In the spirit of the Socratic Method, I pose this puzzling question - with no specter of confrontation or combativeness. Much has been said and written about the power of positive thinking. Norman Cousins was noted for his use of reruns of "Candid Camera" to help combat/conquer his crippling connective tissue disease. Tig Notaro, Robin Roberts, Edie Falco, Melissa Etheridge and Christina Applegate - to name a few, all used infusions of humor as components of their therapy regimen. And hunky Hugh Jackman, ageless rocker Rod Stewart, and even the indomitable Mr. T - are also among the survivors who used the unproven silliness-and-slapstick therapy. But what if it didn't make a difference?
- What if my choice to seek maintaining a positive outlook had no affect on my outcome whatsoever?
- What if the purely anecdotal tangential effects are just a happy coincidence?
- What if it was all just a distraction and denial, and not really contributing one iota to my health?
But what if it did . . . ?
They say that life is about the journey not the destination. So here I am, somewhat at the destination of my disease journey. I can't determine if the process of getting here may have been eased by a lighthearted and positive approach rather than a worrisome or even passive one. I took the chance and gambled on the possibility that positivity could help. And as the process was going down, I figured I had nothing to lose and everything to gain from grinning and bearing it.
So I can't conclusively say that the power of positive thinking actually works. But I can conclusively say that it worked for me, and it helped me get from Point A to Point B and past Point "C." I was being taken along on the ride regardless of what I wanted, so thinking that the light at the end of the tunnel was a ray of sunshine and not the headlight of an oncoming train is what powered me along my journey.
