Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit - you choose.
Proverbs 18:21, The Message
As a writer, I think a lot about speech and how to communicate with the world. Daily, I truck in words. I write, speak, listen, think, and read words without limit. Words have the power to lift the spirit, encourage, inspire, threaten, devalue or depress the soul. Truly, we ingest words and eat its fruit. For years I interpreted this scripture through how our words affect others; how we can slay or edify others with what we say or write. But recently I've learned how my own words work on me. My thoughts and words can light a fire in my belly that burns all the way up into my ears and out onto my tongue.
I have a condition called GERD. Though the symptoms sometimes are treatable, the underlying cause often isn’t. It is a continuous, high-acid stomach that is made worse by two things – acidic foods and anxiety. The food part is easier to manage; I eliminate acidic foods from my diet. Anxiety has a whole different set of rules and mostly it consists of eliminating stress. And what is stress but a stream of consciousness formation of ideas that induces fear or anger or complaining or self-loathing or negativity in a million different scenarios. These nebulous thoughts eventually form words and sentences. Sometimes I hold it in and sometimes I let it out. Usually, I let it out by complaining.
I recently read an unverifiable yet oft-quoted online article claiming a study out of UC shows complaining creates neuron pathways which rewire your brain for negativity. Experientially, I can attest to this, it feels good to complain. Soon it becomes easier to be negative than to be positive. Others react to your negativity which increases negative feelings and the cycle continues. Conversely, there is a well-known study that, in addition to a plethora of beneficial outcomes, cultivating gratitude reduces cortisol levels by 23% and releases serotonin, the feel-good hormone.
A similar study in primates, shows that depression and stress shrink the hippocampus which is thought to be the center of the nervous system, memory, and emotions.
Whether or not the science has proved a connection to rewiring the brain, the bible does make it clear that the tongue has power over life and death; those who indulge it must eat its fruit. (Complete Jewish Bible) And so, I have begun to pay attention to the effects of my words and thoughts on my flesh. Do words punish me? No, but my grievances do. As a memoirist and a student of the personal essay, I am aware of how uncovering our memories can sometimes uncover negative emotions. Many writers relate how their health begins to fail while drafting their memoir. I once dropped a work in progress after several thousand words due to the depression and sadness it was creating in me. Giving up was so much easier than dealing with strong emotions and physical pain.
The bible is full of complaints and the desire to quit. The Israelites complained about eating only manna and Moses complained the people were too stubborn. David complained about his alienation in songs, Jeremiah lamented on the top of a pole, and Elijah despaired he was the last man left who believed in God. Complaining, it seems, is acceptable under one condition – that we gripe to God with the belief that He hears and sees and cares. There is something about casting our stress on God that eliminates our fear. When David vented through the Psalms, he always ended with thanksgiving and praise.
I struggle with keeping my body free of acidity. My flesh literally burns from within. It affects my health, my appetites, my breath, my mood, and my life. During severe flare-ups, I just want to die. I want to be a sweet aroma, not a walking factory of burning flesh. Instead of complaining, now I am training myself to be thankful, to praise the God who created my stomach, and to choose the fruit of the tongue that brings life.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. (Reinhold Niebuhr)
As a writer, I think a lot about speech and how to communicate with the world. Daily, I truck in words. I write, speak, listen, think, and read words without limit. Words have the power to lift the spirit, encourage, inspire, threaten, devalue or depress the soul. Truly, we ingest words and eat its fruit. For years I interpreted this scripture through how our words affect others; how we can slay or edify others with what we say or write. But recently I've learned how my own words work on me. My thoughts and words can light a fire in my belly that burns all the way up into my ears and out onto my tongue.
I have a condition called GERD. Though the symptoms sometimes are treatable, the underlying cause often isn’t. It is a continuous, high-acid stomach that is made worse by two things – acidic foods and anxiety. The food part is easier to manage; I eliminate acidic foods from my diet. Anxiety has a whole different set of rules and mostly it consists of eliminating stress. And what is stress but a stream of consciousness formation of ideas that induces fear or anger or complaining or self-loathing or negativity in a million different scenarios. These nebulous thoughts eventually form words and sentences. Sometimes I hold it in and sometimes I let it out. Usually, I let it out by complaining.
I recently read an unverifiable yet oft-quoted online article claiming a study out of UC shows complaining creates neuron pathways which rewire your brain for negativity. Experientially, I can attest to this, it feels good to complain. Soon it becomes easier to be negative than to be positive. Others react to your negativity which increases negative feelings and the cycle continues. Conversely, there is a well-known study that, in addition to a plethora of beneficial outcomes, cultivating gratitude reduces cortisol levels by 23% and releases serotonin, the feel-good hormone.
A similar study in primates, shows that depression and stress shrink the hippocampus which is thought to be the center of the nervous system, memory, and emotions.
Whether or not the science has proved a connection to rewiring the brain, the bible does make it clear that the tongue has power over life and death; those who indulge it must eat its fruit. (Complete Jewish Bible) And so, I have begun to pay attention to the effects of my words and thoughts on my flesh. Do words punish me? No, but my grievances do. As a memoirist and a student of the personal essay, I am aware of how uncovering our memories can sometimes uncover negative emotions. Many writers relate how their health begins to fail while drafting their memoir. I once dropped a work in progress after several thousand words due to the depression and sadness it was creating in me. Giving up was so much easier than dealing with strong emotions and physical pain.
The bible is full of complaints and the desire to quit. The Israelites complained about eating only manna and Moses complained the people were too stubborn. David complained about his alienation in songs, Jeremiah lamented on the top of a pole, and Elijah despaired he was the last man left who believed in God. Complaining, it seems, is acceptable under one condition – that we gripe to God with the belief that He hears and sees and cares. There is something about casting our stress on God that eliminates our fear. When David vented through the Psalms, he always ended with thanksgiving and praise.
I struggle with keeping my body free of acidity. My flesh literally burns from within. It affects my health, my appetites, my breath, my mood, and my life. During severe flare-ups, I just want to die. I want to be a sweet aroma, not a walking factory of burning flesh. Instead of complaining, now I am training myself to be thankful, to praise the God who created my stomach, and to choose the fruit of the tongue that brings life.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. (Reinhold Niebuhr)
(This post originally appeared at lessonsonpaper.com)
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2 comments:
Karen, I've been doing some reading along these lines. Have you read "The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time" by Alex Korg? Secular book, but strongly echoes the biblical principles you mention. I found it helpful in controlling my thoughts. I also continue to battle GERD, but am having more success than in the past. Thanks be to God!
I will certainly look for this book. Thank you for the suggestion and for reading the blog!
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