The Art of Being Well

How I wish that I may never grow old and stay young forever. I think many of us will have this kind of thoughts especially when we get old and our organ and body systems began to loose its functions. I remember just a few years back, whatever problems I had, my health is the least of the problem. But now seeing my parent’s got older and having some health issues to be dealt with, my perception of literally taking my health for granted has changed over time.

No doubt, I am still in my twenties but my mom told me that I should better take care of my health while I am still young because once you are older and fall sick, the worst thing is knowing that you could prevent those kind of sickness from happening if you just pay attention to your health. You cannot turn back time and no use feeling regret about it later. It is just like when you were enjoying yourself speed driving in a busy road and got to a very bad accident and lost a limb. Or the most common thing are many smokers among us. All smokers knows smoking is bad for health and they are not afraid of it because it takes quite a long time before they really fall sick. But when they do or their love ones had cancer due to being second hand smoker, most of them will regret it for the rest of their life. It’s no use crying over spilt milk.

Some information here on the topic The Art of Being Well by Dr. Dráuzio Varella.

If you don’t want to be ill… Speak your feelings.
Emotions and feelings that are hidden, repressed, end in illnesses such as gastritis, ulcer, lumbar pains, and spinal problem. With time, the repression of the feelings degenerates to become cancer. So, we should find a confidante, to share our intimacy, ours "secret", our errors! The dialogue, the speech, the word, is a powerful remedy and an excellent therapy!

If you don’t want to be ill… Make decisions.
The undecided person remains in doubt, in anxiety, in anguish. Indecision accumulates problems, worries and aggressions. Human history is made of decisions. To decide is precisely to know to renounce, to know to lose advantages and values to win others. The undecided people are victims of gastric ailments, nervous pains and problems of the skin.

If you don’t want to be ill… Find solutions.
Negative people do not find solutions and they enlarge problems. They prefer lamentation, gossip, and pessimism. It is better to light a match than to regret the darkness. A bee is small, but produces one of the sweetest things that exist. We are what we think. The negative thought generates negative energy that is transformed into illness.

If you don’t want to be ill… Don’t live by appearances.
Who hides reality, pretends, poses and always wants to give the impression of being well. He wants to be seen as perfect, easy-going, etc. but is accumulating tons of weight. Don’t be a bronze statue with feet of clay. There is nothing worse for the health than to live on appearances and facades. These are people with a lot of varnish and little root. Their destiny is the pharmacy, the hospital and pain.

If you don’t want to be ill… Accept.
The refusal of acceptance and the absence of self-esteem, make us alienate ourselves. Being at one with ourselves is the core of a healthy life. Those who do not accept this, become envious, jealous, imitators, ultra-competitive, destructive. Be accepted, accept that you are accepted, accept the criticisms. This is wisdom, good sense and good therapy.

If you don’t want to be ill… Trust.
Who does not trust, does not communicate, is not opened, is not related, does not create deep and stable relations, does not know to have true friendships. Without confidence, there is not relationship. Distrust is a lack of faith in you and in faith itself.
If you don’t want to be ill… Do not live life sadly.
Good humor. Laughter. Rest. Happiness. These replenish health and bring long life. The happy person has the gift to improve the environment wherever they live. “Good humor saves us from the hands of the doctor". Happiness is health and therapy.

On my personal note, prayers play a very important role too. I felt the below passage from the Bible very comforting.

28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest…”
Matthew 11:28 (NIV)