Forty years ago, I was introduced to Holistic Medicine, an approach to healthcare emphasizing the well-being of the whole person, considering the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects. It aims to treat the underlying causes of health issues rather than just symptoms. 

Holistic medicine often incorporates natural remedies such as herbal supplements, acupuncture, massage therapy, counseling, energy work, meditation, traditional medicine and encourages patients to take an active role in their health by making informed decisions mentally and emotionally. The directive to change your thinking and pay attention to your feelings for optimal health is a strong consideration toward wellbeing in Holistic Medicine. 
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Amazingly, a positive view of life could be the most important shift toward health. One such activity is writing a gratitude list daily. This simple writing exercise not only implements mental and emotional wellness, (thinking and feeling) it also links the spiritual aspect of Holistic Medicine; recognizing each one of us is connected to universal nourishing energy and the collective consciousness of health, our spiritual birthright…if we choose.  

The phrase "Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll" originated from a 1977 song popularized by Ian Dury, an English singer, songwriter, and actor who rose to fame in the 1970s. Americans embraced Dury’s call for the dream of living with plenty of sex, drugs and rock and roll.
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Personally, I’m glad to be at the age when no one expects me to talk about sex. And the thing I know about drugs, is that I don’t take any. As for Rock and Roll, if it’s too loud and aggressive, it spoils my equilibrium of sensible thinking. Although occasionally, I enjoy Lite Rock Music as a treasured memory back to the ‘good old days’ of singing and dancing, recalling how my body could move with that kind of flexibility and durability; the attributes I’m still trying to maintain through Meditation, Pilates and Chair Yoga. 

​Don't Worry. . . . be Happy, and Have a Plan!

One thing we know for sure is that one must pursue happiness. Although we all know people who are happy most of the time, bad things happen to all, and happiness can change into doubt and worry in an instant. The difference between happy people is in the duration of time they spend in happiness, in contrast to disappointment and worry, and unhappy. 

Making a plan means being intentional. Happiness doesn’t just happen, it requires intentionality, at least with adults. Children are mostly happy, but it’s the ups and downs of life’s challenges and disappointments, and joys and accomplishments that are at the heart of human progression and character-building, and the development of the tug of war between happiness or worry. We tend to doubt when things are going well for us for too long. And we allow the ‘dark passenger’ of worry to stay with us for too long. Like visitors who overstay their visit. We can close the door and say enough. 

Happy New Year! Another year ahead of us to explore, create, experience, and decide how we will live the days forward.

One thing we know for sure in the following year is that some things coming our way we will not be able to control, but we can decide how to respond to them. My grandson Finn, who is now six, went through a stage for a couple of years when every answer to any question was No. Would you like to go to the park? No. Would you like to eat this? No. Would you like to play with this or do that? No. Thank goodness he’s growing out of his No phase. During last month’s Thanksgiving family gathering, I noticed a change in his response to questions from No to Yes. 

​Wishing each of you the happiest of holidays as we begin the festive and religious month of December. May you enjoy every moment of celebrating, recalling previous holidays and creating new memories with friends and family, right here and right now. 
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In my late thirties, I had a group of girlfriends who began exploring a variety of spiritual viewpoints. We had fallen away from our childhood religious beliefs and were searching for a new perspective and connection with God. We attended a variety of churches and workshops and listened to the latest and greatest speakers on personal growth and enlightenment. The 80's and 90's were saturated with self-proclaimed gurus and teachers all professing a path to self-realization, spiritual awakening, and reaching the pinnacle of a happy life. 

My siblings and I have a list of endearing qualities to describe our mother. At the top of mine would be her storytelling acumen. As young children, without radio, television, computers or our mother’s ability to read, listening to her stories entertained, educated and informed us of our heritage and ancestors whose lives we proceeded. 
One such story was only a tale to our young ears, until as adults we discovered an ancestral connection we did not expect or could have imagined.  

 In the town of San Juan Capistrano, California stands a small adobe home, constructed sometime in the 1840s.  The Parra Adobe is an area historical site, and is the former residence of farmer Miguel Parra, whose family migrated from Spain to Mexico between the 1500s to the 1600s. In the 1800s the Parra family migrated from Sonora, Mexico to San Juan Capistrano, California. 

The solar system has one star, eight planets, five officially named dwarf planets, hundreds of moons, thousands of comets, and more than a million asteroids. In a similar vein, no one organ of the body acts alone, regulation of body health cannot occur without the cooperation of the integumentary, lymphatic, respiratory, endocrine, nervous, immune, respiratory, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular system. Plants, Animals, Minerals, Water and the Seasons are systems coordinated within each other and upon each other as the essential process of evolution for life on Earth. 

I hadn’t given ‘Systems’ much thought. I took it for granted and assumed that things worked out on their own randomly.  Until twenty-seven years ago, after being in the beauty industry for twenty-nine years and was ready to quit my profession. I had become highly sensitive to most hair products and my hands were hurting, swollen and bleeding. Fortunately for me, through a conversation with my beauty supply consultant, I was introduced to Eufora. 

The phrase "know thyself" is attributed to several people, including Socrates, Aristotle, Lao Tzu, and each one of us when we’re not sure why we do what we do. 

Socrates believed that philosophy – the love of wisdom – was the most important pursuit above all else. Aristotle taught that knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom and Lao Tzu stated that knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom, mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power.

Recently, my friend Mary Beth and I took a one-day road trip to Winslow, Arizona to "stand on the corner of Winslow Arizona," a public spot established in 1999 commemorating the song "Take it Easy" written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey and recorded by the Eagles. (We’re at that age that we remember the song)
Both of us are busy in our lives with work, family, friends, and maintaining our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing; it’s a full-time job. Every year we set aside a day to do something special with each other for our birthdays. This trip to Winslow, we were observing my delayed birthday celebration. On our three-hour drive on the B-Line Highway going through Payson, Pine and nearing our destination, an awareness of Other-Centered consciousness entered my mind. It was a light-bulb moment of wakefulness and gratitude. 

During one of our many conversations, Mary Beth was re-counting a recent trip she had and was describing the people she met. In her calm and descriptive manner of talking, detailing the events, and discussions she experienced, the light-bulb moment came when I realized how thoroughly she captured people’s lives. As if I had never noticed before, on this day, clearly, I heard the difference between a Self-Centered or Other-Centered person. One is either centered on the self or centered on others. It is a skill Mary Beth has developed in being Other Centered when she captures the lives of others and remembers them in an interesting retelling of the experience. She is interested and it becomes interesting. 

I have been a fan of Julio Melara, author, speaker, entrepreneur, publisher, and CEO of Melara Enterprises, a multi-media company which publishes Business Repost for a variety of magazines and newsletters. He also writes a monthly article which seems to appear in my emails with perfect timing. I trust you will enjoy his words of wisdom as I do.  

“Have you ever had a couple of days or weeks full of problems? Well lately I’ve had lots of them, and it got me thinking as I paused to think and reflect about how to solve them. In our journey of both business and life, we encounter a myriad of challenges and obstacles. Yet, it's crucial to recognize that problems aren't roadblocks; rather, they are opportunities for growth, innovation, and progress. I want to discuss the value of problems and the importance of confronting them head-on.