REVOLUTIONARY THINKING ABOUT HEALTH

“Our style and manner of thinking have undergone a revolution.... We see with other eyes; we hear with other ears; and think with other thoughts, than those we formerly used.” —Thomas Paine

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A REVOLUTIONARY LEAP IN THINKING

Putting the pleasures of watermelon, picnics, and fireworks aside, what is the primary significance of the 4th of July holiday? 

According to historian Isaac Kramnick, when the final draft of the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776, our country was ushered into a new era in human history—one in which government was dominated by principles and ideals that prioritized citizens’ interests over the interests of the aristocracy. This was a new kind of open government where “...nothing was hidden in recesses of complexity and arcane knowledge.” Propelled by a revolutionary leap in thinking, the colonists’ commitment to achieve independence intensified their struggle to break with the British Empire and implement a new system of government under a new constitution. “That the Americans had defeated the British—the child had rejected the parent—was a violation of all that seemed natural,” writes Kramnick. 

The move seemed sudden, but colonists had been exploring new models for government and the distribution of power for at least a dozen years. Refined over time, these ideas inspired profound shifts of thinking that ultimately compelled them to act and win freedom from British domination.

Their experience is instructive as we struggle to break free from old modes of thinking about health.

RETHINKING THE NATURE OF HEALTH

Just as the colonists struggled to break free from the tyranny of British rule, we struggle to break free from the tyranny of constant problem-focused health messaging, false beliefs, and health-depleting environments that seem to render us powerless to take control and attain our natural state of high health. Instead, we are plagued by various illnesses and burdened with paying for expensive treatments that fail to restore our health.

Like the colonists, we’ve been searching for other ways to manage health problems. Over the last thirty years, use of complementary and alternative medical therapies in western societies is estimated to have grown by fifty to sixty percent. According to University of California and Australian researchers, these trends reflect declining faith in traditional medicine, active searching for more effective methods, and keen interest in non-chemical solutions. The growing use of alternative therapies illustrates our desire for personal empowerment and control over our health, even though it continues to sustain our view of health as a problem.

Over time these trends may propel us to make a revolutionary leap in thinking and recognize that it is natural for us to be healthy. Health is a balanced, harmonious, well-performing state of body and mind that enables us to prosper and flourish. 

This leap will compel us to focus our efforts on attaining high states of health, which fortunately will reduce the need for the massive amount of treatment activities that comprise the majority of our health care attention and effort today.

REVOLUTIONARY THINKING INSPIRES REVOLUTIONARY ACTION

Following the Declaration of Independence, it took seven years and the efforts of many colonists before Britain signed the Peace Treaty of 1783 and recognized America’s independence. Between 1763 when the colonists’ thinking began to evolve and 1783 when the treaty was settled, twenty years had transpired.

Similarly, once our health mindset transforms, our lives and environments transform—though time and effort are required to master and implement the skills needed to replace illness-promoting forces with health-building practices such as eliminating distraction, mental fatigue, and learned helplessness. Pursuing health’s promise rather than health problems increases our self-reliance, sovereignty, freedom, independence, and empowerment—all of which are revolutionary in today’s environment. 

Revolutions require critical connections, and sufficient momentum to overcome the weight of the status quo. However, once the momentum picks up speed, it can’t be stopped. These transformational forces are building in the High Health Network, and if you want to be part of the vanguard that revolutionizes our fundamental concepts of health, contact us to get started. 

Joyce M. Young, MD, MPH
Managing Director, Advanced Wellness Systems

Photo by Chris F from Pexels

Sincerely,
Your colleagues at Advanced Wellness Systems