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I mean hormesis, not hormones, although hormones do play a role in hormesis.

My spell checker does not even think this is a word, however, it is a specialized term. It is a scientific term used to mean “What does not kill you can make you stronger!”

This is a powerful concept and something that helps explain why we are such a highly educated, convenience oriented and yet the most pre-diabetic to diabetic and overweight generation since the dawn of humanity.

Thousands of years ago, James wrote:

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

(James 1:2-4)

There are many, many ways that hormesis may strengthen you. I will briefly review three of them, Exercise, Fasting and Criticism.

Some people love to exercise because it makes them feel good. Exercise releases neurotransmitters and hormones that boosts mood. It strengthens your muscles, builds endurance and develops balance, (especially ballet). They have learned to enjoy the “pain” of exercise in a way that allows them to improve and build more energy for their body to do other things.

One of the important benefits of this process of hormesis is that it strengthens the energy storehouses of each cell in our body. These energy storehouses are known as mitochondria. Hormesis supports, strengthens and rebuilds new and more mitochondria.

The second area among many other ways of engaging in hormesis is the use of Fasting. Fasting is a concept extensively discussed in religious practices. However, recently, it has taken a back seat to the modern availability of food. Fasting can be a painful discipline. Currently we have a better understanding of how valuable fasting is to our health.

Thousands of years ago, food was not as readily preserved, stored under refrigeration or even harvested and shipped worldwide as it is today. It would not be unusual for food to be missing in generous quantities for days at a time. People still survived as long as plenty of water was available.

Yes it was uncomfortable and rarely were people suffering from being overweight and carrying around excess stores of fat. Any excess fat became the “new” source of energy that sustained the individual during apparent shortages of food. People virtually “fed” off of themselves.

Today, the idea of feeding off of one’s self is called autophagy. This is another term that my spell checker does not recognize. Auto- represents self and phagy represents eating. In our day-to-day conversations of recycling, you may not think of how important it is to recycle yourself. The body is very “smart” in this way.

As older, worn out cells lose their vitality, your body breaks down these older cells into new protein building blocks for new cells. Interrupting this process by eating, results in excess fat storage. Yes, it may be uncomfortable, however the results are rewarded by increasing energy, building new more efficient mitochondria and even releasing growth hormone and stem cell activity. The more this process is engaged, the less painful the transition from external eating to autophagy.

The third aspect of hormesis I will introduce now is the “pain” of Criticism. Criticism from others does not set well with “people pleasers.” The pain of criticism is a warning light for you to strengthen your compass of purpose in life. If you look at the people throughout history who have created significant strides for humanity, none of them were people pleasers.

They attracted support by being grounded in their purpose. They may have looked like rebels, however, they had the tenacity to focus on their purpose, overcome the pain of rejection and strengthen their resolve to live out their gifts to the world. Living on purpose is loaded with passion, energy and a love of and for contribution. As you may know from our past series on the Four Geniacle Commandments, you were created to be “fruitful and multiply.”

Overcoming the hazard of criticism strengthens you, energizes you and fulfills you; it is key to the process of Creating Your Joy! Losing your joy over what other people say gives them power over your life. You are responsible for your life and joy, wellbeing and self-expression.

Sometimes we grow out of the “small mindedness” of our treasured relationships. We can still love these people, however, it is important to avoid “people pleasing” while they may be struggling to grow in the awareness of what God wants them to be. Their judgment of you cannot override what God thinks of you.

Trusting in God’s process for your life, although you may be floundering, cannot be replaced by what others want you to do.

This is a brief overview of how hormesis can enhance your life energy, strengthen you physically and demonstrate the power of what James wrote so many years ago.

What aspect of hormesis strikes a chord of application for your life? Comment below!

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