Creating Healthy Change In 2013

“Creating Healthy Change In 2013”

By Patricia Ryan, MD, CCN

    Hello All!  The beginning of a new year brings up the possibilities of new beginnings, of change.  Many people want to focus on changing something about themselves that they perceive as negative.  I would like to turn it around a little bit and talk about what it is you want to create.  What does the world need to see you bring forward that only you can do!  It can be on a grand scale; such as making a big change at work, or getting a degree.  It could also be on a very small scale, so small that no one else could see the positive change you just made such as a smile, or letting someone in front of you in a driving lane.  Each of us has a beauty that is needed now in the world.  We each need to bring it forth.  It is no longer ok to stay on the sideline and think that what you do, think, feel, and say doesn’t matter.  It does.

     So what does this have to do with health?  Everything and nothing.  My viewpoint of living a healthy life includes taking care of myself on every level so I can contribute to the love unfolding on the planet.  If a father comes home every night and feels worn out, achy, and overwhelmed, he is less likely to be present with his children and listen to his wife about her day.  If a mother doesn’t feel well and has health issues such as PMS or headaches, she cannot be there in the way that she would be if she felt well.  I think we all want to get the most out of our lives and be the best we can be for those around us.  Having a body that functions well allows us to live life gracefully.  One can still live a very loving life without a healthy body, but it is definitely a different experience and usually more difficult.

     So what does it look like to take care of yourself on “every level”?  I think it is obvious that on a physical level it means eating well, exercising, getting enough sleep, and minimizing your chemical exposure.  What about your emotional health?  How about mental and spiritual health?  Emotional health is actually linked to your physical and spiritual health more than you may expect.  Have you ever wondered why you cannot stick to your New Year’s resolutions, or even a healthy eating plan?   How about why you flew off the handle about something that seemed so little?  You guessed it.  On a subconscious level you are sabotaging yourself.  Of course since it is subconscious, you are NOT AWARE of it.

     All of us run programs in our heads, like computer programs, that we picked up as a child.  These programs, this internal dialogue is constantly monitoring our environment to let us know if we are safe or not, loved or not.  These programs remain silent until someone or something pushes our buttons.  It takes courage and time to look at ourselves.  We are taught to never admit our weaknesses and appear to be in control at all times.  Then we are “powerful” and we can control life.  Wrong!  We all need to work on our emotional health.  There is not one person who is exempt from this category.
     So guess what - if you are experiencing fatigue, sadness, anger, lack in any way, or inability to follow through on the positive change you want for your life, you are not alone!  We are all somewhere on that same path.  We have relied culturally on our parents or our churches to teach us how to deal with these issues, these emotions.  Our parents do/did the best they can/could, given that they learned from their parents who did the best they could.  Our world needs all of us to learn to get in touch with our own anger, our own fear.  How to we expect to stop wars if we do not learn how to settle an argument with our husband, brother, or friend that we love?  How can we come together and heal our world, our pollution, our social ills if we do not heal our personal ills?  We can’t.  In order to allow all viewpoints, to really walk in another’s shoes, we must first get to know our own shoe-size.  The pay-off for this work is a beautiful open heart, which is able to love ourselves and each other more fully.  The pay-off is the ability to reach our goals and create the world we want both personally and globally.

     So, what do you want to create this year?  Do you know how to make it happen?  Do you have the information you need to make your changes?  How about the structure to establish these new habits?  New habits of thinking, feeling, being.... are you ready?

     At Alternatives this year we are creating new programs to help you meet your health goals.  Whether you want to reverse your high blood pressure, get off of your anti-depressants,  feel less fatigue or lose weight, we are here to help you.  Each of you has important things to bring to this world.  You are needed.  You are beautiful.  All you need to do is believe it.