“The mind trumps all.”

I remember my teacher, Henry Grayson, telling me that ten years ago, and stories to support it. The other morning I thought of him when I heard this story on NPR, which describes how people’s metabolism sped up or slowed down because of what they believed about what they were consuming.

“Yes!,” I said out loud to the car radio. “It’s what you believe about what you’re eating!” – at least in part. That’s why I don’t read about what is allegedly not good for me today, whether it’s coffee, kale, fruit, raw food, cooked food, orange food… It’s too personal to me. What’s good for me is what I know makes me feel good, energizes me, has healed me in the past, what I feel good eating, and what I feel good about eating. It’s what I can get behind and believe in and eat with love and joy.

This is our largely untapped magical power… What we believe.

It’s what we believe about stress that makes it harmful or benign.

It’s what we believe about our partner that can draw us closer to them or lead us to pull away.

It’s what we believe about ourselves that propels us forward or holds us back.

This magical power that we have works best when we come from a state of love though, or a neutral state. What I mean is, if we hate our bodies and are trying to think “speed up metabolism!” with that behind it, the result will most likely be struggle. But if we eat with those we love, enjoy our food, and choose it out of love for our bodies or the planet or animals or the people we made it for, the result will be joy in our bellies.

A neutral state of mind is better than a negative one – if we can’t be all in love. Better to drop it, or be indifferent, than to focus on our partner’s flaws, faults or presently annoying behavior, if it’s nothing serious of course. Allowing everything to be, acceptance, leads to a happier place certainly than focusing on frustration. Before we know it, they’re (unwittingly) reminding us why we chose to be with them in the first place.

So check ’em – your beliefs. Use them to your advantage. Believe with love in what you are doing and why… when you exercise, eat, relate, work and play. Believe in your supplements, or medicine or alternative treatment that you’ve chosen. Most of all believe in yourself.

Believe you are are worthy and deserving of happiness.

Believe it is possible.

Believe it is safe to be happy and free.

And believe that you are Magic.