This week, I attended (and acted as a breakout session leader) for a wellness symposium. During the main portion of the presentation, I heard a repeat of all the figures that I have known about wellness, the state of our health, etc., some of which I mentioned in last week's post. And somehow, it still manages to shock me. It is unbelievable at how much healthcare is costing our nation, in so many ways. I cannot fathom how one can hear those figures and do nothing.
The buzzphrase of my life in my 40s has been "educate and advocate" .... that seems to crop up over and over. And so it is still. This was something that I hope I passed on to the people in my group. We have to educate ourselves, and to educate each other. And once we have that knowledge then we must advocate for those who have no voice, or whose voice is unheard and unheeded.
Thomas Wolfe said you can't go home again, and he's right. Once you have knowledge, you cannot go back to ignorance. You cannot "unknow" something. Nor should you. And once you have knowledge on one area, then you will find that there is a tie-in to something else .... and you want to learn about a connecting area, and then you'll see how the web is woven..... you will want to do what you can to improve things. You will be angry and saddened and passionate. It might not be about food or health or wellness, but it will be about something that resonates deep within you and makes you a better person.
I'd like to close with a few profound insights from Margaret Mead:
1. "There is no greater insight into the future than recognizing... when we save our children, we save ourselves."
2. "Never ever depend on governments or institutions to solve any major problems. All social change comes from the passion of individuals."
3. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
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