myself rather as a spectator, looking in from the outside. There was extremely little emotional involvement on my part, if any at all. I had acepted the fact that one kidney had to be removed and that was that. It was only when I was told that the stay in hospital would be between two and three weeks; an idea I didn't enjoy at all. That's when I all of a sudden remembered that I should really do something and take action. And I did.

I prepared my mind for a positive outcome of the operation, and that my hospital stay would end before the weekend - the operation was on a Tuesday morning. And this is exactly what happened. The operation was indeed successful, I live to tell the tale; and I left the hospital Friday afternoon.

When I was first confronted with my current challenge, my emotional reaction was cool, calm and feeling in control. I was of course better prepared for a negative message than the first time. And I acted immediately. I researched the subject matter extensively and I came to the conclusion that an operation or radio or chemotherapy was out of question; simply because the potential side effects were too ghastly to contemplate.
I also started right away using my mind power to help my physical body in the fight against the cancer cells.
Today I am not asking myself if the outcome of the next test will be good or bad for me. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that it will be good. The only question remains by how much I have improved.
Hopefully tomorrow I'll tell you what I did.
Happiness Discovered by Udo Stadtsbuchler

Download it in PDF at U.S. $19.50 go to http://happinessdiscovered.110mb.com/
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Thoughts and Feelings

We control our thoughts; we can influence people and events, but we are not in control over them. Over our thoughts we have 100% control. No one can make you think something, unless you let them. Thoughts do not come out of the blue, and there is no higher power that puts thoughts into your mind. It's you and you only who is responsible for your thoughts. You determine if you want to think about disasters or about happy events. You decide if you see your future in black and white, or in the most glorious and vibrant colors. This maxim, that we are in control over our thoughts, is essential for what I am going to talk about from here on. Our thoughts determine the words that we use in our communication, both the internal as well as the external communication. Here we have a bidirectional effect: our words determine our thoughts; our thoughts determine our words. Whatever kind of thoughts we think affects our actions. Are the thoughts positive and optimistic our action will be different to the action that we take if our thoughts are negative and pessimistic. Can we expect a positive outcome of our action if we think negatively about it? Highly unlikely.
Our thoughts and words determine also our feelings. We can direct our thoughts to generate negative or sad feelings; or we can direct them toward positive and happy feelings. This is within our control.

PNI, about which I wrote in one of my previous posts, has found a very strong correlation about our feelings and our health. In my book Happiness Discovered I write extensively about this, and also about how our feelings affect not only our immune system, but our overall wellbeing and why this is so.
Therefore it makes sense to use the power of our thoughts to assist us in combating illness, to speed up recovery, or indeed to maintain our health.

Happiness Discovered by Udo Stadtsbuchler

Download it in PDF at U.S. $19.50 go to http://happinessdiscovered.110mb.com
 Buy the book at U.S. $ 29.50 from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1451578784
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Let's meet tomorrow again.

Servan-Schreiber's Anti Cancer

BTW here is the book I highly recommend as a must read for everyone who has cancer, or as a need to read for eveyone who interested in the subject matter. I forgot to add it to the relevant article, but now it's here.

What's "mind"?

I introduce here excerpts from my book Happiness Discovered, in which I extensively write about mind as well as about psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), previously called behavioral medicine, which explores the mind - body connection and its impact on health and wellbeing.

First, let us have a brief look at the definition of mind. What is this thing called mind? What does it do? How does it work? Are we in control of our mind? And if we don’t control it, who does?


Good questions and not new ones either; but disappointingly, there is not a single universally acceptable definition of mind. Aristotle, Buddha, Zarathustra, Plato and other theorists, from the ancient Greek culture to the Islamic and Indian culture proffered their views. In modern time one of the most eminent psychologists, the great Sigmund Freud opined extensively on the subject matter. Not surprisingly there are probably almost as many answers as there are theorists, and needless to say, some of them differ greatly from others. Explanations were sought in religion, the supernatural, the divine and luckily also in science. Some theorists favoured dualism, which means that body and mind are two separate entities. Others favoured monism, meaning that body and mind are not physiologically distinct.

Based on our modern understanding of the human brain, we say that mind is a product of the brain, and consists of the conscious and unconscious aspect; plus, according to followers of Freud, the preconscious aspect. Mind is a product of the brain but not restricted to the brain alone; it is in every cell of our physiology. Mind and the physical body are completely intertwined, dependent on one another and one cannot do without the other. This has become the view that most modern psychologists accept. It is this view that really was essential for the development of PNI. Without accepting that mind and body are completely dependent on each other, PNI or any form of energy therapy could not exist.


There are still arguments continuing as to what is governed by the conscious and what by the unconscious mind. As I said earlier, Sigmund Freud added to the debate a third element, the preconscious mind. 1932 he lectured: “... distinguish two kinds of unconscious - one which is easily, under frequently occurring circumstances, transformed into something conscious, and another one with which this transformation is difficult and takes place only subject to considerable expenditure of effort or possibly never at all ... We call the unconscious which is only latent, and thus becomes easily conscious, the “preconscious,” and retain the term” unconscious” for the other.”

The reason why I talk about mind is to emphasize that we can influence it; not only our conscious mind, but also our unconscious mind. We can do it directly using our own powers, the power of our thoughts; or indirectly using a third party, with the use of hypnosis.

We have here not only a bi-directional but a multi-directional effect: feelings created unconsciously by thoughts through the mind and brain connection, can be consciously changed by changing the thoughts, thereby exercising control over our mind and brain.

 
Happiness Discovered by Udo Stadtsbuchler

Download it in PDF at U.S. $19.50 go to http://happinessdiscovered.110mb.com/  
click Downloads and follow instructions.
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I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.

Cancer cont.2

I am using most of Servan - Schreiber's advice on diet, which largely means vegetarian food, if possible organic, emphasizing foods with low glycemic value and high in protein, no sugar, and no dairy products. This diet is not prostate cancer specific, but for all forms of cancer. In addition I eat every day a large portion of tomato sauce, heavily spiced with garlic, turmeric, chilies and ginger. Tomato sauce (not raw or fried tomatoes) with olive oil added is the best source of Lycopene, which reduces PSA; turmeric is anti cell inflammation, all other spices have anti cancer properties. An additional reason for heavily spicing tomato sauce is that I deeply dislike tomato sauce; I dislike the taste, and I find the sickly sweet smell revolting. I also take Zyflamend and TurmericForce by New Chapter, and Modifilan to actively detoxify my body. All the products mentioned are natural supplements.
Does this regime work for me? Well, after having adhered to it for just over 3 months, I think so. I believe that some of the symptoms have at least eased off.

However, my most important tool is the power of my mind, which sounds rather grand, but it is actually something that we all have. Most of us have chosen to ignore it, or we were conditioned to ignore it. But we can rekindle it, and it's not all that difficult.
With mind power I don't mean one's ability to walk with bare feet on glowing coal (which I do), or broken glass (which I do); or the ability to bend spoons (which I also do). I mean the most important ability which is the ability to control one's feelings. Not by suppressing them, but by replacing unwanted feelings that are useless, with feelings that are useful and empowering.
More about this tomorrow.

Cancer cont.2

Cancer cont.

Yes, it was in February of this year that I felt some discomfort in my pelvic area, not pain but considerable discomfort. It was less discomfort then the one I had when my kidney started playing up some years before. But enough discomfort to see my doctor. A blood test revealed that PSA, the tumor marker for prostate cancer, was higher than it should have been. MRI scan confirmed and the eventual biopsy made it quite clear that there was a neoplasm in place. I was advised to do nothing about it, but wait for another 6 months for another test to see by how much the illness had advanced. This is called the "watchful waiting" period.
However, I am a "doer" and my mind is not at all designed to watchfully wait. Also this advice didn't make sense to me; I was certain that I could and should do something to help my body to overcome this challenge. But what? My general practitioner couldn't give me any useful advice, nor did the oncologist.
Because of my professional training I know of all the psychotherapeutic tools that I could use and I did and still do use them with great determination. Even though I know the strength of my mind power I felt the need to do more.
I cam across the book by Dr. Aaron Katz / Prostate Health, which helped with advice on diet and supplements. And I found it quite useful. But then I found Dr. David Servan-Schreiber / Anti Cancer a New Way of Life, which was a real eye opener for me.  I recommend it as an absolute "must read" for everyone who has cancer; and I recommend it as a "need to read" for everyone who has an interest in the subject matter.
More about it probably tomorrow.

Cancer

I have cancer, or as I prefer to say, a neoplasm on the prostate gland. I have cancer means it is my possession, I own it. No, I don't own it, I gladly be rid of it. Neoplasm depersonalizes the thing; it's not mine. If I tell somebody that I have cancer, I create shock in the person and they don't know how to talk to me. If I say neoplasm I get a different reaction, because many people don't know what it means. When I am asked about it I'll explain of course, but with words that take the drama out of the situation. I never use the words I suffer cancer, because frankly I don't suffer; I am a very happy person. Certainly not because of the neoplasm, but in spite of it; it doesn't emotionally affect me. I will elaborate on this as we go along.
I will use this blog almost as a diary and will inform you of my progress through the whole process from the beginning to the point when I am free of this neoplasm. Yes, I am 100%convinced that I will beat it. Yes, I will beat it; I have decided not to go for chemo or radiotherapy, and I will not allow removal of this gland. I just don't like the potential side effects of it. I am going to use the support of natural remedies, a very strict diet and the most effective tool at my disposal; the power of my mind. I will share all these tools with you.

Let us start at the beginning, which is that I had the first neoplasm about six years ago and, as a result, one of my kidneys had to be removed. At that time I hadn't researched this illness and what one could do about it. Operation was the only option that I had, and I do not regret having had it. I did, however, exercise the power of my mind to shorten my hospital stay from predicted 14 days to three weeks to a mere three days. My wife was horrified and very angry with me when I called her from the hospital to come and pick me up, but luckily she did it anyway. Six months after the operation I had the first of the supposedly 6-monthly check-ups. I was clear, and from there on I never went back for more check-ups. At the time we lived in England, but moved to Spain about a year after the operation.

All was fine until February 2010 when I was diagnosed with another neoplasm.

With matters of the mind I mean anything that is governed by it; our behavior, feelings, and to some degree our physical and mental health; our actions and reactions, and our interpersonal relationships; our values, beliefs, and priorities; our biases and prejudices; well, in short it means just about everything in our life.
One of my main interests is happiness, and I will write about it quite a lot. I have written a book about it - Happiness Discovered - and you find details of it below.
Another of my main interests is how mind affects health or illness, and I have a vested interest in it. This interest is that I have cancer, or as I usually say, a neoplasm has established itself on my prostate gland. What makes me use these words rather than the simple word cancer, I'll explain as we go along. I have resolved that I am not going to use chemo or radiotherapy or the removal of this gland as a cure, but use my own power of mind plus a change of life style to become healthy again. I m going to use this blog as a kind of diary to inform you of the success of my "therapy" but also of the pitfalls should any occur.



Download it in PDF at U.S. $19.50 go to http://happinessdiscovered.110mb.com
click Downloads and follow instructions.
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