It is no longer a radical idea but a medically proven fact that our thoughts affect how our bodies function. With years of clinical experience, well placed patient histories, and a good sense of humor, Dr. DiCenso is able to walk us through the complexities of this human experience and point us toward a state of wellness. Eleanora M. Woloy, M.D., Psychiatrist
Well, it’s that time again. Time to re-construct a list of all those things you want to change about your life in this New Year. Unfortunately, your list looks a lot like the list from last year. So, this year why not take a little different approach? Try focusing your list on changing the things that are causing the things you want to change. It’s easy, it’s fun, and it all begins with a thought.
As you think, so will be your experience of life. So, consider this. Researchers say that each of us has approximately 60,000 thoughts per day. The problem is that they are the same thoughts everyday. So, changing your experience of life could be as easy as changing your thoughts. But where do you begin?
Three Guidelines for Change
Since what you focus on expands, what you give your attention to will result in what you experience. There are three important guidelines to remember when attempting to change any behavior.
First, always start where you are. Take an honest inventory of your present situation, including what you think about most of the time.
Next, decide where you want to go. In a perfect world, where do you see yourself being a year from now? Define your ideal life as specifically as possible.
And finally, develop a plan for getting there. Achieving your dream life requires some planning and a way to get from here to there so you know where you’re at in the process. So, here are 10 tips for insuring that your new year will be everything that you want it to be.
Ten Tips for Achieving Success
1) Evaluate Your Life: Step back and examine your life. Identify exactly what it is that you want to change and why you want to change it? This is your overall goal.
2) Establish priorities for change: Create a list of the things you want to change and rank them in order of importance. These are your mini goals.
3) Create a Plan: Design and implement an initial approach for achieving each of the mini goals on your list.
4) Review Your List Frequently: Regular reviews of your agenda will help to keep you on track.
5) Change Your List Periodically: As you begin to change so will your goals. You’ll also begin to see new opportunities for accomplishing your overall goal.
6) Be Realistic: Set goals that you can actually achieve and prioritize the list so that you begin to build success immediately by accomplishing the simpler things first.
7) Reward Yourself Frequently: There’s no better way to stay motivated than by experiencing regular compensation for your efforts.
8) Institute a Timeline: One of the best ways to monitor your progress is by using specific dates for accomplishing related tasks along the way to your ultimate goal.
9) Associate with Like-Minded People: The effects of self-motivation can be amplified exponentially when you’ve got the support of other individuals doing the same thing.
10) Enjoy the Journey: The whole reason you undertook the initiative to change was to make your life more enjoyable. So, try to avoid the temptation of substituting ruts. Keeping the process enjoyable makes your efforts that much more rewarding. If you’re not happy along the way you won’t be happy when you get there.
Success Depends on Three Things
Remember, successful results depend upon three things: The first requirement for productive change involves a sincere desire to experience something specific. The next requirement involves a passionate commitment to achieving the ultimate goal. The last prerequisite for a successful outcome depends upon a system that works. This last condition is the most essential element of any fruitful endeavor. If what you’re doing isn’t moving you closer to what you want and where you want to be then you need to take another look at your game plan.
Anatomy of a Successful Experience
In addition to the ten tips listed above, there are some general considerations that are important to incorporate into any attempt to improve your life, regardless of your eventual destination.
The framework for a productive life experience is built upon the foundation of balance. Balance demands attention to details beyond the necessities of life. So, while you’re moving in the direction of correction there are some basic matters you will want to address. Be sure to pay attention to the basic aspects of your day-to-day life.
Life is Tri-Dimensional
There are three basics components to life that must be addressed in order to maintain health, vitality, and well-being. We all live in physical bodies that are nurtured through the biochemistry and enhanced by our emotions. In order to achieve our potential all three must be cared for. The following considerations are a good place to start.
Getting Physical: Regular exercise is indispensable, apart from whatever it is that you’re trying to accomplish. It doesn’t matter so much what you choose, so long as you choose something. But there are some basic elements that your exercise choices should include:
Choose something that you like and will commit to.
Look for exercises that combine flexibility, strength, balance and endurance.
Mix it up and focus on a different element at different times in the year.
Biochemical Basics: Our biochemistry is directly affected by the raw materials in our diets. This includes our food choices and supplemental nutrition. There are some basic considerations for each of these categories:
When designing a diet:
Pick one. Find an approach that works for you and fits your lifestyle.
Pay attention to cravings and diversify your food intake regularly.
When selecting supplements:
There are five basic nutrients that everyone must take on a daily basis. These include a multiple vitamin, a comprehensive mineral complex, an antioxidant, a probiotic, and a digestive enzyme.
Additional supplements are required on an individual basis.
Nutritional testing can be helpful in developing a comprehensive program.
Emotional Well-Being: Our emotions can play a role in our overall health and experience of life. Often times it is difficult to distinguish the source of symptoms originating in this hidden realm. However, there are some simple tools for maintaining the unseen surroundings of the emotions. The most important factor is to acknowledge that they exist and are important to overall contentment. Emotional maintenance can be achieved with a variety of tools such as:
Taking regular down time to rest, relax, and recover.
Adopting a routine practice for nurturing this environment, such as prayer, meditation, contemplation, affirmation, or breathing exercises.
Beyond these basics it is important to remember that now is the time to begin because there is no time but now and unless you change direction you are likely to end up where you’re headed.
Dr. Richard A. DiCenso is a published author, international speaker, and complementary care expert with over 30 years experience in treating the chronic symptoms he describes as Vicious Cycle Disorders (VCD). Most chronic symptoms are related to recurrent behaviors that can be identified with his new mail-order M.A.P. testing. In his new book, “Beyond Medicine”, Dr. DiCenso tells how VCD develops and what can be done about it. With his extensive clinical experience and considerable background in human biochemistry and Orthomolecular Nutrition, he has become the leading authority in “Whole Person Therapy”. Dr. DiCenso can be contacted through his Virginia Beach office at 757-497-2748 or on the web at www.matrixtransformation.com.
