The Power of the Mind

I have continued my work with my psycho-oncologist and I'm so happy to report that I'm feeling extremely positive and happy. One of the biggest things we focus on is "programs." These are the thoughts that enter our conscious mind that then go off into our subconscious and do their real work.

A simple negative thought about our health can act like a worm and spread throughout your body. Likewise, a positive thought can boost you and keep you feeling good. 

I am a believer in the body's ability to heal itself and Dr. Valenzuela and I have been focusing on that a great deal. That being said, I'm not going to stop chemotherapy, that would be silly, but I think if you just turn yourself over to someone else and say "fix me" you don't have enough invested in yourself. Visualization is a huge part of this process and I'm glad to say that any time I've pictured my cancer it's been a passive mass. Some people studied actually see a living being that they're fighting. That is an unfortunate scenario because it gives a certain amount of power to the cancer. My visualizations involve seeing my body identify the tumors and then my body moves in for the kill. 

Any athlete who has set long term goals should recognize most of these strategies because they're exactly the same. It's simply seeing the end goal and not straying from that mission. I have to say that I have seen the effect of losing belief. Going into Ironman Coeur d'Alene I told my friend Kris that I figured I had about a 25% chance of finishing the race. And wouldn't you know it? I didn't finish the race. My wife Kim and I have always maintained that everything happens for a reason and this was just another instance. Happily it was one where the stakes were low but it was an important realization that I need to maintain my focus and not let the negative programs sneak in. I'm in for a hell of a fight but the army I've amassed is as good as any in the world.