Contributor: “Dr. J”Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.
Badges and banners have always had their importance in American culture! From the tin star worn by our cinema heroes to the sash worn by the winners of beauty pageants. I was even moved one year to dress my German Shepard dog up as Miss America at Halloween! He was quite stunning with his silver tiara and Miss America sash.
There is another way I envision the badges and banners people wear. Of course many of us are familiar with the power of positive self-talk and the importance of how we think about something having a real effect on our mental and physical well being.
Banners as our negative identity
I have noticed that many individuals have a badge or banner they wear as their self-identity, the way they see and feel about themselves. Usually in conversation, this banner is one of the first things they will unfurl.
I am not talking about in a hospital clinic but in a more casual social setting. People, often not even knowing that I am a doctor, will tell me in the first minute that they have this disease or that, this problem or that, rarely mentioning anything positive about themselves or their circumstances, usually only concentrating on the negative. Even in our everyday language, expressions such as, “Nothing to complain about,” or “Things could be worse” are commonplace.
Of course there could be some reality with any of these statements, especially with money or jobs in today’s economy or with any real physical problems, but the point is, is this someone’s automatic way of responding? If it is, perhaps it is time to be vigilant, notice, and make a change.
Words have power
The problem I have with this badge and banner behavior is it gives power to the problem rather than power to the solution.
Words have power! Harness that power with positive talk, and take power away from your problems by not talking about them, or talking about them in a positive way.
I once read a story about a famous artist who told this story when asked, “How are you doing?”
He said, “That reminds me of the other day when I was on the 50th floor of the Empire State Building and I saw my friend, Jeff, falling by the window. I called out to him, ‘Jeff, how are you doing?’ Jeff’s reply, ‘OK so far!’”
Those were some positive words!
Maybe a little too positive
I remember attending a national meeting honoring Dr. J Senior for his many years of contribution to his field. Before he went on stage to make his acceptance speech, our family was sitting around in his room talking about the event.
“Dad,” I said, “Why don’t you say in your speech, ‘Thank you for finally recognizing me as the true genius I really am!’”
“Sorry son, I’d really like to, but I don’t think people will understand that.”
We definitely live in a society where self-deprecation is more acceptable.
Perhaps we all need to find the middle ground. Confident, not cocky. Humble, not humiliated.
When it comes to wearing those badges and banners, I guess I’m in more of the, “Badges? We don’t need no stinkin’ badges,” camp of thinking!
I strongly suggest that you be there also!
From the RSS feed of CalorieLab News (REF3076322B7)
Dr. J will see you now: On badges and banners