Ron T. Dummar  DC, MAOM

It is rare today to find someone who has enough time.   Everyone appears to be in such a hurry.  People are so focused on what they are to achieve, they begin to forget why they set out to achieve it.  Life has its way of providing tasks and to-do lists for us to accomplish.  This can be considered a protective quality of life; such as keeping one too busy to get involved in things that might otherwise harm him.  However, at times this same to-do list approach to life can be considered very restricting.  Often opportunities are not taken or missed due to certain objectives not yet crossed off ones list.  While it is important to set out a list of things to accomplish, it is crucial to remember the big picture.  If emphasis is on the why and not the what, there will not be such a crisis when the what does not materialize.  There is a time to be taught the ways of the world, but there is also a time to teach the world new ways.  In order to learn the ways of the world one must simply learn to repeat tasks, and phrases.  To teach the world new ways one must make time to be apart from this world for it is only through this individual separation that new thought can arise.  As a result the first and most important priority that supersedes and influences all other priorities is...

Personal Emotional, Energetic, and Spiritual Strength

In discovering tools for finding strength in this area one must look beyond the billboards and signs that sell with flashy eye catching  displays, and learn to look inside, and listen in an analytical way to what is being spoken.  This level of health is where nearly every illness begins its infestation.  If one is weak in this area they are automatically more susceptible and less immune to any presenting disease than an emotionally strong associate.  Emotional, energetic, and spiritual strength develop through regular patterns of positive affirmations, and quiet moments of reflection, and meditation.  These qualities also readily respond to reading uplifting encouraging, or personally meaningful books.  Just as light seems to fill a room almost immediately following lifting the switch, changes in this arena of health can be immediate.  If you begin today and commit yourself to a pattern of positivity, meditation, and focused reading you will alter your Emotional, Energetic, and Spiritual Strength immediately, and thereby will begin to alter your entire physiology.

Physical Health

Physical health is a companion to the first section in that it is easy for a person to feel better about their self when they look and feel healthy.  While physical health is supportive of emotional health it in no way supersedes the latter.  After all how very many people, perfectly healthy in physiology and physical presentation, having emotional, energetic or spiritual struggles, complain endlessly of physical problems, from weight gain to an un-presentable appearance.  Additionally it is the motivation, or emotional will power, that drives an individual to improve their physical state of health.  Physical health is addressed in many ways, but the most important are the foods a person chooses to eat on a daily basis.  Indeed, this daily regimen of ingesting three meals a day is medicine and will alter performance and function in the days that follow, until the substances are cleared from the body.  The body wants fresh whole foods, and requires regular movement in whatever form.  If the body is not properly fed it will erode or degenerate, and if the body is not properly moved it will petrify or ossify.  If joints and muscles are not used, their normal function and bio mechanics will be altered to simply meet the demands placed on them.  Physical health and emotional health are inter connected in several ways but emotional supersedes physical.

 Family

A family will provide stability and proper guidance in implementation of the previous two priorities.  The family is often related to a tree.  This is appropriate because the older more stable parts of the tree, those least likely to be hurt or damaged in a storm, are those residing closest to the core and the roots.  The stability of a family allows freedom of limbs to grow and develop within reason, just as that stability will help to shape the actual physical and emotional health of a child.  Families should focus on providing safe un-threatening opportunities for children and parents to participate in healthy activities.  This could be a form of exercise, a family health food, or a healthy snack.  Children will learn their health behaviors from their parents.  

Church, Group, Organization

It is important to belong to a group that will support you in your improved health habits.  This can be churches, Health clubs, or organizations.  These could also be other social networks that simply draw you together with others in working toward a common goal.  Developing unity in societal situations, outside the home, is also an important part of general health because it tests your emotional stability and sometimes physical endurance.  However, this group should mostly be a source of strength, and motivation.  If it isn't motivating or uplifting, participation in such a group should be reconsidered.

Profession

Developing a profession and skill is part of being a contributor to society.  Additionally this skill allows opportunities to serve others, to improve and better their life, and make their health better.  Believe it or not, the way a person handles himself in his interactions with others, even one professional to another, influences the state of health of both parties.  In todays world, this phenomenon is most commonly referred to as stress.  Managing stress has become a major part of health in the workplace.  Unfortunately the source of this stress is most often found in simple everyday interactions between coworkers, and between employers and employees.  This stress can be managed by learning to stick up for ones self and by learning to forgive others. 

The Balanced Life

 The balanced life puts things in appropriate perspective.  By working regularly to improve your capacity within each priority, with emphasis added to the priorities near the top, it becomes easier to handle crises in each of the priorities below it.  Therefore, if the source of stress appears to be coming from the profession, consider dedicating more time to one of the priorities above it.  This must be done apart from the contract obligation to an employer to be effective.  If there appears to be complicating factors in your involvement with Church, Group or Organization, consider dedicating more time to one of the priorities above it.  And so on and so forth...  By laying out priorities in life, and manging them in this simple little way, nearly all of life's stresses will begin to melt away, or self resolve.  So as you begin your new life, put it in proper perspective.  Set out a list of things to achieve and list the reasons why you want to achieve them.  Then review the reasons why, to keep them in your mind, and stand back and be prepared to achieve more than you expect.  Set time to be apart from this world and the realization will come that what you are is greater than this world.