Health Is Positive… Remember?!

TUES., OCT. 20, 1998, 6:14 AM
FARM, STUDY

This evening you will make a presentation to this year’s Foundations class, giving them your version of “philosophy”. A philosophy, you must emphasize, consists of assumptions about reality… “what is”, whether it can be proven or not. (In fact, it is just a philosophical assumption that “proof” is of value.) I was with you as you made some notes and “test drove” the “offering” to check the time. Hence I woke you this morning in order to “help you get it right.”

Your emphasis needs to be more on health as a positive condition… the opposite of ill-health, sickness, disease, disability… The medical model is ill-health oriented. Health is a positive concept, focusing on adequate to superb functioning and excellent, appropriate adapting. You now have a couple of disabilities that are bothersome, but most of you is functioning quite well. Your body has made some good adaptations, and your spirit becomes the important element in all the adaptations you make.

I like your assertion that you were “elected” and guided to your career, to the best wife for you, and to this geographical and academic “place”. You and I are living this life together. You still have a will, but so do I, and, sometimes, I choose to guide you in ways that “override” your will. It is part of good spiritual health… good adaptation… to accept My Will as a partner with yours.

You can mention your disabilities (some of them), but emphasizing the adaptations that have been made, of necessity. And note that it is an aspect of health to accept certain conditions… in a balance with striving to overcome them, or others. A Both/And philosophy of life is what I recommend… and that includes what I just said – both the acceptance of what can’t be changed and the courage and stamina to change what is possible. And your spirit is your guide to how this “health practice” is to be applied in the various situations of life.

Faith is an important part of health – faith in yourself, in Me, and in others who are important in your life. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for… the evidence of things not seen”. Yes, you may want to close with that familiar observation on life. “I wish you faith, and strength, and love, and wisdom…” Each is an aspect of health, and you now see, for the first time, that these represent the spiritual, the physical, the emotional, and the intellectual dimensions of health. Then go on… “gold enough to help some needy ones” implies the environment and the social. “Songs” represent the active life and “silence” the contemplative. How about this as a fine way to end it?!

It is a test of your health, positively, to be able to fulfill this opportunity to give some of yourself to these graduate students. You have not had them in class, and they have not had you as a teacher. For you to do it well is evidence of health, and actually doing it is an action that enhances your health.

Emphasize that a career in education is both a means to help learners, young to old, be more healthy in their living, AND a means to strengthen and enrich your own health. Mutual learning is a healthy concept, and maybe you can work this in, too, without running over your time (which is not a healthy practice… in relation to Bobbie!)

As you are seeing, you will be illustrating your balance of philosophy as a health educator – still some Realist content, not much action on their part (your time is limited!), but a strong Idealist effort to show forth your spirit as a challenge to them to do likewise. You won’t have time to do all of this, so there will be more than a touch of frustration. Just be pleased that you have had this opportunity… an honor for one now Emeritus.