As this pandemic drags on, we’ve been thinking about…well, the power of our thoughts. It can be easy to start thinking negative thoughts about how our life, and the world, has changed. Our thoughts have the power to influence not only our day, but also our life. We’ve now found someone who believes that you can actually influence your DNA, your cells, through your thoughts and beliefs.

 We were sitting comfortably listening to the audible version of Dr.Joe Dispenza’s book, You Are the Placebo. We got excited about what we were learning. We wanted to share some surprising science and how it can help you create your best life.

First, you maybe already have an idea of what a placebo is, but here’s a review. A placebo is anything that seems to be a “real” medical treatment but the result is only from the patient’s belief that it is working. It’s like when someone gets a sugar pill instead of a drug and they get the effect that the actual drug would have produced.  What we didn’t realize is that we have the ability to consciously produce the placebo effect in our own lives. You may be wondering, what does that mean? It means that our thoughts can bring about a result in our life according to our thinking and what we believe will happen.

Let’s take for example, a day where something goes wrong first thing in the morning. It’s easy to think, “I can tell what today is going to be like.” That negative thinking can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, because that is what we expect. James Redfield said, “Where attention goes, energy flows.”

Dr. Dispenza’s views go along with what we learn in psychology – that if you string some associated thoughts together, you create beliefs. Then you might rerun these over and over in your mind and those might not even be conscious beliefs. For example, you take things that have happened to you and you may believe the same thing will happen to you again. When positive beliefs are formed like, “I can do it” or I’m a winner” then these beliefs can help you to move forward in a good way. When the beliefs have been formed from negative thoughts, the beliefs can hold you back. Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”

Unfortunately, according to the National Science Foundation, each day 80% of our thinking is negative thinking. In other words, that’s a lot of negative self-talk. All this negativity is natural, because we are programmed to try to keep ourselves safe. The unrest in the world today keeps people alert to protecting themselves. You already know that stress produces many negative changes for health. So, when we’re stressed, what can we do to reduce our negative thinking?

Because much of our thinking goes on without us being aware of it, it’s important to become aware. When we’re aware of our negative thoughts, we have the power/choice to change them. James Allen said, “You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.”

We see how thinking affects belief and belief affects behavior. When thinking is positive, it contributes to positive beliefs and positive outcomes. Unfortunately, the placebo effect also works with negative thinking. When people think negatively they form beliefs, act on these beliefs and get negative results.

When we realize each moment in life is a “new moment,” it means that we can make a choice to catch negative thoughts and reframe them to bring us positive results. At first, new choices will seem uncomfortable but that will get better over time. Changes in thoughts can change beliefs which signal the body to help produce what is needed for health.

Dr. Dispenza’s book lists many studies that document the effects of positive beliefs and the placebo effect. There’s even research showing that DNA can be altered to help protect patients from many diseases or help them to get well. Yes, this seems amazing, but now with modern technology, the science can be verified. Our thoughts and beliefs can have a dramatic effect on our life.

What about you? Dr. Dispenza said, “What you think is what you experience.” We encourage you to take a look at the power of your thoughts, how beliefs affect your life and make the changes that will result in your best life. We wish you good results!

Chanhassen MN residents, Doug and Lynn Nodland are success coaches and owners of The Balance Center in Excelsior. Contact them at WeCare@TheBalanceCenter.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2020 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.