BEST CASE SCENARIO

I work with hundreds of people on a regular basis. It is the most wonderful and rewarding work and I feel blessed to be able to serve in the way that I do. At the Cafe of LIFE we see people that are really struggling with their health as well as people that are feeling good and want to remain that way. I learn a lot about people by interacting in the way I do and helping them to express a better them. All kinds of wonderful things come up for people and I love that there are some real break-throughs happening on a daily basis.


I do see a pattern happening that I want to address. I think it is simply a human thing, though I am sure it is largely influenced by our culture. Whether people are starting from a place of feeling really good, or feeling really bad, when something happens, some sort of new symptom or aggravation happens...the human mind goes automatically into "WORSE CASE SCENARIO" mode. Some people have taken very minor things that have been going on for about 2 hours and seriously talked themselves into this may be the end of their lives. I am not sure when we lost the faith in our body's ability to adapt and heal from just about anything, but we did. Instead of saying "Oh this sinus infection has been going on for 2 days, but my body can fight this off and I will be better in the long run for letting my immune system kick in", people are running out for some remedy that will help with the symptom, which almost always compromises the immune system and doesn't allow it to do what it was designed to do. Or "My wrist hurts, but it has only been an hour or so and I am sure my body will handle it" they go to the MD and immediately get it x-rayed to make sure there isn't a tumor. These are just a couple examples to give you the idea of how extreme our thought patterns are.



My point being...let's start giving our bodies the benefit of the doubt. The body's ability to heal is much more powerful then anyone (and especially the media) has lead you to believe. We all have within us an inborn, recuperative power that is in charge of proper adaptation and integration of the many stresses we encounter every day. When things come up, let's start thinking BEST CASE SCENARIO and that have a mindset of "my body can probably take care of this" and watch and wait. If you are doing all the right stuff with diet and exercise, getting good rest, keeping a positive attitude, staying away from toxins, and getting regular checks for your spine and nerve system, a large percentage of the time the body will do just that...TAKE CARE OF ITSELF. When the body is given the opportunity to take care of itself, and it does, we are better off than if we continue trying to combat symptoms with drugs and surgery. We only get one chance...let's keep focused on BEST CASE SCENARIO.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Wow the town is buzzing with back to school energy. This is a time that our lives take a major shift and a routine is re-established. Even for those of us who do not have children, the back to school time is still a great time to re-organize. It is a perfect time to set some new health goals, a perfect time to check back in with what resolutions you had set in January this year and have confidence if there are things still left undone from that list...there is still time to take action. 2010 is far from over and no matter how far you may find yourself off track, it just takes one step to get back on it. I have a very wise yoga instructor (and you know who you are) that I go and visit 2-3 times a week and she continually reminds me to come back to my breathe. When life gets crazy (or the class becomes ridiculously challenging) all it takes is one thought of getting back to my breathe to pull me through and bring me back into the current moment. If we stay in the current moment, things are simple. It is memories of the past, and thoughts of the future that make things complicated. So sit for a moment and check in with yourself. Are you at a satisfying place with the goals and resolutions you set for 2010? Did you find success so far or do you need to check back in. Here is an idea...tell someone about your goals. When we put it out there to a friend, something happens in the mind that we become more diligent at working towards them since you have to be a little more accountable. And remember, no matter how far you strayed, it is just one step to get back on track. Make the most out of your days and live an extraordinary life...we only get one chance...

THE WEDDING

It has been a couple weeks since my brother got married, but I still wanted to write about it. This Michigan summer has been a fabulously warm and sunny one...except for that day. The wind was blowing and the temps came close to 63 degrees as a high. The wedding was planned to take place outside and that is exactly what happened. The ceremony was on the small island on Runyan Lake where my parents live. It was a small and short ceremony that was as sweet of a wedding ceremony as I have been to. We all wrapped up in blankets to witness their vows and just as they were completing them, the sun shined through the clouds. The reception followed right after and the wind stopped. There were some big heaters which helped to keep those that weren't dancing, warm. This reception was a party that so many were looking forward to. Not only the bride and groom and family, but the different sides of my family that hadn't seen each other in 10-15 years were also very excited. It was an evening wonderful conversation, reconnecting with family and friends, great food, an awesome DJ, a beautiful setting, and a very happy bride and groom...and Charlei. I look forward to having another sister to share in whatever live brings this family and just making the most of this life...we only get one chance. Congratulations Nate and Rachel!!!

RECYCLING

My dog Choco cracks me up every single day. He has so much personality and he is incredibly expressive. Yesterday at lunch time I sent him back behind my house to do his business. He usually runs back there, does his thing and comes full sprint back to the front of the house. Sometimes he will stop and grab a pine cone along his journey as he is a retriever at his core and has high hopes that I will throw to him for a while. When he came back to the front of the house yesterday, he had picked up an empty plastic water bottle that someone had left back there. He comes bolting back, head held high, as if to say "Hey Mom, is this one of those bottles that can be recycled?" (I am pretty sure he probably wasn't actually thinking that but I like to think he is a bit smarter than he actually is). The recycling bin sits right by his kennel and so I showed him where to drop the bottle and he did it. He is so stinkin' cute. Thanks for being so environmentally conscious Choco! I wish more people would think like you do! We really need to start checking in with ourselves and making sure we are doing as much as we can on a daily basis to help the planet. We were put on this earth for a reason and we only get one chance...