Whoa, hang on. Is that the New Year in the rear mirror, way back in the distance?
So much of the modern world forces us to continually live in the future, worry about what might happen in the future. For a lot of businesses, especially in the health industry, it pays to keep people living in a perpetual state of fear. What will happen if I don’t do this? What will happen if I don’t take that?
For those of you that have experienced fear about the future, think about the decisions that you made when you were fearful? Were they the best decisions that you have ever made? Did they contribute to long-term enjoyment of life? Or did they lead you into another fearful situation?
The problem with fear is that it tends to focus our attention on what we don’t want and we make decisions based on this idea. What happens when we focus our thoughts and actions on something, even if it’s something we don’t want? We usually end up with it. Rally car drivers are taught that when their car is sliding out of control, they should focus on the gaps between the trees, rather than on the trees themselves (you get what you focus on). If you’ve lost your health, are you likely to find it in the bottom of a jar of tablets?
In healthcare there are 2 predominant but opposing views on health. One is focused on disease and disease prevention, early detection of disease, the killing of bacteria and microbes, and the weakness of the body. The other is focused on improving the function of the body and the immune system, of nurturing the body’s own self-healing abilities and the pursuit of a state of wellbeing.
Which one would you prefer?