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Think Outside the Box! By James H. O'Keefe, M.D. You are related to every other living entity through the complex web of life on Earth. This planet paradise is our one true home and its natural cycles have been intertwined with ours throughout humanity's existence-that is until very recently. Many Americans today have fallen out of step with the natural cycles of our world, leaving them emotionally and physically unwell. In nature everything is circular and connected. Our perfectly spherical Earth spins around on its axis every 24 hours, and circles the sun every 365 days. Water circulates down from the sky, bringing life to the land and then evaporates back into the sky, being purified in its cycle. In the intricately connected, awe-inspiring cycle of life, plants grow and prosper by using water and sunshine combined with nitrogen and carbon dioxide (both from animal waste products) and the plants reciprocate by giving off the oxygen and growing the vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts that we animals need to thrive. Native human cultures understood that they were part of these cyclical, interconnected rhythms, but our modern, man-made environments have detached many of these vital connections to our natural world. Today our lives are defined by boxes, not circles. If you are like most Americans, you probably awaken in the box that is your bedroom and get your breakfast from a box. You climb into a box on wheels and go to a larger box, where you work in cubicle, staring at a computer box for much of the day. Then you come back to your box of a home and stare at another box for entertainment. It is time to break out of the box and reconnect with the cycles of nature! Love Life, and It Will Love You Back! Winter is the season most dominated by the boxy existence, but the Earth is turning green again as life is reborn in spring. Celebrate your place in this miraculous world by getting outside. Let the warm spring sunshine and fresh air rejuvenate you. Walk or run or cycle around the neighborhood or a nearby park. Starting in March, the sun is high enough in the sky to stimulate the production of Vitamin D in your skin again, and it only takes 15 to 30 minutes to restore your levels back into the ideal ranges that are vitally important for the health of everything from your bones to your heart. Plant a garden or a fruit tree. Food that you grow yourself invigorates your health long before it ever makes it to your plate. The physical benefits of digging in the earth, and the unique sense of happiness that comes from nurturing other life are benefits you can't get from a pill. Eat fresh plants like fruits, berries, nuts, and veggies, especially the leafy ones. Visit the farmer's market where you will find fresh whole foods, not processed modern fare made from food harvested long ago and far away. Drink pure water and feel its goodness circulate through you and cleanse your system. Consider sharing your wisdom and mentoring a younger person. Connecting with people from generations older or younger than yours will broaden your perspectives and strengthen ties. Don't let your heart run out of summers; revitalize your existence and reach your full potential by re-synching your bio-rhythms with the cycles of life. "There are only two ways to live your life: one as though nothing is a miracle and the other as though everything is a miracle." Albert Einstein |
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