GOOD HEALTH IS THE KEY TO HAPPINESS

"GOOD HEALTH is the KEY TO HAPPINESS"

I was working the other day in a community pharmacy chatting to customers and passing on informatiion and advice about prescriptions and health matters. It always amazes me the number of prescriptions for anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications in ALL ages and ALL types of wealth and medical conditions that are dispensed in a day. Most of these people are very reluctant to start these medications for various reasons but by the time they have seen the GP they have taken the first step to improving their health which is commendable,it takes courage to recognise firstly the problem and then seek help and lastly to make the change needed to heal. Discussing the medication and "possible" side-effects and concerns and also other strategies to assist the medication is always something I enjoy, I love to highlight that the medication is only one part of the healing process.

I always have taken good care of my health and been blessed to avoid most accidents and health issues and I also truely believed that Good health was the key to Happiness, and at 53 hadnt been to hospital but fate intervened after a long 4 week adventure trip and a mysterious viral illness one Easter weekend and a admission to hospital with mutiple lumbarr punctures and a week long stay and 3 months to recover!Those purple curtains and lack of a window..I was desperate to escape after 7 days and stumbled weakly out [with a small vomit on the side-walk] at the first opportunity to go!

It was interesting being a patient , being on the other side of the healthcare screen, I was surrounded by people of all ages and sickness in hospital and each had their own level of happiness. The heathcare providers were lovely, some very passionate & others going through the motions.Some patients had been there weeks to months and were happy, others a matter of days and unhappy! It got me thinking how lucky I was to have experienced this episode to have a new understanding and appreciation of my body which up until then I had taken for granted and a new understanding of what drives my happiness and what is it exactly.

Obviously our basic needs of food & water ,clothing, shelter must be met but the message is clear : "we dont need more money,greater fame or success, the perfect body or perfect mate/relationship...what we have is a MIND, this is the basic toolkit we need to achieve complete happiness.

Accordingly it became clear to me that the FIRST STEP in seeking happiness is learning...we have to accept CHANGE , we must be prepared to DO THE WORK and TAKE ACTION.

To me this is the KEY to understanding HAPPINESS , it is a goal not a place. It is determined by one's STATE OF MIND rather than by external events. This rang true when I think about the memories of happy children playing or people laughing in a poverty stricken South Africa, or more recently on an adventure race when its raining,dark and cold and my team mates are laughing, smiling and joking on day 5 of a 10 day event living on 2 hours sleep a day and suffering but in a state of happiness.

The Stoics call Health a "Preferred Indifferent" I always struggled with this but after being in Hospital myself I began to understand it. Obviously we prefer to not be unhealthy ,and have great health and I strive for this and certainly advocate this to my clients but essentially the work comes at becoming "Indifferent to it" and using the Power of my thoughts and thinking to strive for this Goal. This is not easy to do...its a daily struggle and process, one pearl at a time ..but its forward progress nonetheless.

Hopefully this helps you on your own path to Happiness.