Turn “Stressed” Around!

Who is the highest authority governing and directing our lives? It is our mind.

A knife in the hands of a surgeon becomes an instrument that saves lives. In the hands of a chef, it becomes a tool for preparing delicious food. But in the hands of a robber, it becomes a deadly weapon capable of taking a life. How a knife is used is not determined by the knife itself. It depends on the mind of the person holding it.

There is an interesting medical experiment related to this idea. Patients suffering from stomach disorders were divided into two groups. One group was given a “specially developed new medication,” while the other received an “ordinary existing medication.” After a certain period, examinations showed that, as expected, the stomach conditions of those who had taken the special medication had improved noticeably. It appeared that the effectiveness of the new drug had been proven.

Surprisingly, however, both groups had received identical nutritional supplements containing no therapeutic ingredients. It was not the medicine itself but the patients’ positive expectations and belief that they would recover that produced an actual therapeutic effect. The medical community calls this the “placebo effect,” using the term placebo, meaning a sham or inactive treatment.

The opposite can also occur. It is known as the “nocebo effect,” a term derived from the Latin word meaning “I shall harm.”

Patients who had been prescribed aspirin for an extended period to prevent blood clotting were divided into two groups. Only one group was warned about the possibility of gastrointestinal side effects, while the other received no such warning. Endoscopic examinations showed no problems among the patients who had not been warned. In contrast, those who had heard the warning reported more than three times as much pain and other side effects.

Their anxiety and concern about possible side effects actually contributed to physical illness.

The placebo and nocebo effects both demonstrate how profoundly a person’s mindset, attitude and emotional state can influence healing and life itself. One cardiologist published research showing that highly competitive and ambitious people are far more likely to develop heart disease than those with relaxed personalities. It is also widely known that suppressing anger may increase the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and cancer.

People are becoming increasingly anxious because of continuing external difficulties, economic hardship and uncertainty about the future. Whenever we hear predictions of another major financial crisis or economic recession, we sigh deeply. Enduring everything up to this point has already been difficult enough. How are we supposed to survive what lies ahead?

There is a familiar and fascinating story about the Korean Buddhist monk Wonhyo. Lost in the wilderness and suffering from extreme thirst and fear, he discovered water collected in what he believed was a hollow in a rock. He drank it gratefully and found it wonderfully refreshing.

After regaining his strength, he awoke the following morning and discovered that the water he had drunk had actually collected inside a human skull. The sight caused him to vomit violently.

Neither the objective circumstances nor the water itself had changed. The only thing that had changed was Wonhyo’s mind. Depending on one’s state of mind, the same water can become either sweet nectar or poison.

A few days ago, a close neighbor passed away from cancer at the relatively young age of his mid-60s. Overcome with sadness and regret, I wept and reflected on how life can truly be as fleeting as a springtime dream.

If he had known that he would have to leave his beloved family, his friends and the world in which he had worked so hard at such an early age, how would he have lived? He probably would have tried to laugh more each day and made a greater effort to enjoy happiness.

Sadly, the day when each of us must leave will inevitably come. Life is too short even when devoted entirely to happiness. When we do not know what tomorrow will bring, the days given to us are far too precious to spend consumed by worry and anxiety.

Of course, when we face difficult realities, following this advice is not as easy as it sounds. It is only natural to ask, “How can I possibly be happy when my mind is filled with so many worries?”

But if the situation confronting us is an unavoidable reality, it is wise to search for a way out of the storm. Just as a navigator sets the rudder toward the destination and sails across the sea, we must turn the rudder of our minds toward hope and optimism and keep rowing.

Dark clouds may gather and storms may rage, but the sky will eventually clear as though nothing had happened, and favorable winds will begin to blow. If we refuse to give up and continue rowing, we will surely reach our destination.

I try to find hope in the morning star on my way to work before dawn. On my way home late in the evening, I allow myself the peace of looking up at a sky filled with countless stars.

There was the customer who burst into tears when I returned the wedding ring found in the pocket of a jacket left at the cleaners. There was the pride I felt when a little child who once followed her mother into the cleaners returned years later as an adult with a family of her own. There were also the delighted customers who exclaimed in amazement when they saw their badly soiled suits restored to a spotless condition.

There are so many reasons to be grateful in our everyday lives.

I remember catching freshwater snails in the stream as a child. I remember wandering through the fields searching for a basket I had lost because I was too busy playing with friends while gathering wild chives and shepherd’s purse. I remember the aroma of dinner cooking as smoke rose from chimneys at twilight.

I remember watching the sunrise after staying awake all night talking with friends on a school trip. I remember dates when we were happy simply riding a city bus from one end of the route to the other and back again with a single bus ticket.

Come to think of it, there are so many happy memories.

If you reverse the word “stressed,” it becomes “desserts”—something wonderfully sweet. In the same way, our view of the world can change in an instant depending on how we choose to think.

Everyone experiences both happiness and sorrow. Whether we embrace joy or dwell on sadness can determine whether our lives become happy or unhappy. If we carry within us a clear blue sky, a beautiful flower, someone’s bright eyes or a single warm word, we can live with confidence and remain unshaken. When we fill our hearts with good things, we live a good life.

Cool breezes now blow in the morning and evening, and the once-green trees are changing into brilliant autumn colors. Trees do not worry about the cold season ahead. They humbly accept the changing seasons.

They put away their green clothing and dress themselves in blazing red. Then, after burning brilliantly, they let even those colors fall without regret and stand bare. They do so because they trust that after the bitter winter, warm spring will surely return and they will be reborn in an even stronger shade of green.

Proverbs 4:23 tells us: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Guarding our hearts is one of life’s greatest forms of wisdom.

I hope your hearts will be filled with happiness and hope, and that you will welcome a bountiful September with calmness, confidence and an unshakable spirit.

I truly love all the readers of the Cleaners Monthly very, very much. Laugh often today—ha, ha, ha!