Positive connections is what connected us with Jenn Maronek! After having read this impactful article connecting science and spirit to our well-being, we reached out to Jenn to ask for her permission to share and post this important article here for you. Her passion and our mission are strongly aligned and we are happy to introduce you to Jenn Maronek (see Bio) on our Community page. Look for more collaborations with Jenn, as a guest blog writer and as a co-host on our Art of Living Series in the months to come!
“If you ever wonder why positivity is such a big deal to health and wellness, look under the microscope. The mechanism for the connection between health and positivity may be found right in our very cells.
There are no longer doubts that what happens in the brain influences what happens in the body. Numerous studies from multiple leading medical centers including John Hopkins University and Harvard School of Public Health, as well as the National Institutes of Health, have shown an indisputable link between having a positive outlook and health benefits like lower blood pressure, less heart disease, better weight control, and healthier blood sugar levels. When facing a health crisis, actively enhancing positive emotions can boost the immune system and counter depression.
As a person who understands both spirituality and human physiology, I find it no accident that in the human body, positivity is mandatory for new movement, just as it is for your spiritual health success. It’s like the secret formula to personal success is hidden right in your very cells.
Being positive is in your true nature, in fact, it’s actually in your body. Positivity isn’t just a hidden force you interact with. It is a very real force that lives in you and brings about tremendous action. Your body is electric, a human energetic soup, made of salts and ions like sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium and all have a specific positive electrical charge. Of course, your body has negative ions too, but in order to make the magic of action happen, it is only the movement of the positive ions that counts.
In the body, certain types of specialized excitable cells create what science calls an action potential, the cell to cell communication that allows an electrical signal to reach a destination with an associated physiologic response. This action potential is, more or less, movement in the body as a result of the cell allowing positive ions to cross the cell membrane while keeping the negative ions out. How amazing is that!?
Principles of science aren’t that far removed from spirituality, in fact, I find the basis of all healing is to know that science and spirituality are actually not that different.
Science says: The better we understand the nature of the world, the better we can move in the world.
Spirituality says: The better we understand the nature of ourselves, the better we can move within ourselves and the world.
We believe in science because it is what we know and see, can measure, and prove through experimentation in real-world context, while spirituality encourages people to search within, trust what they can’t see or measure, and to move with life in a state of positive faithful flow. Here is the takeaway message: Positivity is crucial to achieving your life goals.
If you are really honest with yourself, how do you embrace being positive and taking new actions? Do you find yourself saying, “I’ll sit this one out”, only to contemplate how “tomorrow” you’ll find time to bring more joy and positive action in your life, such as exercise, eating healthy, or writing gratitude in your journal… even though you know these are necessary steps to open up the life you want?
Just like the cells of your body respond in real-time from their neighbors and environment with positivity, so can you! Here are three things science knows from excitable cells, to help you be more positive and excited about your life.
A positive attitude really is your true nature
While it’s easy to blame negativity on all kinds of outside forces—fate, experiences, parents, relationships, you really have no excuse not to be positive, as your cells are doing that for you every second of your life. Of course, life on the outside will fluctuate from other variables, but with life on the inside and everything that happens in your body, it all happens as a result of a positive influence. No one bad person or no bad mood will ever change that about you.
Allow yourself to let in the positive!
Keep out the negative energy and let in new positive energy and reinforce the positivity in yourself. The body requires training and the more you practice, the better you get, and yes, you can practice being more positive. The best and easiest way to do this is to be positive when it comes to who you are. As I said, you are already positively awesome whether you admit it or not. So, start telling yourself you are awesome. Tell yourself you look good. Tell yourself you did a great job at work, balancing your budget, raising your kids, or whatever it is you do. You are born with billions of excitable cells, thus you have billions of positive attributes and reasons to be excited. Remind yourself of that every day.
Respond to life in a positive way
Not only do you need to be positive with yourself, but you need to be positive with others. Cells share positive impulses with other cells. Thus, you have to share your wealth of positivity with others in the world. The best way I’ve found to do this is quite simple and basic: Be nice to other people!!
Smile. Tell someone s/he looks nice today. My favorite is to tell the people who clean up the blood and gut messes in the ER, thank you!! Or call up your parents and tell them how much you love them and how great they are. You never know when they won’t be around anymore! People appreciate positivity, and the more you share it with others, the more you are practicing it your own life.”
