Talk Back with Ellen Wood

How to START growing younger

The first habit, and no doubt the most difficult of all grow-younger practices, is the cornerstone of my entire program: change your thought patterns. No matter what else you do to become youthful, it cannot be sustained unless you have the vibration, or mental atmosphere, of youthfulness.

Scientific studies show that our muscles are actually weaker in the moment we think a negative thought and stronger when our focus is on something positive. Why is that? It’s because at the subatomic level your body is energy. The frequency at which that energy is vibrating sends signals to all the cells in your body. Positive thoughts send strengthening signals while negative thoughts send weakening signals. When you make it a habit to watch your thoughts, you can become aware when your thinking is negative and can then consciously choose positive thoughts. That will send totally different messages to your body’s cells, reprogramming them in the direction of vitality and youthfulness.

You may think you can’t control your thoughts, but you can. Changing your thought patterns begins with observing your thoughts. Your mind is always running, usually with familiar thought patterns and beliefs, day in and day out. Most of us believe that we’re born, grow up, get old, deteriorate and then die. And we believe that’s just the way it is – that’s life as a human being on Earth.

Well, I invite you to suspend that belief and allow yourself to open to the possibility of youthfulness at any age. Our goal is to get to a place where we, by conscious choice, expect to be vibrant, healthy, joyful and young. You can choose what to believe!

I’m not being a Pollyanna and claiming we can have a life absent of challenges. In fact, the best wines come from grapes that have to work to thrive. Although grapes can be grown in many places, the best wine comes from those grown in soils that stress the vines and climates just barely warm enough for them to ripen. It’s the same with us. Our excellence is born from overcoming challenges.

Having challenges won’t change, but your perspective – your thoughts – about those challenges can change. Your perspective depends on what you focus on and your focus depends on what’s in your mind – what your thoughts are. When you’re in a pickle, observe your thoughts. Are you woefully stuck in the poor-me’s? An attitude of being a victim of circumstance affects how your body is vibrating, contributing to degeneration.

On the other hand, thoughts of thriving and gratitude invite your entire being to engage in the process of growth and expansion, aiming your body in the direction of vitality. I know it’s easy to look for the positive perspective when you’re helping a friend cope with a problem or difficult situation. It’s even easy to tell yourself you’ll stay positive no matter what, but in the moment of challenge it’s easy to revert to the old, fear-based response.

So how can we set ourselves up for success? It’s a process that begins with observing your thoughts in relatively benign moments. Practice when the stakes are low so you’ll be prepared when the stakes are high. Write on an index card, What am I thinking right now? and put it on your kitchen counter. Then every time you see the card, notice what you’re thinking. Just be sure to change the position of the card at least once a week or your mind will stop seeing it. Practice, practice, practice – until it becomes a habit. This one habit alone can change your life forever.

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