Paradigms

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Dr. Tim

Energy is all around you, inside and out.

Paradigms are said to be the common views of a group of people. In short, they are the values, opinions, theories, generalizations and laws that a group of people share. A paradigm is not the way that you think about the world. It is the way that the culture that you live in thinks about the world. This in turn shapes your own reality. I realize that we are all individuals with the potential for creative thought and individual expression, but the way we see our own world is often affected by our society and paradigms are slow to change. Paradigms can and do change over time and they usually change after significant emotional events. Because paradigms represent and create reality on an individual and social level, a paradigm change really means that “reality” has changed.

So many people are confused when health is explained outside of their paradigm. A paradigm reflects your ideas, values and actions in order to create some continuity in your world. So is it any wonder that when someone uses a term like “the energy inside of you” that some people are confused? Concepts like the energy of life are not always taught in our society because many of us have been raised in a mechanistic society that places value on the notion that physical things affect physical things.

It comes from the study of Newtonian physics. You know, when an apple fell onto Newton’s head he theorized that a physical force affected him. Of course physical events can shape our life but more importantly we need to recognize that energy can also affect us. When Einstein told us that matter and energy are interrelated the world changed. Why is it that the world of healthcare has been so slow to adopt this theory?

You already know that energy affects your health. When someone genuinely says “I love you” you have an immediate physical change. That is only an exchange of energy from one person to another. When you are embarrassed, you have a physical change. Your face flushes and your heart rate increases. There was nothing physical that caused that change, only an exchange of energy. If these simple examples of energy affecting physical function ring true for you, you will realize that energy can have a significant effect on the function of your body in so many ways.

So the real question is: Why is it that we are so slow to realize the health implications of the energy inside of us and the relationship that our energy has with other people and the earth? It’s because your paradigm is comfortable and you have been taught that health comes from a pill, a potion, surgery or some other physical intervention. People really believe that and it is reinforced in our media, educational institutions and government. Please realize that I’m not saying that physical things don’t matter in your health. I am only saying that your own life energy is more important for your ultimate health outcomes.

So how does your paradigm change to allow for this important concept? It changes with your experience, an open mind and the ability to see other “realities.” Believe that you are healthy and make rational decisions about your health habits based on science and right thinking. Here’s a quick video about changing your paradigm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et6q6WN5Rs8 . Enjoy and be sure to contact me if you have any questions drtim@balancedoctor.com As always I appreciate any “replies” on this blog page as it keeps the discussion real and fresh.

Effective Health

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Dr. Tim

A peaceful environment can remind you that relaxation is as important as creativity

Watson Lake

Do every day all that can be done that day, toward realization of your health goals. This statement encompasses the effort necessary for you to achieve optimum health for yourself. You can’t ignore the facts. Effort is necessary for you to be as healthy and vibrant as every human being deserves to be.

You have a couple of choices in how you live your life. You can live an ordinary life. This is a life that just happens. No effort is required. Things happen and you react to them. This reaction-based life is what most people do. Unfortunately an ordinary life does not furnish you with an abundance of anything. If you want abundant health, you need to put out the effort. Think about it. You live in a world where the simple maintenance of health requires effort. Most people don’t even put out the effort to maintain a minimum level of survival.

The ordinary life happens when one is born and immediately begins the process of death. There is no thought of what goes into their body, how their body is used for quality exercise, how to achieve optimum function of their nervous system or how to focus on good thoughts. For the ordinary person, life occurs and they react at signs of crisis. I believe that crisis is stressful and stress can lead to crisis. It is a self-perpetuating cycle fueled initially by lack of effort.

The other choice is to live an extra-ordinary life. An extra-ordinary level of health must be created. You need to pay attention to everything that will have an effect on your level of health. Every day you will have a number of decisions to make regarding your health. Some of your actions will be to avoid situations and circumstances that might impact your health negatively. You know what they are. They show their corrupt face on a regular basis and you get to decide if you will allow them to shock your system. The right choice could make a significant difference in your health potential.

To live an extra-ordinary life you also need to take pro-active, effective actions toward the realization of your health vision. An extra-ordinary life must be created. It does not occur on its own. Every day you need to spend time in consideration of what actions will ultimately lead you to a life of abundant health. You should not do more than is necessary to support your growth and regeneration. You should, however, do everything that is required for you to be healthy, happy and vibrant with energy. Remember it’s your actions that will allow you to have what you want. I assume that, because you are reading this, you want the best picture of health that you can possibly have.

Anytime you miss an opportunity to increase your health potential, that opportunity is lost forever. You may get another chance but the original chance will have been lost if you do not take action on the opportunity. Try to develop a keen awareness of what is essential for optimum health. Keep yourself tuned in to opportunities for you learn more about your health. I will certainly help you with specific ideas that will allow you to be as healthy as possible. If you have any questions or desire additional information please don’t hesitate to contact me. drtim@balancedoctor.com

Responsibility

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Dr. Tim

Braden Schroeder shows that if you are going to hit a wall, hit it with style

It’s no secret that a select sector of society pays attention to the development of their health potential. Because you are reading this, I would assume that you are a part of that sector. Let’s spend a few minutes together examining one of the easiest ways to greatly improve your well being and health potential. What I will describe for you can be one of the most powerful ways to positively affect your ability to live a healthy, abundant life. It’s easy, but as you will see, in practical application it can be challenging.

The pursuit of health is no different than the pursuit of anything else. First you must realize that you are an individual and you are responsible for yourself. The responsibility for your health lies directly in your control. I cannot take responsibility for your health. It is up to you to be healthy. The outdated model of the doctor telling the patient what to do has gone the way of history. Modern relationships between the health care provider and patient involve an exchange of information.

This information exchange should be directed toward a beneficial gain on your behalf. This allows you to more clearly visualize your health challenges. You are striving for full function and optimum human performance. We all have challenges on the way to our goal of full function. When I help you identify any changeable impediments to your full function you can better visualize a solution. The benefit of information is that, with it, you can now clearly visualize your health challenges and full potential.

The most important part of having optimum function is for you to cleanly, clearly visualize the most awesome picture of your health. You need to see yourself going about your life with energy, happiness, strength and abundance. You need to see yourself feeling great and looking great. You need to visualize everything involved with good health and full function. When you clearly visualize this state of health, you send a message out to the creative forces that shape your life. Everything that you currently have was first a thought. The key to health is to first see yourself healthy.

Once you visualize your optimum self you must attach good emotional feelings with the vision. A clear vision with negative emotion will not realize the desired outcome. Negative emotion is a block in the quest for health. Nothing clouds a vision more than negative emotional attachment. You cannot ask for something positive and be negative about it.

The classic example of this phenomenon is the cessation of addictive behavior. A person may wish to discontinue a health destructive habit. They can clearly visualize the feelings of non-addiction. It feels great to be free of the nasty, destructive habit. When it comes time to act upon the vision, the action never occurs. The reason for this is that they hold negative emotion about stopping the habit. The pleasure of being healthy and non-addicted does not outweigh the pain of quitting. It is exactly the same when it comes to your food choices, your exercise patterns and your relationships. The vision of health has no chance of realization with negative emotional attachment.

In order to succeed in your vision of health you must find a way to feel better about being at ease than being dis-eased. It is up to you to find a way to allow a positive relationship with health. Only you know how to feel good about yourself.

My responsibility is to give you the correct information and the prime course of action. The action is your responsibility. Once you have a clear, well-established vision of health with good emotional attachment, you can take the action necessary to make it real.

Vision without action is like foreplay without consummation. Your actions allow the recognition of your health potential. In other words, you cannot have what you want unless you work for it. I can help you with the actions you need to take to regain or maintain your health. You cannot be expected to know everything you need to do to achieve full function. We can work together to set up an action plan for your health. Everybody has a different way of carrying out tasks. When you can identify your motivation for good health, you can, with integrity carry out the tasks necessary for well being.

Taking action is often the limiting factor in the mission for good health. Here are just a few suggestions that will help you to take care of yourself. Exercise properly with appropriate rest intervals. Eat foods that support your body and give you energy. Get your spine checked and adjusted regularly. There is no way to have full function if your nerves are not carrying the appropriate mental impulse to the appropriate place.

Have the thought of health. Feel good about it. Take the actions necessary to make it real. I am always happy to help with any part of this process. In the end though, it is up to you. As always I would be happy to answer any questions you have about your objective for optimum human performance. Leave a reply or comment here or contact me confidentially by email drtim@balancedoctor.com or call 530-583-7477. Don’t let health become important when you lose it, let it take priority now and appreciate yourself by allowing full function in all parts of your life.

Challenges

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Dr. Tim

Life requires effort but the reward is in the climb

A fulfilling life is never free of challenges. As a matter of fact setbacks and challenges are part of the human experience. I have never met a person who has not experienced distress and difficulties at some point in their life. Those that feel that they have never had a tribulation are likely ignoring one of more issues is their life and not facing the fact that they have been given a challenge. A challenge can result in greatness when the stress in front of you causes you to take action. On the other hand a challenge can result in defeat and despair if it is ignored.

Disregard for the lessons of a challenge can prohibit a person from realizing growth in the face of adversity. Here’s how it works. Every day you are given a challenge. It is part of life. Some challenges are so small that they become routine. For instance, getting up out of a chair is actually a challenge. You don’t notice it most of the time because you are accustomed to dealing with this throughout the course of your day. You sit down and get up without forethought. There is no stress in making the decision to just get up and stand. Now imagine that you have a challenge to getting up. Put yourself in the place of a person who doesn’t have the ability to move in the same way you do. A physical disability can hamper the simple act of standing up from a seated position. Presented with this challenge you would have to plan to stand and make an effort to rise. It may not be comfortable and in fact it may be quite difficult to accomplish this “simple” task. Standing up is simple for some and difficult for others. In either case it is a challenge and you must meet the challenge in order to accomplish the goal.

Everyone has challenges. Some people are very good at facing the adversity and taking action toward their goal and others only see the challenge as defeat at its inception. Because difficulties are part of the human experience you must make a conscious decision and examine your approach to dealing with them. In order to be successful you must first acknowledge that challenges are part of life. You will have them. The difference is in how you choose to face the challenge and take action to in the face of adversity. When you make a choice to ignore a difficult situation your personal power and life expression are diminished. When you stand up and take action to accomplish your goals in the face of any challenge, you enhance your life. Is it easy? It’s not supposed to be. Everyone is familiar with the concept of lifting weights in order to become strong and fit. The harder you work to overcome the stress of physical training, the stronger you become. The key lies in using proper technique and being consistent. It is the same with any challenge that you have. A large part of my personal coaching practice has to do with helping people recognize the disparity between what they want in life and the behaviors that they actually have. http://balancedoctor.com/coaching.htm

Take a look at the challenges that you have been given. Often they are presented to you to help you become a better person. What you do with them is up to you. Ignoring the challenge is not a good choice. So many people do. That is ordinary and common. An extra-ordinary person does whatever they can to meet the challenge and rise in the face of adversity. Sometimes you can do it on your own but when a challenge is big so is the response. If you get a big challenge in your life say thank you because the proper response will allow you to flourish. Work hard to thrive or ignore the problem and struggle to survive. It’s always your choice. If you need help please don’t hesitate to contact me and ask about options for personal coaching. I am confident that we can find a program that meets you needs.

In-dependence

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Dr. Tim

There is a difference between independence and being in dependence. The former allows creativity and expression of a life well lived. The latter carves away at the brilliance of a human soul. Dependence takes on many forms and many people live their entire life in dependence. When dependence takes on a life of its own we must ask if it has reached the level of addiction. Addiction is common in society. It has a history that dates back as far as written history and unfortunately it has never had a positive outcome.

Addiction can be defined as participating in chemical use or behavioral activity even though it will have a negative effect on you, your loved ones or society as a whole. A perfectly rational being would not choose to do something that causes harm. However there are addicts all over the world who have convinced themselves that they are acting in a rational manner. They have given up thinking and have allowed addiction to be in charge of their life.

An addict is human. Addiction seems to be a uniquely human trait. Animals can become addicted to substances but they do not typically have the ability to choose the addictive substance. In fact, all studies involving addiction in animals involve humans administering the drug or stimulating the behavior. Animals don’t tend to become addicted without the help of a human. It is interesting to note that the process of addiction requires a diversion from the rational thought process that we were given as human beings. In other words, we have the capacity for rational thought and an addict tends to give it up. Healthy human beings are naturally inclined towards mental, physical and spiritual development. Health depends on growth. Addiction is the opposite of growth. It is impossible to experience the stress of addiction and simultaneously become stronger and more fulfilled.

Unfortunately addictive behavior seems to have a life of its own and it wants to continue to exert overwhelming influence on the affected person. There are two ways that addiction can exert its influence and they are both negative. Addiction can cause a person harm in the vital function of his or her body or impairment of the vital expression of their spirit. Most often it does both. These negative conditions cause personal damage to an individual and usually do have a negative effect on those who care about them.

As a matter of pure fact, addiction usually makes people feel badly about themselves. The problem is that addictive behavior may ironically come directly from an inability to feel good. Feeling bad can make a person do things that make them feel worse. There are many reasons that people feel badly about themselves. The impetus for feeling bad can be emotional or it can be physical. In either case it is imperative that help is provided by people who can step outside of the false reality that the addict has created for themselves and allow the human spirit to shine through again.

The only way that healing will occur, however, is when the affected addict decides that they actually want help. Ultimately healing only occurs from inside of a person. They must decide that they wish to create a new reality and then allow the healing. In the end, love is the single greatest influence that will help sponsor a change. People must love themselves and have a reason for health in order to suspend addictive behavior. Love comes in many forms with many different appearances and techniques, but it is always love for the re-creation of a pure human soul that will help an addict change. After love has been established, consistency and truth must be firmly incorporated because addiction is like a weed that will try to grow where it is not wanted. Accountability for choices that the addict has made or continues to make is imperative.

If you are addicted to something, chances are you have told yourself that you are going to quit. The way that you behave is totally up to you. We all have a responsibility to live life to its fullest potential. Unhappiness is contemptible and has no place in the expression of a vital human spirit. The question becomes, are you willing to allow natural expression of your thoughts or are you going to allow a substance or behavior to do your thinking for you? All people create their own reality. Addiction stands in the way of allowing freedom for creative thought. It is, in fact, an impediment to the innate expression of human life and we should all do all that we can to let people be free. Emancipation of expression should always be held in high regard. If you feel that you are addicted or know someone who is, take action now to correct the behavior and understand that asking for help is the first step and helping yourself is ultimately the only thing that will correct the behavior. A solution to the problem does exist.

Emotions of course

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Dr. Tim

Everyone has emotions. Even those who appear emotionless have emotions. It is part of the human experience and we should be thankful for emotions even when they cause us pain or make us uncomfortable. Nobody really likes to feel emotions such as loss, grief or anger but we must realize that in order to live a complete life we need to embrace all aspects of our human experience and these uncomfortable emotions are just one part. For every emotion there is an opposite emotion which means that in order to experience the positive you must also experience the negative. The problem with emotions is that sometimes a person can get stuck in only one aspect of emotional consciousness.

There is a natural flow of emotions just as there is a natural flow of seasons. We all realize that there is a different feeling in each of the seasons. Most of us have been taught that there are four seasons. Actually if you think about it there are five. The fifth season is “late summer” the time after summer and before autumn arrives. Realize that each season has an energy that contributes to how you feel during that time. Think about how you feel in summer. You have increased energy and you feel like you want to express your energy physically. Late summer is a time of neutral emotional energy in preparation for the decrease of energy that begins to decrease in autumn. When autumn begins we decrease in emotional energy as we prepare for winter. Winter has a distinctly different feel. You slow down a bit and you may want to rest for longer periods of time. Spring is a time of increasing energy. As the earth goes into a growth phase your energy also increases. When the earth decreases its energy and goes into a state of decreased energy, so do you.Just as the earth goes through seasons you go through different manifestations of energy. Your vital energy changes minute to minute, hour to hour, day to day, month to month, season to season and year to year. There is a natural cycle of energy that needs to occur. When you are stuck in one part of the cycle your health is affected. Think about how your energy is related to your emotions. When you have a lot of energy you are generally pretty happy. It is easy to feel good when your body, mind and spirit are bursting with good energy. This is like the feeling of summer-running, playing and laughing while you bask in the warmth of the long days. Laughter is the sound of summer, late summer produces a sigh. Every season has an emotion, a sound and a connection with the organs and functions in your body. It is not important to realize that you change with the seasons. It is far more important to realize that you change. Emotions are meant to cycle like seasons and the truth is that you should cycle your emotions on a constant basis. Your emotions are meant to change like seasons but are not dependent upon the actual earth season. You can be happy in winter or sad in summer. The point of comparing seasons to emotions is not to suggest that you have a particular emotion during that season only, it is to suggest that your emotions should always be evolving. The change is natural and it should always proceed in a cycle. Sometimes it changes quickly and other times it changes more slowly but emotional change should always happen.

Just like the seasons you should always be allowing for change and variety in your emotional state. It is unhealthy to be stuck in any emotion for an extended period of time. When a person is stuck in a static state of emotion they are not well. Too much time with anger, laughter, apathy, grief or fear causes an imbalance that leads to emotional dis-ease. I am sure that you can understand that perpetual anger or sadness can be unhealthy, but what about perpetual happiness? This too is unhealthy. Any emotion that does not change is unhealthy. In order to have emotional health you must pass through your current state and allow it to change. There should never be an abrupt change, it should transform like the seasons a bit at a time until you experience every human emotion. All emotions are important and you must have them all while not being stuck in any one of them. There is no process that does not require time and emotions naturally change with time. Allow the process and you will really appreciate any emotion when you know that it is just a phase that will cycle and return again. In the meantime be thankful for your present state because it is a gift that is meant to help you experience your life in an exceptional way.

Trust, Knowledge and Health

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Dr. Tim

Americans have a long history of independence. Free thinkers are allowed their right to think and more importantly they have a right to express their thoughts. It is a wonderful thing and I feel so fortunate to be a free American.

My participation in the American health care system is voluntary. I wouldn’t enjoy it nearly as much if I was forced to practice by an outside source. Caring for patients is my choice and that makes it so much more engaging and interesting. I take pride in the fact that the people who use my services trust my decisions and take my advice. I believe that they do this because they feel that I have the education and experience to help them make good decisions about their vital being. But education and experience are only the beginning of their attraction to my services. I think that mostly it is trust in the fact that they will receive an honest answer to their health care questions. Health care is a relationship by default. Health care is different than self care. You should care for yourself. It is the most important part of the maintenance or restoration of health. But there are times when you need the knowledge, experience and healing techniques of a health professional. At these times you need to make a lot of decisions. I believe that the most vital aspect of your experience with a health care professional is your trust in the relationship.

One of the problems is that there is so much information about health care. It literally takes someone in your life to help you decide what is real, efficient, cost effective and will ultimately result in a resolution of the problem that you have. I have found through many years of practice that there are times when a health challenge leaves the patient in a compromising position. At times you may be exposed to people who have their best interest in mind rather than yours. Most health professionals are sincere and practice with the utmost intergrity. Chances are the person that you are working with cares about you genuinely. My wish for you is that you have a trusted relationship with your doctor that has and will last many years. But once you leave the trusted sanctuary of the doctor/patient relationship you are exposed to so many different products, potions, methods and mindsets. It seems that there is a sub culture of people who have taken it upon themselves to be self appointed experts in a variety of health related systems. Often they have had a personal experience with something that they become excited about and sometimes they simply see a chance to be in the business of health care without the education or experience to safely help a person with a health challenge. Most often these people do no harm. The problem occurs when you actually have a need for a relationship with a licensed, credentialed professional and you choose to listen to a person with limited knowledge because of their charisma and your attraction to a miracle cure.

Skepticism is healthy when it begs a question that you choose to answer inside of yourself based on knowledge that you trust. Be skeptical and honest with the answers that you receive about health care. Keep in mind that anything in extreme is unhealthy including skepticism. Don’t be caught up in negatively approaching any health idea or technique simply to question it. Question it and accept your intuitive answer. When you do not have the knowledge or experience to make a decision about your health, pay attention to your relationship with your trusted health care provider. Would your doctor give you a truthful answer to your questions about health even in the face of his/her own personal philosophy and attitudes? I do hope so. Does your doctor support your reasonable expectations for health acquisition as well as let you know when your actions are unhealthy? How about the person who offers you a health product or method for sale? What are their qualifications for the diagnosis and treatment of your condition and do they have a plan with your best interest in mind? Many of the modern day self treatment “wellness” products being sold are being offered by people with limited health care training. Most are harmless, many are helpful and some have either positive or negative effects depending on who uses them and how they are used. They are not, however, a substitute for a relationship with your trusted health care provider. Knowledge is power but trusted knowledge is truly valuable. Above all consider the motivation of the person that offers you health care. Are they educated and responsible with integrity concerning your best interest or charismatic and self serving with an agenda of their own? You are the most important person in your health care relationship so be sure to choose your relationship with a purveyor of health care carefully.

Quiet Awareness

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Dr. Tim

For any individual the process of being born into this world is dynamic and vivid. At the moment of birth there is instantaneous awareness of something new. From that time on, each and every moment is filled with discovery. At birth the mind is active and the spirit is pure. The body continues to grow using a very specific set of biologic instructions and demands. The mind continues to develop its individual perceptions based on its own experiences. The spirit is cultivated by an interaction between the body and the mind. Body, mind and spirit are perfectly blended at the moment of birth.

A child who is new to this world is innocent and protected. The newborn is also extremely aware of its external environment. With proper nurturing the child grows and begins to see the world in his or her own unique way. An optimum goal for every person is to continue, for a lifetime, to live with a complete fusion of mind, body and spirit. It is when the balance of body, mind and spirit is upset that your pure life experience is disturbed.

A newborn child has this balance but often loses it as he or she goes through life. Due to physical, chemical or emotional stresses, the goal to balance mind, body and spirit tend to be ignored. Unfortunately adult human beings seem to forget the joyful experience that a newborn has. The newborn’s experience is a quiet awareness of pure, unencumbered living.

Society has necessarily created an environment that leads us away from quiet awareness. As an adult we can’t sit idly by and expect our needs to be met. We must be bright, creative thinkers who interact with our environment in order to have a complete life experience. But we should not allow ourselves to forget the innocence that we had when we were first born.

To be complete we should strive for the enlightened experience of the newborn each and every moment of our life. This will give us the opportunity to step back from the chaos of life to see everything new. A fresh vision will lead us back to quiet awareness amid the harsh requirements of survival in an unnatural, technology driven world. Quiet awareness creates a mind that is active and relaxed. Just like a newborn, quiet awareness lets a body be at peak performance balanced with the potential to recreate itself with perfection. Quiet awareness allows the spirit to shine unimpeded with unlimited potential for pure love.

So how do we get back to the quiet awareness of a newborn? Look at each moment of your life as new. Although there are moments of time that appear to be mundane, realize that each moment is always a totally new experience. See each new moment as fresh and interesting because each instant you live is truly as new as it is for a newborn. Past experience is good because it allows us to make guided decisions about our future. But any new experience is a different state of mind. Realize that every moment is a new experience.

You have a responsibility to yourself and your family to be creative and productive. When you live with discovery and curiosity you will naturally become more productive. Your mind will be cleaner and clearer. Your body will rejuvenate and express its innate potential to heal. Your spirit will enjoy the journey. Be new now!

The Process of Health

Posted on December 30, 2012 by Dr. Tim

Do you want to be healthy? You might be surprised to find out that not everybody desires health. Sure, if asked if they would prefer health or sickness, most people would say they would prefer health. But the acquisition of health takes effort and understanding and many people are numb to the fact that they will need to be part of the process. In order to be healthy you will need to be conscious of and participate in the process of health. Health is not an event, it is a process.

We have been taught that health is an event. The basic understanding of Newtonian physics states that physical things affect physical things. The public believes that in order to be healthy you must have something physical happen to you. In other words, something from the outside must physically affect your body on the inside.

One of the cleanest thinkers in history, Albert Einstein, said that energy and matter are interrelated. Taking this philosophy into health care suggests that in order for you to be healthy you must consider the energy state of your vital being. No life form functions without energy so health is a matter of delicately balancing the energy of your external environment with the energy of your internal environment.

Healthy living can only be accomplished when you begin to understand the fundamental definition of health. The definition of health has changed over the years but the actual concept has always been the same. Interestingly, when a person is asked to define health they often begin by describing how to obtain it. Most people will say that is health is eating well, exercising, having a good mental attitude and getting good rest. They may also mention that health is avoiding substances and practices that will cause you to fall ill. While these practices will help to acquire and maintain a state of health, they are not the definition of health.

In order to have health we need to understand what it is. Health is optimum function in your physical, mental and social life. Health is not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. You are not necessarily healthy if you are not diagnosed with a disease. You are not necessarily healthy when you feel good and you are not necessarily sick when you feel bad. Symptoms can help find out what the functional state of your body is in and lead to a diagnosis. This is because the human body behaves according to a set of rules and dysfunction or disease can have some definite appearances. But often a symptom can indicate a state of health.

If health is optimum function then perhaps a symptom is just an indication that the body is reacting appropriately. The symptom may be a result of the body working to balance its internal with the external environment. In this case the symptom may be a sign of health. Perhaps you remember a time when you or a family member has been exposed to food poisoning. The affected person feels terrible and at first glance you would say that the person is sick. The fact is that if optimum function defines health we need to consider that the digestive symptoms of food poisoning may actually be a sign of health. The person would be sick if the poison to stayed inside of the body to do further damage. The most functional response would be ejection of the poison.

The opposite is true. Not having a symptom does not necessarily mean that a person is healthy. There are many dangerous, dysfunctional conditions that do damage to the mind, body or spirit that are partially or completely without symptoms. High blood pressure is a good example. If you have a symptom, you cannot ignore it. It is dangerous to assume that your symptom will go away and please don’t assume that it is necessarily a sign of health. If you do not have a symptom, you cannot ignore it.

The main thing to consider is that symptoms are a poor indication of the functional state of a human being. Symptoms or the lack of symptoms may indicate health or they may indicate disease. The wisest choice for assessment of your state of health is to keep a regular evaluation schedule with your health care provider. Optimum function can be measured using scientific testing procedures and your doctor should be prepared to help you make wise decisions that will allow your vital energy to be at its highest level.

Health is a dynamic process that requires energy input and awareness. There is no reason to settle for average. Because health is dynamic it can reach levels above and beyond ordinary. It is up to you to decide what you want. An ordinary life means it occurs on its own. An extraordinary life needs to be created.

Fire from above

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Dr. Tim

I lit a fire this morning to warm the house. I watched as some of the pieces of wood struggled to catch flame and I knew that they had all of the elements needed in order to succeed. They had heat, fuel and air but they seemed to have some trouble with the task. Left on its own the fire would wither and die. It was clear that it needed help in order to ignite. You would think that a nice, dry piece of kindling underneath all of the failing wood would do the trick. It probably would have but instead I added a large but able piece of wood to the top of the pile and watched. The failing wood below attracted to the strong and able piece on top. The fire started as a result of the energy above that it was attracted to. It wasn’t lifted from below, it was lifted from above and together, with the attraction to something more capable the fire took off and burned hot.

Your own success can look a lot like a fire starting with help from above. You may have everything that you need in order to succeed. A lot of people refuse to accept the type of help that equates to being lifted from above. They want a hand out and something that is clearly like a bit kindling that is supposed to get them started. The problem with kindling added to a struggling fire is that it only supports the fire temporarily and doesn’t give it anywhere to go. It lights the fire and leaves it with what it had before, everything that it needed to get started but there is no fuel to continue.

When your fire is lit with fuel from above it has a crucial element that causes it to take off. It has a goal and a reason for being. The fire starts with a purpose. It attracts naturally to the future and burns hot with purpose. So if you are looking for something to get you started and pick you up, don’t look for kindling from below, it is temporary and fleeting. You will see your fire start and then go out. You may have felt this after attending a “feel good” seminar or reading a motivational quote. You lit up for a while and then you were right back in the same situation. There is nothing wrong with that as long as you also have some fuel to attract to. You really need a purpose for being more than a flame underneath you. Develop a purpose and watch the fire start.

***illustration from

The Legend of Eagle Rock by Tim Schroeder - Illustrated by Alex Greer available on Amazon.com or alpineskypublishing.com

Being Lively

When being alive is just the beginning