Research in the field of mind/body medicine tells us that all our thoughts and feelings are chemical. In fact, every thought and feeling we have is translated in the body into neuropeptides, which are the chemical messengers of thought and feeling.
Deepak Chopra M.D., the Aryuvedic physician and writer, tells us that every cell in our body has receptors for neuropeptides and that our body literally “eavesdrops” on our every thought and feeling.
By saying “yes” to our inner life and deeper desires, we give our body a “live” message. When we repetitively neglect ourselves in the name of pleasing others, we tell our bodies that we are “worth less” than others.So what happens when we tell our bodies we are “worth-less” than others? Our bodies eavesdrop on those thoughts, and there is literally an opening for dis-“ease”. When we pursue our deeper desires and weave them ethically and responsibly into our daily lives, we give our bodies a “live” message. We reaffirm the value and worthiness of our lives, and we have an opportunity for healing both physically and emotionally.
The great Chilean poet Pablo Neruda describes what it is like to give ourselves over to our longing. When he first started to write poetry, he was an amateur. He had no idea how to write.
But he followed his longing, putting one word after another, trusting the deeper calling within him. This poem speaks of his struggle to sculpt his very own life, to follow his deeper longing:
“And something ignited in my soul, fever or unremembered wings, and I went my own way. Deciphering that burning fire. And I wrote the first bare line, bare without substance. Pure foolishness. Pure wisdom of one who knows nothing. And suddenly I saw the heavens unfastened and open.”
When we give ourselves over to our longing and affirm life, we see the heavens unfastened and open. In that giving over, lies our healing. The most life affirming step we can take is to give ourselves over to our longing, our purpose, to open up to our preciousness, our uniqueness, our very own life, and in so doing, help to make the world a more beautiful place.
Dare to dream as if you could not fail. What are you going to do with your very own life?
Be well. In body and soul,
Neil F. Neimark, M.D.
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