WILL YOU DO IT?

The Decision is Yours to Make!

I frequently have telephone consultations with newly diagnosed people with Multiple Sclerosis. His/her first question usually is, "Will your program work for me?" My response, "I don't know." Then I continue, "But you have asked the wrong question; the appropriate question is, will you work at the program?" Thus my answer to their original question is, "I DON'T KNOW." And the answer to my question back to them,"Will you work at the program?" is also, " I DON'T KNOW." Only you hold the key to that answer.

In the 13 years I have been counseling people about self-healing, it seems to me that the most challenging task they must overcome is first their search for something or someone outside of themselves. The concept that they hold the Kay to their health, that they are the creator of their universe, may be new to them. And if they are a fundamentally religious person who believes in praying to some power outside themselves, sometimes that concept is difficult to overcome.

Please understand that I am not a religious person, in that I am not affiliated with any formal church, but I am a deeply spiritual person. If you can get your head around the following, I guarantee you will be successful at helping your body to heal itself. Incidentally, my definition of healing is simple: CHANGING WHATEVER ONE WISHES TO CHANGE!

PHYSICAL TOOLS

• Learn to feed your body wholesome, healthy, natural fuel (foods). Do it in steps, first eliminating processed sugars (of all kinds, as much as possible) and bleached fours, and everything made from them, and emphasizing fresh fruits and veggies.


• Gentle stretching exercises combined with specific breathing patterns. Your breath works in tandem with your body's chi (energy system), which is the physical expression of our soul. Remember that our physical life begins with our first breath and ends with our final breath.

MENTAL TOOLS

• No more powerful tool for healing exists than meditation . . . everyone can learn this technique.


• Accept the concept that you can have a two-way conversation with your body.


• Our body talks to us all the time, through pain, discomfort, fatigue, etc.


• Learn to talk back to your body. We do that with thoughts and spoken words.


• Affirmations are powerful "voices" with which we can talk to our body. Who are we talking to when we say affirmations? Ourselves . . . that creative genius that exists inside each one of us. It doesn't matter what we call it. I choose to call it the God within. It is this genius from which we create everything - health, wealth, relationships, etc - in our lives.


• Learn to use the power of your mind through visualizations - another powerful communication tool.

The Universe has given us a whole "toolbox" of skills. They work for everyone, all the time, no matter what we wish to heal (change) in our lives. Remember that we are creating our lives every minute of every day . . . either consciously or unconsciously. LET'S CHOOSE TO DO IT CONSCIOUSLY!

I hope I've inspired you to heal you life. Check out my websites, http://www.bettyshouselifeafterms.com/, and www.FourStepstoOvercomingMS.com

Betty

Healthy Longevity

Senior Citizen! I love this stage of my life, but I find it easier to say "mature" or "aging" rather than senior. I know that it is a societal prejudice, especially since we are all living longer. I keep reminding myself that aging is not optional!

Perhaps our aversion to being a senior is because at some deep level we spend much of our life in denial. As we watch parents and friends age, that is sort of something that happens to "them," not us. Then one day the big 70 rolls around and we must admit that we are now "them."

Now that I have reached that magic time of life, and I am very healthy and active, I think a lot about how to age well, and what that really means.

AGING WELL: What is it, and what can I do contribute to aging well myself?

First we need to accept that we can age well, and that we must take responsibility for doing that. Health and happiness are both things that we create. Conversely being unhealthy or unhappy are also states that we create, either consciously or unconsciously. So I see my major task is to be certain that I am CONSCIOUSLY contributing to my health and happiness.

I live in an age-55-plus community where I serve as treasurer of our home owners' association. I also am a regular volunteer at the Senior Center in the city where I live. Volunteering in recent years has added great meaning to my life. Both these volunteer activities provide lots of opportunities to observe mature people at all stages of their advancing years.

Some are always negative, while others are always positive. Some are always unhappy, while others are always happy. Some have a reputation of always being troublemakers.

Some are always complaining about their physical ailments, while others never complain. Some are eager to learn new things, while others just "go with the flow," in their same old rut.

Some are old people at 60, while others happily look forward to their century mark birthday. I believe that for most of us the choices we make every day determine how our lives turn out. The key word here is CHOICES. Choices are something we and only we must take responsibility for.

I see nutrition and physical activity as the two biggest physical aspects to aging healthily. A healthy diet and relative normal weight, coupled with consistent moderate exercise, are the cornerstone of my own healthy lifestyle program. I have practiced Qi Gong (chee kung) seriously for about 12 years, for at least half an hour 5-6 times each week.

QI GONG CHANGED MY LIFE! I am passionate about fitness. I like Qi Gong because it utilizes my body's own energy as a healing tool. It improves the quality of my sleep, improves my energy level, as well as the functioning of my immune response. Actually, all areas of my life function better because of my practice of Qi Gong. I also highly recommend Yoga.

THE ULTIMATE EXERCISE, of course, is the simplest - WALKING! It doesn't require any special instruction or equipment, and no one can say, "I can't do that!" All one needs to do is have your desire to be healthier in good order, and then put on a pair of good walking shoes and head out the door. Such a deal!

If walking is a challenge for you, then begin by taking a few steps inside your home, extending the number of steps each day. Soon you'll be outside enjoying the fresh air and your neighborhood.

REACHING THE CENTURY MARK: I have a friend, a retired medical doctor, who just had his 100th birthday, and here are some of his suggestions for longevity:

o You must stay active, both mentally and physically

o You must make good food choices

o You must remain physically fit, with some kind of regular fitness program

o You must maintain a positive attitude

o You must take responsibility for all the above

I have decided I want to be just like him when I grow up!

WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN LIFE: One of the most important lessons I have learned in my mature years is that the things I thought were important when I was younger are not and never were really important. Such things as the accumulation of things come to mind. I have also come to know that the most important things in my life are relationships. I treasure the relationships I have with my daughter-in-law and grandson, especially since losing my then 42-year-old son three years ago, and also many friends. They are all important to me.

I have learned that the best things in life really are free. I have learned that when all is said and done and our life is over, the only thing that remains is the love.