Category: Natural Healing

Never stop exploring, and thoughts on gratitude…

This morning my wife Rachelle shared with me an intriguing vignette: 

 Our 17 month old son is always looking for something to touch or get into–in many ways he’s the most “on the go” of all our 5 children. 

So this morning, Rachelle asked our daughter Emmie, “Emmie, what do you think Benen’s trying to teach me?”  And Emmie answered, “Never stop exploring.”

What a perspective!

No wonder our kids often seem to have so much energy and enthusiasm for life…and what a perspective to be reminded of–never stop exploring!

Recently I’ve also been reminded in several arenas of the power of appreciation and gratitude.

Rebecca Fine in a recent interview pointed out that Wallace Wattles has a whole chapter on gratitude in The Science of Getting Rich, and I just read that Oprah has said the most impactful thing she’s done was to keep a gratitude journal.

Sometimes we want to hear about something more dramatic, a technique that’s more complex or more “secret”.

Nevertheless, the simple practice of finding things to be grateful for–especially at the beginning and end of your day to “tune in” to a spirit of appreciation–can have a powerful effect on your mood, your hormones, your cells, and your experience!

So how about making this really practical?

How about grabbing a spiral-bound notebook (you can get one for less than a buck at most stores), and writing 5 things you’re grateful for at the beginning or end of your day…or both…

How about doing this for the next 7 days…

How about for the next 21 days…

You may just find yourself developing a life-long enriching habit–that will add both quality and quantity to your life!

To your prosperous well-being!

Dr. Ben

P.S.  Get your own free weekly wellness insights and tips  at www.doctorbenlo.com

The Miracle of Health & The Paradox of Healing

My wife Rachelle and I are sitting by the fire while our daughter Emmie listens to a new CD about a violin going through many ages of music that her aunt Margaret just gave her.  Rachelle’s reading a book on Greek history, and she just leaned over and commented to me how much we take for granted our health and the health of our kids, and what a miraculous gift these are.

I responded, “Yes, it’s effortless and yet tremendous.” 

I was immediately reminded of a simple but powerful story I read in Florence Shinn’s book yesterday:

     I knew a woman who had seven children.  She knew they were all Divinely protected and
and they all grew up safe and sound. One day a neighbor rushed in and said, “You had
better call your children, they are all climbing up and down trees–they are going to kill
themselve!” My friend replied, “O they’re only playing tree-tag. Don’t look at them and
nothing will happen.” p. 342

“Don’t look at them and nothing will happen.”

Irresponsible, or a powerful clue to well-being?

Ponder that one, because that’s certainly been our experience with the health and well-being of each other and our kids…

Now, for further reading on the paradox of healing, here’s an excellent article I just read by Philip Golabuk:

The Paradox of Healing

One of the statements that jumped out at me was:

“Not all of a person has cancer, after all.”  (You can substitute any condition for “cancer” here.)

and the distinction between the phrases,

“I am a cancer patient.” and “I am a person with cancer.”

In brief, the article touches on the powerful concept of identity.

When you experience a condition or situation–in your body, your money, your parenting, or your relationships–do you acknowledge it as just something temporary that you’re passing through, or are you identifying with it…making it part of your identity…so that the condition perpetuates?

“Do not be afraid.  Only believe.”

“Don’t look at them, and nothing will happen.”

You are always more than any condition or situation you’re experiencing.

You can choose to live in worry or fear, or to live in the assumption of well-being…

Which is more “real”, the appearance of things around you, or the “unseen real” beyond what you “see”…

Food for thought.

To your abundant and blessed well-being,

Dr. Ben

Dr. Ben’s Health Insights — get your free weekly insights delivered by email here: https://doctorbenlo.com

Your life as a miracle…

“Do not be afraid.  Only believe.”  (Mark 5:36)

“There are two ways to look at life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle, the other is as though everything is.” — Albert Einstein.

 Hmm…

 Which way do you look at life?

 Which way have you looked at your life today?

I’ve been re-reading the The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and reminded of the power of our awareness, of observing ourselves and our thoughts and feelings rather than fully identifying with them.

 …of letting go of fear and the need to be right…

…trusting, and growing in awareness…

…and ultimately delighting in life…

 …delighting in Now, because Now is where I am, what I’m experiencing, and where I can choose and make different choices…

You may have noticed a variety of resources recommended on this blog, and I want to comment on that briefly today, so you can get the most out of what’s here.

First and foremost, I encourage you to look for what opens doors for you.

 What gives you a sense of “Aha…” and a feeling of moving into a larger space…

I encourage you to look beyond the words any given author or resource, or I myself, use.

Remember that our words are all merely pointers–pointing to something beyond the words, however imperfectly.

Thus, look to what the words point to, and if it’s something that expands your wonder and appreciation of “what is” and opens more doors of possibility for you, observe that and ponder it, rather than immediately reacting to the words or labels themselves…

It is not my purpose here to convert you to any particular world-view, but to merely open doors for you to expand your own awareness of principles that affect us daily just like gravity.

Sometimes you may agree with what you read.

 Sometimes you may strongly disagree.

If you allow yourself to explore, though, with an open mind, often the journey of thought and awareness that you walk will have great value for you.

In fact, in many ways it is not a book or what someone says or writes that alone is “right or wrong”, “valuable” or “not valuable”, it is the response in us, the journey in thought and awareness that we walk in response to what we read or hear, that often “creates something new” and is what has the greater value.

So enjoy exploring the resources and ideas on this site.

Better yet, add your own comments, and through dialog, we can each grow and embrace life more and more “abundantly” and wholeheartedly.

To your abundant and joyful well-being,

Dr. Ben
https://doctorbenlo.com

Do you want to become well?

The last few days I’ve been percolating on the story from John chapter 5 where Jesus meets a man who’s been suffering under his condition thirty-eight years.

Jesus asks him a very interesting question,

“Do you want to become well?”

You’d think the answer was obvious.

But the man’s answer is also interesting.

He doesn’t answer “yes.”

Do you know what he says instead?

He starts giving the reasons why he can’t get well.

But that’s not what Jesus asked.

He didn’t ask whether the man thought he could become well, or why he hadn’t become well…

He asked, “Do you want to become well?”

Isn’t that what really matters?

“Do you want to become well?”

How often do you find yourself–whether it’s with your health, a personal relationship, or your finances–talking about your circumstances–why things are the way they are, why you can’t change or get better, or even whether you can get better…

What if for the next 7 days you take note whenever you find yourself talking this way and…

Stop.

Hit the “pause” button.

And then ask yourself, “what do I want?”

“Do I want to become well?”

Immediately brings your focus back to center…

“Yes!”

End of discussion.

Practice this week talking only about what you want, without discussing whether you think it’s possible, or all the reasons why it’s not.

Play the game.

“Do you want to become well?”

Let me know what happens…!

To your joyful and abundant well-being,

Dr. Ben

Ben Lo, MD
Life & Wellness Coach
https://doctorbenlo.com
Maximize your health in minimum time.