(Editor's Note: I thought, although a bit late, this was a great reminder and is also my wish for all of you this New Year. Thanks for reading and sharing the message of Upper Cervical Care.)
On Being All We Can
by Dr. Frank Bowling
I’ve always been amazed at how much we seem to be able to abuse ourselves and get away with it. Within very broad limits, we can pretty much eat, drink, think and do whatever we want, and still bounce back relatively quickly. Over time, of course, poor decisions do ultimately take their toll, but that damage is generally so gradual and imperceptible that, although we know better in our hearts, we can usually push that inconvenient truth out of our minds.
I was lying awake in bed last night, thinking about this problem, and it suddenly became so clear that I had to get up this morning and write it down. I realized that the difficulty in our daily decisions, and in our broader life choices, is entirely a matter of perspective. The reality is that we behave like our own worst enemies because we don’t stay focused on who and what we really are.
If we could hold within our conscious awareness, every second of every day, a pure vision of our divine essence, a clear picture of what that inner perfection would look and feel like if carefully tended and nurtured, the decisions of each moment would be crystal clear. The negative connotations and the inherent difficulty in words like sacrifice and discipline would be softened, and the struggle to do and be better would slowly fade to insignificance in the bright light of inspiration.
Think about it. When we want something really badly, so badly that we can’t get it out of our minds, the achievement of that objective seems relatively effortless, at least compared to other life tasks that we might find less desirable. We almost have no choice but to pursue it. We hold the image of what we want so clearly in our minds, and the passion to attain it is so strong, we seem to somehow “find a way where there is no way.”
I now realize that the same principle applies, not only to what we do and have, but to what we are, and more importantly, to what we are becoming. We have only to clarify and hold onto a vision of ourselves at our very core, and of how much different and better life would be for us and for everyone we touch if we were to grow, even slightly, toward a fuller expression of that.
Ultimately, it comes down to an understanding, and a constant mindfulness, of the importance of every choice made in every moment, and the interconnectedness of those moments in the ultimate composition of the miracle that is us. Everything we put or allow into our bodies, minds and hearts, everything we do to and with them, affects everything else. However quick or small, each decision, each choice plays a part.
I’d like to eat better. I’d like to exercise more. I’d like to study harder. I’d like to do a better job as husband, father, employer, doctor. Like most everyone else, I do focus on these things, better than some people, and not as well as others. But what I’m now suddenly realizing (I’m a little slow sometimes) is that what I really want is not the things on that list at all, but the things they will allow me to become.
I want to be lean and strong. I want to feel good. I want energy. I want long life. I want to be quick as a wink and sharp as a tack. I want to be wise. I want to learn, and always keep on learning. I want to do good and help people. I want to uplift, inspire, empower, and lead. I want to be at peace within my own heart, and to radiate that peace to the world.
I know that on the inside, in that place of perfection we all share, each of us is already all of those things, and every other good thing we can (and cannot) imagine. That together we may find it, hold it fast before our eyes, and let it guide our every step, is my fervent wish (for you).
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