I love the metaphor of “which came first, the chicken or the egg? It comes up often in my thinking about the cause and effect for things that happen in my life.

For example, recently I was feeling physically great then all of a sudden I felt awful. I noticed that while feeling physically ill, I also started feeling depressed and irritable. This is one of many instances where I would wonder, which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Did I first have some negative thoughts which caused the stomach upset and pain or was it the pain and physical discomfort that put me in a bad mood, which of course cycles it all back around again.

Finally the Answer

This chicken or the egg dilemma has troubled me for many years. Now having been on this exciting spiritual journey that I am on for some time; I now know the answer. It is always me and my thoughts that cause physical ailments and discomfort in my body.

My EFT coach used to chastise me for “blaming my body” when I didn’t feel good or had some physical thing that angered me. She would say “you caused it, not your body.” She helped me to understand that my body had a consciousness too of trillions of cells and me being mad at them would not help them heal any faster but only delay the process.

I also hear it over and over again listening to Abraham Hicks teachings and in my Gabby Bernstein books and blogs. The mystery has been solved. I am the cause of my distress, nothing else but me and my thoughts.

Great! Now What?

Knowing this is great. However, it does not always make it easier for me to control. I am still figuring things out and finding ways to remind myself “it’s always you, it always starts with the thoughts.” Hopefully, I can repeat this enough until my mind hears it, remembers it and does something about it the next time. The mantras I repeat over and over help me regain my footing.

When going through particularly stressful times, I have to be extra mindful and remind myself over and over again that if my mind isn’t right, my body soon won’t be either.

Slow Down, Take it Easy and Forget About the Chicken and the Egg

It’s easy to get caught up in life and strife, but slowing things down and taking it one bite at a time seems to help me a lot.

When I feel myself edging towards that “flailing” point, that is when I need to change direction. Otherwise, if it continues my body will soon be suffering and me blaming it for my actions.

Often, I will just walk away from what stresses me and take a time-out break. I will sit quietly with a blanket on and just be silent, eyes closed. It feels good, centers me and brings me back to a better place.

Sometimes all any of us needs is to be reminded that we are all the same. We all worry, we all suffer and we are all human. We are all learning and growing and hopefully getting better every day at this “life” stuff.