The secret weapon.

Life is beautiful and in this age of advanced technology, knowledge, and unlimited avenues of communication, health and well-being should be a given. But it’s not. In fact, the opposite is true.

Chronic disease and depression are increasing, masses of people are unhappy and unhealthy, especially in the western world. As other parts of the world are ‘developing’, it seems chronic disease follows their development.

I think we have misinterpreted the word ‘developing’. The other meaning of developing is: fall ill with, be stricken with, succumb to; contract, catch, get, pick up, come down with, become infected with. That is a more fitting definition at the moment.

It is not the development of technology that is the culprit. It is development and knowledge in the wrong hands. Knowledge and advanced technology have become a lucrative way to increase power and wealth. The secret weapon used is the knowledge of how to evoke certain emotions...

A deep rooted problem

I have been wondering how to write about this without putting too much attention on the negative and the abusiveness in our society. It is important to talk about it because the symptoms we are seeing today, are caused by a much deeper rooted problem, which is very serious.

These symptoms are chronic misery, lack of respect and physical-psycho-social dysfunction.

The signs of these symptoms are in our faces all the time. Thanks to the people that are using their heart and their head we are still surviving on this planet.

On our daily walk in Birch Island, there is always at least one person who remembers to bring a garbage bag. Empty cans and other garbage are picked up. My friend told me that yesterday, they picked up 50 cans. Empty cigarette packages and wrappers are everywhere. On the Birch Island turn off from the highway, someone dumped an old piece of furniture that is now used as a garbage can, and the area is turning into a dump.

That kind of disrespect...

From Burdened to Bliss

Sometimes life gets to us and we can use some uplifting words to keep us going. Self-Care includes how we talk to ourselves and how we make ourselves feel.

From my heart to yours: where ever you are, know that you are loved!

The more authentic you are, the more you will experience these benefits. Watch the video below to find out what these benefits are.

Being authentic to me means being fully in alignment with who you truly are, your source.

When we are born and through early childhood, we are as authentic as we can get. When we are exposed to society’s influence, we learn to adapt to fit in as best as we can. The many beliefs about how we should behave and who we need to be in order to be accepted, caused us to forget that life is supposed to be fun and that we are born to expand, not to decline. We developed habits that support society’s demands. Those habits prevent us from flowing into our natural, authentic state of being.

What brings us closer to our authentic self and in alignment with our source?

• Check in with how you feel, rather than over-thinking and rationalizing. When you are in alignment, you will generally feel good. Not feeling good means you are moving further away from...

Feeling good is essential to our health and happiness. We have more control over how we feel than we think. Here is a video on how to get good at feeling good. Don't forget to comment, and let me know what you think.

Loss

Most of us struggle with loss. It’s something we try to avoid thinking about. We don’t want our thoughts to dwell on loss too much, but it’s inevitably going to happen. Loss of youth, friendships, jobs, homes, health, parents, children, people we love through divorce/separation or death, our pets, careers, our belongings, our minds, our mobility, a dream, a favorite piece of clothing or a precious gift. So much to lose, so much to hold on to. If we could learn to embrace change, the pain of loss would ease. We can accomplish that by working with loss after change in a conscious way.

Change

Life is challenging, and sometimes things happen that can change it drastically in just a moment. Changes can be caused by something outside of us, beyond your control, or by something coming from within, when we make the change happen.

Change can be stressful, especially when it is out of our control and when many changes and challenges are taking place in a relatively...

When it comes to looking after our own well-being, our best interest, and our own health, there is a lot to learn.

Over the years, working with patients, I have seen and heard many self-sabotaging tricks. Caregivers, the people working in professions that require helping others, seem to think it is selfish to care for themselves. They come last; the job and everyone else comes first.

It wasn’t hard for me to recognize these belief systems in action: I was also one of those caregivers wanting to help the whole world, and ‘never mind me’. I know it is because we caregivers are passionate about what we do, and we love our work. It does not feel like a sacrifice or extraordinary duty towards our patients or clients at all. We have an authentic devotion to be there for our patients, to honor their faith and trust in us, and an unspoken promise never to let them down keeps it our number one priority.

The good news is there is nothing wrong with being passionate about...

Tragedy has struck Nepal again, opening my heart wider and making me feel more inspired than ever to continue on my quest to change the world.

Waiting for things to change will never amount to anything. Closing your heart to tragedy is not a beneficial response. I know I am probably preaching to the choir here, but maybe reading this post will ignite some fire in you too.

When personal tragedy hits us, our first reaction is always to protect or attack. Our brains and nervous system are wired that way. That does not mean we have to let this mechanism pull the strings and have this primitive part of our brain predominantly regulate our behavior. Yet I am afraid and sad that this is mostly the case and it closes us off and separates us. Operating from a state of stress is not only eroding our own health, it also rips away our opportunity to become

Operating from a state of stress is not only eroding our own health, it also rips away our opportunity to become of service to a greater...

I have noticed a few disturbing excuses popping up frequently that prevent me from feeling happy. Maybe you will recognize some of them while reading this.

Today I won't let my mind wander and settle on what is wrong, what is hard, what is scary, painful or sad. I won't complain, or whine, nor am I going into competition with anybody else over who is having a harder time. I won't get drawn into all the bad news or the complaining of others, not because there is no reason to complain or worry, but because it is the worst, futile use of my energy. It is plain stupid and inefficient, and the only satisfaction I will get out of it is that I am right to feel so miserable.

How is it possible that I catch myself defending my ‘right’ to feel miserable? Building a case, backed up by excuses and justifications that prove why I am feeling tired, discouraged, and miserable. Is it because I think someone will come and rescue me? Or is it because I am trying to excuse myself from...

Do you ever feel overwhelmed and helpless when life throws disasters your way, complete with seemingly insurmountable roadblocks? How do we deal with a disaster the size of the latest earthquake in Nepal? What can we do to help such unfathomable distress?

We can feel the sorrow and pain, but can only imagine what it would be like to have lost your loved ones, your home and safe shelter, your food, and water, your life. It puts our daily struggles in a different perspective, doesn’t it?

I feel my emotions intensify, escalating to a level where I need to apply emotional First Aid. I have learned, and science has proven, that the energy and intention we put out into the world will amplify ‘like’ energy. This is why we all feel the pain and the need to do something. When you are already in pain, it can become too much, too overwhelming. We all recognize the temptation to distract ourselves, putting up a shield, protecting our vulnerable heart and retreating into...