When She's Good, She's Very Very Good

I am trying to evolve my thinking from the Western way I have adopted to the Eastern way of my childhood. In particular, I'm trying to reclaim the thought process dealing with disease. Illness is so confusing to me in the Western way of thinking...on the one hand every illness is A Big Deal. "It's the SWINE FLUUUU" or "It's CANCER!!" but the same doctors who tell you that the treatment will require you to go into debt or forfeit life as you know it also tell you that it's no big deal and that aside from tinkering with your diet or exercising, there really isn't much that you, as a Mere Mortal, can do. I don't understand this way of thinking. In Eastern thinking, you are the catalyst for healing and change. You can stop your body going out of order, you can help when the little signs of disease appear. You do not have to be operating at a constantly acute level. That makes sense to me.

While I would not call myself a Daoist, it is a sensible way of seeing the world to me. I am just exploring the ideas of the Dao De Jing and the Zhuangzi so I am only reacting to my initial impressions. I have long believed that all of life is wrapped up in itself, in other words, that every action has a result. This also extends to our health. Every action we take, be it food, stress, exercise, sleep, you name it, affects our health.

Some people may think I'm looking for answers, that illness is leading me down the Hare Krishna path. Not so. I have always been looking for answers, always been in the pursuit of learning and knowledge. I have also constantly searched for peace. Much of Western society and culture is the antithesis of peace. It has not had any benefit to my life. Honestly, my life hasn't been better because I ate a McBurger, watched Rambo or listened to Madonna. I have not become a better person from those things, I have not increased my health. Obviously it's not designed to. But that's my point, I have been moving all my life towards the point where I understand that my life should be overflowing with things that will bring health, happiness and yes, make me a better person. It's a concept I have understood and tried to follow for years, I just didn't know how to.