I was approached recently by a company that wanted to introduce me to a life-changing product line that they felt I could offer my patients, and completely change the trajectory of their lives.
Well that sounds a little too good to be true, doesn’t it?
This is not the first nor the last time I will hear such a claim; to enrol in “this fabulous course” or meet this “influential person” to change the lives of my patients or my own life. Wouldn’t it be truly awesome to think that one thing could completely change the course of your life into living the life of your dreams?
While it is absolutely true that there are many decisions, choices, people, places, and events that can completely change our lives for the better, I believe with age comes some wisdom. One thing and one thing alone is never the only answer for our betterment or healing journey. As soon as we are introduced to said product/program, indeed, we are changed, and we improve how we think about the world and others.
But from that place of course, we begin again to new opportunities and different ways of thinking. We are always learning.
In health, it’s absolutely the same thing. We may begin realizing that exercise is absolutely essential for us, but then after awhile the exercise we started doing doesn’t satisfy the new person we have become, and we realize perhaps we should change our diet. And then in improving our diet we realize that we have not been really taking care of ourselves and our emotional health and we decide to deal with all of that old baggage we’ve been carrying around. And after letting go of our baggage we then realize we could use a better understanding of how we can manage our negative self-talk and we start meditation. And so on.
Hanging our hat (or so to speak) on one method of healing isn’t realistic, because we are made of a physical body, a mind, and a soul. All of those three components interact with one another and they are in a constant state of change and flux. They will grow and move and expand, and they will not be the same today as they are tomorrow. There is no guarantee of perfection, only getting closer to the kind of person you hope to be, and accepting that we are continually learning and growing, which is a beautiful thing!
So the next time you get an e-mail or head to Google your health “cures”, keep in mind that no one thing will make you well. Your perspective on health, growth, and change is what will.