大象传媒

From Sheridan Voysey, Writer and broadcaster:听
I recently heard a fascinating story about a heart surgeon. At the end of one operation, he returned his patient鈥檚 heart back into the chest and began gently massaging it back to life. But the heart wouldn鈥檛 restart. More intense measures followed, but the heart still wouldn鈥檛 beat. Finally, the surgeon knelt by the unconscious patient and spoke to her. He said, 鈥淢iss Johnson, this is your surgeon. The operation went perfectly. Your heart has been repaired. Now tell your heart to beat again.鈥� Her heart began to beat. The idea that we could tell our heart to do something is strange, but I think it has some parallels in life. Sportspeople know the psychological power of self-talk.听
Andy Murray has been known to read sayings to himself mid-match like 鈥淏e kind to yourself鈥� and 鈥淒o your best鈥�. Serena Williams famously carried a notebook of affirmations on court like 鈥淵ou will add spin鈥� and 鈥淵ou will win Wimbledon鈥�. One study suggests we can improve our performance by speaking to ourselves by name鈥攏ot 鈥淚 am naturally funny,鈥� but 鈥淪heridan is naturally funny鈥�. My comedy tour starts Monday. The thing about my surgeon story, though, is that Miss Johnson wasn鈥檛 acting on her own hopes, but in response to an authoritative voice. Here鈥檚 where I see some spiritual parallels too. The writers of the Bible鈥檚 Psalms often tell their hearts what to do, saying things like, 鈥淲hy, my soul, are you discouraged? Put your hope in God.鈥澨�
When God promises the Old Testament heroine Deborah victory in battle, she gives herself a pep-talk, saying, 鈥滿arch on, my soul, be strong!鈥� Face masks, job cuts, two-metre lines on supermarket floors. We鈥檝e had months of battle, leaving many of us weary. And with dark clouds of uncertainty still hovering, I for one will need more than positive thinking to get through. But I believe an authoritative voice has spoken from above and beyond, which now calls for my response. So when fear, anxiety or hopelessness falls I鈥檓 going to sit myself down and say: March on! Be strong! Feeble heart, beat again.