With good words…good
deeds…good thoughts…and powerful actions, we can beat the challenges that we face
as we start to recover from the COVID-19 quarantine. Unfortunately, this is
likely to be round one in a world that has this coronavirus added to its
extremely long list of health challenges we all must fend off daily.
While exercising, I
watched Bohemian Rhapsody…again…this week. At the time of the Live Aid
Concert in 1985, we were fighting the AIDS epidemic, but the power of Queen’s
lyrics to a packed Wembley Stadium are just as relevant today…
We are the champions, my friends
And we’ll keep on fighting ’til the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
‘Cause we are the champions of the world
As the world has turned AIDS into a “manageable condition” rather than a death sentence, I have no doubt that we will find ways to conquer coronavirus. To accomplish this, however, it will require good words…good deeds…good thoughts…and powerful actions from all. So I share with you the blog that I wrote when the film Bohemian Rhapsody was released…
I have seen the movie Bohemian
Rhapsody twice…so far. I will likely see it again and again. Like many who
have happily stomped and clapped to “We Will Rock You‚” at
sporting events, I had no idea of the depth or breadth of Queen’s music, let
alone the talent and magnetism of Freddie Mercury, played by Rami Malik in the
movie. If you haven’t seen the movie, I highly recommend it as one of the most
engaging and inspiring movies I have ever seen. So good, in fact, that I think
it’s one of the few movies during which I haven’t fallen asleep in recent
years…either time I watched it!
Beyond the music and the story and Rami
Malik’s incredible portrayal of Freddie Mercury is a phrase spoken between
Freddie and his father—“Good words. Good deeds. Good thoughts.” These are the
primary principles of Zoroastrianism, one of the oldest monotheistic religions.
Freddie’s father reminds his son of this basic life foundation as Freddie is
pulling away from the family traditions to create his stage persona…and, later
in the movie, Freddie lets his father know that he hasn’t deserted the
principles as he heads out to perform at the 1985 Live Aid concert.
Six words. So simple. So powerful. I’m
sure there are volumes filled somewhere of other rules to follow in
Zoroastrianism, just as there are volumes of the rules in every religion. But
if you follow those six words, how simply lovely life can be. To me, you don’t
even need all of the other rules and regulations about how to live a good life
if you simply follow these six words.
Good words: “Sticks and stones can break my bones,
but names will never hurt me.” If only. Words matter. Ask any of the millions
of children who have been bullied in their lives. Or children whose parents
have told them that they weren’t intelligent enough or living up to expectations.
Or the social-media shaming that is rampant at all levels and for all ages. Are
you participating in that angry mob vitriol? Isn’t it funny that it’s the
touching phrases of inspiration that get shared the most on social media and
not the venom? Good words are contagious.
Do thoughts create our words? Or do words
create our thoughts? Or is it a continuous feedback loop? Say a kind word to
someone, and brighten his/her day. Offer a little encouragement. Say please and
thank you. It makes a difference.
Last year, I ran in my first 10K ever.
After about four miles into the run, I was flagging and had to take a pause to
walk for a bit. A stranger ran up behind me and said, “C’mon, you’ve got this…”
Wow. I went from feeling alone and somewhat defeated to feeling supported and
connected. I started running again and didn’t stop until the finish line.
Pay attention to the words you use and
the words you hear. How do they make you feel? What tone do they set? Are they
words that someone would want to follow? Or words from which they would want to
hide?
Good deeds: Americans are among the most generous
and caring people on the planet. The US is the largest single-donor country of
foreign aid in the world, spending close to $40 billion annually, and
our individual charitable giving was more than $400 billion in 2017. We help
ourselves, and we help those in need all over the globe. From the simplest
gesture of buying Girl Scout Cookies, holding the door for someone or
delivering food to a friend who is under the weather…to personal sacrifices in
which neighbors help neighbors in times of crisis…good deeds are at the heart of
America’s culture.
Saying “yes” feels good for both the
asker and the asked. Do a good deed every day…it doesn’t have to be big. It
just has to be good.
Good thoughts: When you wake each day, what is the
first thought that comes to mind? Is it dread and burden? Or enthusiasm for
whom you will see and what you will do? And as you move through the day, what
is the chatter that runs through your head? Are you judging “them”? Are you
complaining about how unfair your life is? Do you have a job, a boss, a spouse,
a hairdresser that drives you nuts? And do you reinforce that thought every
day?
Our thoughts are connected to our
bodies…negative thoughts create negative changes at the cellular level. Think
an angry thought and feel your stomach tense and your head throb. Fearful
thoughts? Feel the hair rise on the back of your neck and your muscles tighten.
Think about a giggling baby or a litter
of puppies, and see how that makes your body feel. Calmer? Lighter?
Louise Hay, the healer and founder of
publishing company Hay House, used to say, “It’s only a thought, and a thought
can be changed.” I love that, since I have a very overactive mind that tends to
move toward fear and dread before joy and enthusiasm.
Watch your thoughts and see what they’re
creating in your body. If you like what you feel, then that’s great. If you
don’t like what you feel, pick another thought.
Freddie Mercury was his own very complex
set of words, deeds and thoughts. He clearly had his own demons that haunted
him, but in the end, he lived a life that honored those tenets.
If we all could simply focus on those three simple tasks, what a good world it will continue to be.
Sarah Hiner, president and CEO of Bottom Line Inc., is passionate about giving people the tools and knowledge they need to be in control of their lives in areas such as living a healthier life, the challenges of the health-care system, commonsense financial advice and creating great relationships. She appears often on national radio and hosts the Bottom Line Advocator Podcast, where she interviews leading experts to help people be their own best advocates in all areas of life.