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Do You Practice What You Preach?

Stephanie Thompson

Do you practice what you preach?  I had occasion the other day to really take that to heart. The Thompson family of which I’m a prominent member, has a history of trick backs.  I recently went to the doctor and described my back pain and where it was located and he was a really good doctor. He asked me a multitude of questions to rule everything else out and after he was through with his physical examination, he said, “Well, I think you have a back strain.  I’m going to order you a shot and give you two prescriptions.  One is for Ibuprofen and the other is for a muscle relaxant.”  

So, I got the shot and I must admit it did initially help a lot.  I took the Ibuprofen every eight hours for eight days.  I only took the muscle relaxant once because it made me drowsy.  After the eight days were up, you guessed it, my back pain was back.  I had no more of the Ibuprofen prescription and I could only take the muscle relaxant at night, so I took some Advil and suffered.  After a day of that, I had enough and thought to myself, I can’t live like this.

The next day, after a rough night and persistent back pain and nothing helping, I told myself, I can’t just wait this out, I have to do something.  And then a funny thing happened.  I started to think about all of the different resources I’ve read and talked about how music is healing, so I decided to practice what I preach.  As a professional singer, I practice every day, so I thought ok, I’m going to do an experiment.  I’m going to go into my studio and practice and sing and see what effect this has on the pain in my back.   So, I did exactly that.  For an hour, I warmed up my voice and walked around and practiced different songs.  And do you know what?  Those acts of singing and practicing reduced my pain considerably, to the point that I almost forgot I had any pain in the first place.  As I’m sitting and writing this article, my back pain has subsided to a dull roar and all I did was sing.   And it is definitely possible for anyone to have a similar experience. The beauty of it is that you don’t have to be a professional singer to reap the benefits of singing.   

Why did singing help my back?  Well, it’s actually a scientific fact that singing can have a positive impact on your health.  For one thing, as cited on Takelessons.com, singing improves our overall mental health because it releases endorphins and it increases our mental alertness, by sending more oxygen to the brain, affecting our concentration and memory.   According to an article I read recently in healthline,*singing has a positive effect on stress because it can lower the cortisol levels in your body. I can attest to that because singing for me is a stress releaser.  I’ve noticed a difference between when I just listen to music and when I’m singing my heart out and actually they did a study where they observed a group of people who sang and the other group just listened to music. The group that listened to music was calmer, but the singing group had higher levels of Immunoglobulin A, which is an antibody that fights infection.  

There are other instances in my life, when I was going through hard times and singing was very cathartic for me.  Even if I would be part singing part crying, after I was done, I would feel better.  I was teaching one of my young students the other day and I stopped her at one point and said, “ How did you feel just now when you were singing that part?”  She looked at me and said, “Good.”  I told her, “Do you know when you sing like that from your heart, you create joy for me listening to it?”  She nodded her head no.  “Well, it’s true.” I told her. “It brings me happiness to hear you sing.”  That was a revelation to her.  So, the next time you’re feeling a bit blue or you’re having some pain, bust out a song or sing in the shower or do a little karaoke.  I think you might be amazed at the results.  

Www.healthline.com 10 Ways that Singing Benefits your Health  Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT — Written by Rebecca Joy Stanborough, MFA on November 10, 2020

If you enjoyed this article, you might enjoy some of my other articles at EmpoweringHumanityTV.com.

Enjoy your Music.❤️  

By Judi Moreo

“You will become what you think about most; your success or failure in anything, large or
small, will depend on your programming – what you accept from others, and what you say
when you talk to yourself.” Shad Helmstetter

You have decided to make a change to your game. There is something about you or your technique
that you are unhappy or dissatisfied with and you want to change. Remember, whatever you wish
to change, there is one thing that will be the same in all instances. You. It is you who needs to create
the change and it is you who needs to change.

The human mind is fascinating and a topic of many studies. To help with understanding, the analogy
of a computer is often used. The brain is the physical component and often likened to computer
∫hardware. The mind is composed of two parts, the conscious and subconscious. The subconscious
is often referred to as the unconscious; the two terms are interchangeable. Your mind which
controls your thoughts, actions and beliefs is often referred to as the software.

If your mind is the software that controls everything you think and do, then it is important to realize
that its programming began with you. Everything you have ever seen, heard or felt was taken in and
accepted as truth. Your subconscious mind accepts what it is told as truth. The person you are now is
a result of years of programming. You may have bad habits that you have picked up somewhere
along the line.

Can you change your habits, behaviors, thoughts or beliefs?

Studies have shown that connections in the brain can be changed and these result in a change of
habits, thoughts and feelings. When you change these, you can change your game. Dr. Shad
Helmstetter, author of  ‘The Power of Neuroplasticity’ believes that every thought results in rewiring
in the brain and that this consequently creates a change in life. He believes that,

“What we believe determines our attitudes, affects our feelings, directs our behaviors and
determines our success or failure”

The key to successful mental programming is… you!

Regardless of the goal and desired outcome, you will need to identify the change to be made and
what you and your game will look like once it has been made. It is important that you can visualize
you achieving your goal.

If you want to create a change in your game, then you need to believe in yourself, your ability to
change and to succeed in making the change. It is essential that you are fully committed to making
the change.

If you choose to work with a coach, he will tell you that you are creating the change. He is merely
supporting you by providing tools, resources, guidance and a listening ear. You are at the center of
the process. It revolves around your goals and what you want to achieve.

If you have decided to make a change on your own, then you will need to:

• Identify a change you wish to make (a goal);
• Understand how you feel at the moment and what makes you feel that way;
• Know why you want to make the change;
• Understand how you will feel once you have made the change; and
• Know what you and your game will look and feel like once the change has been made.

Make sure you write down your responses to the above points using all your senses. Create a really
detailed picture as your subconscious mind needs to be engaged, and you need to create emotions
to change those neural pathways.

You can use self-hypnosis, reframing, creative visualization or positive affirmations to help you
create your new mental programming. Whatever you wish to change and regardless of the method
you choose to use to create the new mental program, the key to success is you. You need to be
committed to creating the change. Change your thoughts and believe in your ability to change your
game. You are the key to the success.

Judi Moreo is one of the most recognized personal growth trainers and coaches in the world. She is
the author of 24 books including 2 international bestsellers, “You Are More Than Enough” and “Ignite
the Spark.” As a personal achievement coach, Judi will help you discover that you really are More
Than Enough to achieve the success you desire. She has informed, inspired, challenged, motivated
and entertained audiences in twenty-nine countries around the globe. Judi has received many
awards including the Woman of Achievement, Entrepreneur; the Nevada Business Person of the
Year; has been inducted into the Business Hall of Fame; and in 2020, received a HerStory Award
from the Women’s Federation for World Peace. To contact Judi Moreo, judi@judimoreo.com or 702-
283-4567.