It's Never Too Late to Change!

Here's another interesting study that was recently published in the British Medical Journal:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120830191036.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

The moral of this story is that, no matter how old we are, we can obtain significant health benefits by making positive lifestyle and dietary changes. Over the years I've heard many people say: "What's the point? It's too late for me to make positive change in my life. I've been living this way for too long." There is no doubt that the younger we make positive changes the greater the potential benefits. But, as this study demonstrates, even changes made very late in life can have a significant impact on our health and well-being. The choice is ours!

Aligning with the natural world.

Awe is Awesome

Here's a couple of interesting links that relate to some recent research:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120719161901.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

and...

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-awe-stops-the-clock

Once more, this is basically common sense. But when it is "verified" by research, it gives it a level of credibility in the minds of much of our population.

I tend to preach this like a broken record (CD?) and have probably already stated it in at least one other posting in this blog, but a major cause of what is out of balance in our life, both individually and as a society, is our disconnection from ourselves and Nature. These are really two sides of the same coin because we are part of Nature and intimately connected to all things, whether we acknowledge it or not. Connecting with Nature isn't just something that is cool to do occasionally when we have some spare time. It is a basic human need!

Herbs have their place in the healing process, but if healing is what we seek, they must be used within the context of a healthy life. Connecting with Nature is an essential part of a healthy life. Most people would benefit immensely if they got out into a natural environment on a regular basis. That means getting out there and connecting, not racing through, listening to music on headphones, or chit chatting with another person or on a cell phone. We need to learn how to really be present in Nature. This is an important stepping stone to being fully present in our life as a whole. It is an essential part of being in harmony within ourselves. It's important that we learn how to be in the moment and not experience life through our daily ruts, but like we are experiencing it for the first time. That includes not just the great vistas, sunsets and rainbows, but everything. We live in a world of such immense beauty! It's all around us but we usually don't perceive it. We need to come back into that place of awe. If we choose to, with a bit of effort to break out of our old ways of experiencing things, we can potentially be in awe all of the time. That is a major part of the path to a healthier, happier, more rewarding life. In order to get there, we need to stop racing around collecting endless stuff and doing endless things, and spend more time just being. This requires some major readjustments and reprioritizing in our lives in order to make the space and time available; to recognize that the quality of our experiences is vastly more important than the quantity. One of the best ways to begin this process is to get out into Nature and fully embrace and experience life: no goals; no time limits; and leave the damn cell phone behind!

Winter sunset, Lake Huron.