Shifting from a negative to a positive practice environment (Proceedings)

(This lecture is based on energy principles. In the interest of saving paper, please refer to How Self Awareness Aids Our Patients, Parts I & II for basic information.)

Humans and animals have the instinctive ability to energetically interact with everything around them. As positive or negative energies interact with our energy fields, we are physically and emotionally affected. When the surroundings are stressful, this energy can cause anxiety, weaken the immune system and literally create negative situations for the patient. Procedures can be more difficult, untoward reactions can occur, and healing can be interrupted because of the energy of the people and surroundings. It is imperative that we keep gossip, anger, and drama out of the practice.

If our intention is to create a place of healing and respect, and we act accordingly, the practice will begin to reflect this positive energy. Staff who are contributing to drama will improve or move on. Clients who are a joy to serve will be attracted to our doorsteps. All of this happens on an unseen, energetic level.

The influence of positive thinking and peaceful surroundings is nothing new. Books describing the attributes of positive attitudes go back to the early 1900's. The medical, social science and neuroscience communities are now catching up with the anecdotal evidence on the power of positive thoughts and actions. A new sub-discipline of psychology has recently emerged, Positive Psychology. The goal of this field is to change the focus from one of healing pathology to understanding and cultivating positive qualities. This is being studied at the individual, family and community level. (www.positivepsychology.org)

Functional MRI has opened a new world for neuroscience, and it is being used in exploration of positive thinking and "contemplative traditions", which is another term for meditation, mindfulness or the relaxation response. Richard Davidson of The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a pioneer in this area, and recently received a National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM, a division of NIH) grant to develop the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (www.investigatinghealthyminds.org). One of his collaborators is a true expert in mindfulness – His Holiness, The Dalai Lama.

In a 2003 study of meditation, Davidson showed an increase in left anterior lobe activation (the area of the brain associated with positive affect) and an increase in antibody titers to influenza vaccine in those subjects who meditated. Moreover, the magnitude in brain changes predicted the increase in antibody titer rise. (Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation, Davidson RJ, et al. Psychosomatic Medicine 65: 564-570). Other substantial work in this area is being done at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, which is associated with Harvard University. (http://massgeneral.org/bhi/)

My interest in positive attributes developed from my undergraduate degree in psychology, my love of neuroscience and theoretical physics, and my desire to understand energy medicine. I came to realize that all of life could be approached through the principles of energy theory, including positive and negative thinking.

Our personal energy fields have their instinctive vibration, one that creates health and happiness. But where there are peaks, there are valleys. In other words, every situation or vibration has a positive and negative aspect – much like the positive and negative pole on batteries. What we haven't realized until recently, however, is that we are in control of that battery. We can choose what type of energy we want to exist in. We can do this, because we create our own reality.

Einstein's theories of relativity taught us that an object differs depending on the observer. Life is not static – it is a fluid creation based on choosing from a set of possibilities. Our "choice" may not be a conscious one, it can be based on energy emitting from our energy field. Negative creates negative; positive creates positive.

So what does this mean for us? We can use basic concepts of energy theory to enhance our professional and personal lives. We don't have to be victims of circumstance, and we don't have to work in a practice environment that is full of stress and drama. The following tips are designed for the practice owner, because the energy of any business is a reflection of the current owner, and founding owners. Ever hear The Who lyric, "meet the new boss, same as the old boss"? Energy patterns manifest over and over until the cycle is broken, and the owners are driving the underlying energy.

Don't dismay if you are an employee of a practice, and would like to work in a more positive environment. If you are able to shift your energy from negative to positive, one of two things will happen. The people around you will interact with you in a more positive manner, or a better-suited employment opportunity will come your way.

CHOOSE

One of the most important aspects of energy is controlling it by choosing. Choice is also referred to as intention. As a neurologist, I understand that nothing happens until the voluntary motor cortex of the brain picks up the intention of the human or animal, and sends impulses to the rest of the appropriate areas of the brain. Those impulses are then transferred to the spinal cord, nerves, and muscles, and movement happens. But it all starts with the intention of doing so.

We can start by choosing to live a positive life, one that is in alignment (of equal vibration) to our highest potential. It is that simple. Nothing can change in our lives unless we decide it can. We can stay reactive beings – acting according to whatever positive or negative situations come our way – or we can choose differently. Will negative situations still show up? Of course they will. But each situation offers you a choice. You can be judgmental, a victim, or say woe is me, and strengthen the negative aspects of your life by adding in more negativity. Or, you can choose to learn from the situation, ask why it was created, and intend on a positive outcome.

STAY IN THE POSITIVE

This can be difficult, because most of us are living lives full of negative drama. Don't play! Every time you engage in drama, gossip, judgment, anger and victimization, you increase the negative vibrations in your life. Employees and doctors talking about their personal drama affect the practice environment and the patients. Choosing to hire and reward employees who have positive attitudes and leave their problems at the door can make a profound difference in all aspects of a business.

In addition, if we have a childhood wound that hasn't healed, I guarantee it is alive and well in our energy field. If we want a great job with good coworkers who respect and value us, then we must look carefully at whom we are holding anger and judgment toward (sometimes it's ourselves). It doesn't matter whether it is justified or not – the energy will recreate over and over again. We must face these feelings so we can work through them. If not, we continue to feed them, and they will ultimately control us.

TAP INTO YOUR OWN WISDOM

Because we are all connected to a larger energy field, we have much wisdom at our disposal. When you are faced with a problem or difficult situation, slow down, drop the drama and victimization and relax. Think of something that is wonderful – your favorite pet, a child, or a great day at the beach. Get your body feeling better, and then ask for the answer to reveal itself. It always will. The key is asking in the most powerful vibration. It's as if you had a cell phone to all the knowledge in the world – do you want the network with thousands of people and helicopters, or do you want the coverage that drops out in your own home? Asking while in the correct vibration gets the signal through clearly.

SLOW DOWN AND BE STILL

In order to receive the answer from that great "cell phone network", we need to pick up the phone when it rings. But if we are rushing around and living chaotic lives, we won't hear the phone. No matter what, take a few minutes every day to be still – just sit and breathe! Take a walk if you can. It is in the quiet times that you will get your answers. Whatever advice comes through in these still moments, do it. Even if it doesn't make logical sense, if it creates a good feeling, do it! You may also find that someone hands you a book, or recommends a TV program or movie. The answers could be in there, but you have to give yourself time to receive it. Believing that you are too busy and don't have enough time to sit still for 10 minutes is part of the negative energy and drama that is creating your chaotic life.

These tips may not be easy at first, but just as our first physical exam seemed difficult, they can become second nature. Facing things that need to be healed, turning away from judgment and drama, and choosing the positive are the building blocks to a happier, more fulfilling professional and personal life, and a healthier practice environment.