As a fifth generation Texan, I come from a long line of cowboys who know how to fight. My ancestors fought hard in the Battle of San Jacinto, and won. So when that doctor thought I was going to turn tail and run from a battle with Stage IV cancer, he had another thing coming, and I really gave it to him.

Anger came over me and I yelled at him probably like no one else had before. That Oncologist turned white as a ghost and walked out without saying a word. I didn’t care. He wasn’t in the fight with me. He just told me there was nothing else I could do and said, “Everyone’s gotta go sometime.”

He tried to take my hope away.

His treatment took me within an inch of my life! I crawled out of that hospital bed at two in the morning, believing there had to be a better way. And here I am, alive and well, sharing my story over 30 years later.

Make the Decision and Choose to Believe

No matter what you’re dealing with in regard to your health, you need to make the decision to do whatever it takes to reach your goal. Whether you want to lose a few pounds, boost your energy, have better skin and hair, or you’re facing a life-threatening illness, you have to believe you can do it. You can choose to be pitiful or powerful, and you need a miracle mindset to win.

Your Beliefs Affect Your Body

For over 10 years, cellular biologist Dr. Bruce Lipton has been teaching about the biology of belief. He learned, through his research, that the environment your cells are in controls the health of the cell. It’s not your genetics that are in control. Your brain releases the chemicals that control the genetic activity of the cell.

When you change your perception of the world, you change the chemistry of the brain. This, in turn, changes the health of the cell. If you look at your body or the world around you with anger or fear, your brain chemistry is very different from when you’re in love. In fear and anger, you shut yourself down as a means of protection. This turns off growth and suppresses the immune system, which is detrimental to a body that needs to heal.

You only have conscious control of 5% of your thoughts and actions – 95% of your habits are controlled by your subconscious mind.

Even though the majority of these habits come from the first seven years of your life, new habits are slowly but steadily being formed all the time. To give an example, when you learned how to drive a car as a teenager, you had to pay attention to how to do it. After several years, you no longer have to think about how to drive – it’s become a habit. In the same way, you can change your beliefs about your health and this will help you succeed – even at the cell level – if you just keep at it.

Develop a Miracle Mindset

Half of achieving your goal is your belief. No matter what it is I’m facing and no matter how bad it looks, my fighting spirit takes over and kicks out the “can’t do” mindset. The first thing that helped me to do this was to read the stories of others who had achieved what I was going for. I believed if someone else could do it I could, too. Study people who have succeeded in your goals and pattern your strategy after them.

I also learned to practice visualization. I pictured myself healthy and cancer-free. I did this whether I was lying in bed or going for a walk. I didn’t let doubt and fear creep in.

You can always find reasons not to do something – don’t let them win! Remind yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing. No matter how bad it looks, don’t feel sorry for yourself and press on toward the prize. And whatever you do – don’t give up.

I wouldn’t be around all this time if I hadn’t kept a laser-like focus on my health and left my old unhealthy lifestyle behind. Sure, there are times I stray a little and indulge in something that’s not on my plan. But I believe as long as I keep one foot on the path to health, I’ll be just fine. This approach motivates me to get back on track when I’ve wandered off a little, and it’s worked well to keep me cancer-free for over thirty years now. I believe it will work for you, too.