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I Am

I've long believed that our greatest power is the ability to choose our thoughts. Being a father of two young boys, I'm not in the same peaceful warrior-like state that I consistently embodied when I was in my mid to late 20's. Still, despite having few opportunities to be alone with a clear blue sky, I have this visceral memory of how blissful it can be to choose a stream of compassionate and grateful thoughts.

The feeling is this ball of energy that forms deep within my chest and flows outward to bathe all of my cells with pure health. When I'm in this state, I can actually feel waves of nourishing and protective life force coursing through me, and I'm certain that whatever healing hormones are involved cannot be manufactured outside of my body.

It's like the feeling of elation where your heart and lungs have stopped for a brief moment - you're completely overtaken by surprise, happiness, gratitude, or other equally uplifting emotions. Like if you've ever had the experience of being separated from a loved one without knowing when you'll see them next, and then bang, by surprise, you meet again. Or you find out that something extraordinarily good has happened to you or a loved one. These events come with healing energy that is generated by our thoughts about these events. We can actually create this healing energy whenever we choose - we don't need some wonderful surprise to trot our way. By choosing to deeply feel compassionate and grateful, we promote healing within.

"I Am" is a documentary by Tom Shadyac. It takes this concept of our thoughts leading to real things beyond just our own lives. What we think and therefore create within our individual lives affects every living thing around us. Yes, even how we look at our family, friends, and strangers has impact on their lives. "I Am" does a lovely job of conveying this reality.

Here's the full length version of "I Am" at YouTube:

If you don't have time to view the entire film, a couple of areas to scroll to:

1. At the 29:50 mark, the film begins its look at how we are designed to deeply yearn to connect with others, and how a parasympathetic bundle of fibers called the vagus nerve is largely responsible for allowing this innate desire to manifest as body-wide emotion. Just a brief few seconds of seeing a US Navy man pay a surprise visit to his 6-year old son in kindergarten class after returning from overseas duty is enough to help anyone fully get this idea.

2. At the 43:50 mark, the folks from the HeartMath Institute illustrate how our thoughts affect living things around us, even when we aren't in physical contact - its the most fascinating use of yogurt and electrodes ever.

This idea - that our thoughts are the origin of everything we are and contribute to the world - is what I want to emphasize with most clients looking to overcome any health challenge. I don't care if it's osteoarthritis, acne, obesity, eczema, multiple sclerosis, congestive heart failure, constipation, kidney failure, or any stage of cancer. Whatever the health challenge, for our best shot at lasting improvement and just a more meaningful existence altogether, I believe that we have to understand and embrace the idea that we choose so much of what we experience with our thoughts.

If you have any ideas that you'd like to share on this topic, please feel free to use the comments section below. Thanks for reading, and thank you to Tom Shadyac and all those who made "I Am" a reality.

 
 

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Comments

As hard as it may be for some to believe, I believe we do create our environment and health. Negative thought are very seductive and addictive, but why? Why aren't positive and enlightening ones the same? I grew up in a very negative environment and have worked very hard at changing my pattern of negativity. I'm almost there, but when back with my family (I live far away from them and rarely see them) it's amazing how quickly you can revert back to the negative even when trying to turn the coin and keep conversation positive. I've suffered from depression most of my life and have read that depression is anger turned inward, that fits me to a tee. Unexpressed anger of not being seen, heard, felt. It is a journey to wellness and health that I will always be seeking. And a transendental meditation has helped immensely along the path. I look forward to the video. Thank you as always, Dr Ben Kim.

Marty,
I'm sorry for your experience. You are a unique and special person, created, I believe in the image of God, and I am validating that you have just spoken, and have been heard; well read! Keep talking, positively, of course, as it will bring healing and encourage other's healing and mindset; as you have mine today. God bless-

Having seen I AM last year while visiting my son in Phoenix, I determined to get it in South Africa, and have now shown the dvd at my High School and to numerous friends. I resonate with everything in it and want EVERYONE to see it.
The concept of our interconnectedness is illustrated in this moving story: Rescued elephant herds inexplicably gather to mourn South Africa’s “Elephant Whisperer”

posted by Rob Kerby, Senior Editor

For 12 hours, two herds of wild South African elephants slowly made their way through the Zululand bush until they reached the house of late author Lawrence Anthony, the conservationist who had saved their lives.

The formerly violent, rogue elephants, destined to be shot a few years ago as pests, had been rescued and rehabilitated by Anthony, who had grown up in the bush and was known as the “Elephant Whisperer.”

For two days the herds loitered at Anthony’s rural compound on the vast Thula Thula game reserve – to say good-bye to the man they loved. But how did they know he had died March 7? (Date of death 2 March 2012?)

A line of elephants approach the Anthony house (Photo courtesy of the Anthony family)

Elephants gathering at the Anthony home (Photo courtesy of the Anthony family)

So, how after Anthony’s death, did the reserve’s elephants — grazing miles away in distant parts of the park — know?

“A good man died suddenly,” says Rabbi Leila Gal Berner, Ph.D., “and from miles and miles away, two herds of elephants, sensing that they had lost a beloved human friend, moved in a solemn, almost ‘funereal’ procession to make a call on the bereaved family at the deceased man’s home.”

“If there ever were a time, when we can truly sense the wondrous ‘interconnectedness of all beings,’ it is when we reflect on the elephants of Thula Thula. A man’s heart’s stops, and hundreds of elephants’ hearts are grieving. This man’s oh-so-abundantly loving heart offered healing to these elephants, and now, they came to pay loving homage to their friend.”

Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2012/03/rescued-wild-elephant-herds-inexp...

to the death of their rescuer.

@Lesley Watson
I live in SA. Where did you get the DVD from? My internet connection is not very supportive of a long youtube video.
Thank you for your post by the way!
Take care,
Wallis

Yeah! it's quite true, our thoughts can move results. But I greatly believe that our Lord God is the great healer. I've been through with it by experience. He saved and healed me. Faith heals in and out.

King James Version
Deuteronomy 32:39
See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.

Rose,

Although they have positive potential, thoughts can be deceiving and often not what they aught to be - You are encouraging as I read we have the same Father who has promised to heal all our diseases, broken hearts, and bind our wounds.

Dr. Ben Kim, thank you so much for bringing this to us! I believe it is a Gospel, good news for people on all sides of the great divides we struggle between. I've been an activist against war, incarceration of immigrants, and ignorance. Recently these energies have left my body so that the struggle now is to eat enough to stay alive. This lovely film is a paradigm changer. Very grateful to you for this and the wide range of good practical advice you offer on how to be human.

I loved this documentary and feel its message to be extremely important. I have just two points: A shame about the story of the native hunter - maybe just allegorical, but humans don't need to kill creatures to survive and as the lovely late Swami Avyaktananda said,'Every time an animal is killed by man or made to suffer needlessly, man is cursed'.That is, we have not loved enough. The other: the dear bishop's phrase
'How long does it take to eat an elephant?'Probably understandably an African phrase, but why not 'to get through a grain store' or ' a treeful of fruit'? I may be being literal, but am a perfectionist on these things.
HOWEVER, it is a great film and indeed All Life is One and we are moving into a time when we shall have to live from the heart, not the idea of power, to survive and thrive on this beautiful planet and along with all its lovely creatures.

I can't thank you enough for this one, absolutely incredible

I read a book a while ago (by Brenda Sampson)about Ulric Williams, a doctor in NZ in the early 1900s who helped heal many cancer cases that had been given up as hopeless. His treatment? Basic healthy food,a substantial amount of it raw, walking for exercise and lots of positive thoughts, including forgiveness of others and self. Fasciating read.

Sue, I also read a book by a German MD who had a cancer clinic in the 1930s that healed people of cancer with the same method...and also a little sunshine every day. You can not be healthy while harboring bitterness or resentment. Forgiveness heals oneself, it does not justify the offender. Unfortunately, I leant that book to someone and never got it back. Don't know who the author was.

BRAVO!!! WHAT A WONDERFUL DOCUMENTARY. THANK YOU DR. KIM. EVER SINCE I MADE CHANGES FOR MY HEALTH A NEW WINDOW OF WISDOM OPENS UP.I WHICH I KNEW THEN WHEN I WAS YOUNGER WHAT I KNOW NOW. BUT IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO MAKE CHANGES AND SEE THE WORLD IN A DIFFERENT WAY. THANKS AGAIN FOR INSPIRING US TO BE BETTER HUMANS.