This Pain in My Neck! Truths Underlying the Common Things You Say

Something that has always fascinated me growing up was the use of language. I enjoyed the fact that certain words or phrases possessed different meanings and the use of puns such as, “if the ocean had a personality, it would be salty” was my ultimate favorite play on words. As I was building my vocabulary, I enjoyed looking in the thesaurus to see how I could say the same thing using a different word. It was a fun challenge for me to find a different word to explain the same concept. I loved using superlatives and learned that when I wanted to express something more than good, it was not “gooder” but “better.” The use of acronyms, which has become very common in our everyday texting language, such as TTYL (Talk To You Later), LOL (Laughing Out Loud), and WTF (What The F$%k!), helps to shorten the amount of typing or talking to convey or communicate our thoughts.

Isn’t it fascinating how certain old catchy sayings such as “grow a spine” or “have some backbone,” convey a deeper meaning. Just the statement, “grow a spine” or “have some backbone” is a call to action for us to stand up for ourselves or for one to build more resolve. The underlying essence of these old sayings exemplifies the mind-body connection. It appears that we state these comments unconsciously or are we indeed conscious in saying these common expressions? It has been researched and shown that body language accounts for more than 70% of our impressions, and it is from this initial impression, from which we proceed to deal and connect with another human being.

The body has a language of its own, and has a way to express itself as muscle tension, tightness, or even pains. The inability to do certain functions such as speaking or feeling light headed also is the body’s unique “morse code” to get you to pay attention to something that is either changing in your life or causing you discomfort. It is rather peculiar how in our culture, instead of being able to vocalize out loud what is truly bothering us, humor is used to mask our true feelings but still express what we want to. Humor is a salve used often when not wanting to deal with anything that is uncomfortable for us. For instance, sometimes when you are faced with an individual who is constantly creating problems for you, the expression that has been created is “that Timmy is a thorn in my side.” How these expressions came to be, has always been interesting for me, because the beginning is just as important as the journey and the eventual end.

The design of this book is to help bring awareness to how the idioms and phrases that have been created through the years have a real meaning behind it. I chose to focus on common idioms or phrases mostly focused on parts of the body, from head to toe, that many of you should be able to relate too. I thought it would be a lot of fun to share my insights on certain idioms, and have created my own descriptions known as “Chadisms” – the representations of the idioms, and ways to address the things that you say to bring more ease and harmony into your body and life. The more stock you take in connecting the mind with the body, and identifying your body’s signs with what you speak out loud, even in jest, conveys importance. The more congruent you are with your thoughts, words, and actions, the more ease you will feel in your body, which translates into a happier, healthier, and more vibrant life!