I watched The Secret just last week. I had been going through some rough times due to a degenerative disk disease that causes a lot of pain and often curtails my ability to work for long periods of time. No work means less income, which in turn causes more unpaid bills which cause more stress…and well, you get the idea.

My youngest son, 15 yrs. kept telling me, “Mom, you worry too much. You really need to watch this movie I know about…” and finally, one night I had nothing better to do so I did.

I don’t need to tell anyone who has seen the movie what a profound effect it immediately has on you. That night, I determined to cast aside all my negative thoughts and ways of viewing the world and seek JOY in my life.

For the past few months I have been in extreme pain all around my thoracic region (spine and ribs) caused by acute inflammation, immobility and muscle spasms from the degeneration. I’ve been living on pain meds and hot packs, ice packs, spending lots of time lying down, unable to sleep many nights because the pain actually wakes me up.

After watching The Secret, I thought instead of moaning and wallowing in self-pity, I would envision myself feeling better. Because I DO still have a sense of humor (at least on good days!), I started imagining an army of little critters who would attack the pain and the inflammation but I’m a pacifist and I couldn’t bring myself to think of them just killing the bad guys… so I created an army of Joy Bugs. Joy Bugs run around in my bloodstream and body and when they come across the “bad guys”, they HUG them! When they hug them, it makes the bad things shrink away to almost nothing. But I didn’t stop there! BEHIND the Joy Bugs come the Joy Bugs’ DOGS. Yep! The Joy Bug doggies finish up the process by snacking down on any remaining bits of garbage. (I have dogs so I suppose it was natural for me to come up with this scenario). I thanked the universe for my healing, then went to sleep feeling more contented and happy than I had in a long time.

Long story slightly shorter: I woke up the next day, got out of bed and was halfway down the stairs when it hit me…I WAS MOVING WITHOUT PAIN!

The entire day I spent without pain meds. Oh, I was a little stiff still, but the huge area of inflammation and inflexibility was greatly diminished. That night, I called my Joy Bugs again. Next morning, I am even better!

This positive thinking, this laws of attraction, this asking, expecting an answer and being willing to receive REALLY WORKS.

And besides, just the thought of Joy Bugs makes me giggle.