Wisdom vs. intellect

A couple of months ago, I conducted a workshop for a group of senior citizens. Like most of the workshops I offer, it was based upon concepts of healing and wellness and how they relate and can be applied to everyday life. Since this particular group was associated with a local church, the topic was healing and spirituality.

I must admit that, in preparation for the presentation, I wondered if I could properly convey concepts of holistic health and wellness to a generation that would have most likely been thoroughly marinated in the medical model. After all, I'd heard the statistic that the average person over fifty is on several medications, and I'd seen the proof of this on the intake forms in my office as well. Something I hadn't considered, however, turned out to be my biggest ally. When I got to the seminar, I quickly realized that people that have been around for more than a few decades tend to have a great deal of life experience.

Throughout our lives, we are constantly gathering information. Some is gathered first-hand and experiential, and some is what I would call intellectual information, since it is incorporated into our belief system after we read about it in a book or periodical, or learn about it from another person. While intellectual information can be an extremely valuable it can be a hindrance at times, especially if the information we're getting is incomplete or false.

For example, people tend to think something is true if they read about it on the internet, but we must consider the source of the information we are receiving before we can determine if it is true. For instance, we've always heard that milk is a good source of calcium for strong bones and teeth. What we may not have heard is that this information comes directly from the milk and dairy association. Since their profit margin is directly affected by whether we accept this information as true, there is a high possibility of bias in their reporting of the “facts.” It is likely that they neglect to mention that anyone over the age of three lacks the proper enzymes it takes to actually extract the calcium from dairy products and utilize it in the body.

Another thing to consider is that information is always changing, particularly when it comes to the human body. It's mind boggling to me when I hear that each year scientists learn more about the human body than known in all the previous years combined. If that's true, then conclusions drawn at any one time, including the most recent reporting, may also be incomplete.

If you ask ten different nutritionists about proper diet, you will likely get ten different answers. It all depends upon where they attained their information and how accurate it is at the time. Since we are all different, there may not be any one diet, exercise program, treatment or relationship that is right for everyone. Plus, what works for us at one point in our lives may not work in another.

Then how do we know what to believe and what to do?

A holistic practice helps us learn how to approach health and life from a place of wisdom and understanding as well as intellect. Since a belief is a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing, and beliefs change and may or may not be true, wisdom can only be gained through experience. If we can learn how to listen to our body and be guided by it, then we will not be at the mercy of our beliefs or someone else's. For once we have experienced something, we move from the realm of belief to one of knowing.

I love holistic concepts because not only do they make perfect sense, they apply to every aspect of life. Instead of thinking about them just as holistic concepts, we could refer to them as principles of life. This gave me just the gateway I needed to talk to the folks gathered at the seminar, for who would understand principles of life better than a group of seniors?

Experiencing the true vibrancy and beauty of life

Each morning en route to the office, I have to make a left turn from Briarcliff on to Ponce De Leon. Anyone reading this who has to make the same turn knows that it's not an easy task since there's no turn signal at the traffic light. On one particular morning, I noticed a car across Ponce and facing me that was waiting to make a left turn in the opposite direction.

Unbeknownst to the woman in that car, another car was quickly approaching from behind. By the time the person in the approaching vehicle began to slow down, it was too late. The car waiting to make the left was struck from behind and sent rolling into the intersection.

Obviously, the driver of the approaching vehicle wasn't paying attention. In fact, I'm sure that's most likely how most of the accidents around the Atlanta area occur. As you know, it's easy to be preoccupied by any number of distractions of our modern culture. I'm sure most of us have experienced our thoughts drifting while driving or while performing any of our other daily tasks.

Clearly, the person in the approaching vehicle was thinking about some other situation, either in the past or the future, and not focusing his/her attention on the task of driving. You could describe this as a lack of presence.

Upon witnessing this incident, I remembered something Dr. Donald Epstein said. “All we can ever really do is to decide where we are going to focus our attention.” To put it another way, life is really about where we are choosing to place our focus, on a moment-to-moment basis. This principle holds true whether we focus on our body, our relationships with others or upon tasks we are performing.

Whenever we are not present, it is impossible for us to fully experience the true vibrancy or beauty of a situation. This is because our mind would be focused on a different place or time, even if it were imaginary. In this way we are missing the experience of life as it unfolds.

How would it affect our relationships if we could be more present and attentive to those we are with? How many accidents could we avoid? How much more productive could we be if our minds didn't wander off while we we're trying to complete a task or project? How different would life be if we were present enough to pick up on the subtle cues of our own body's wisdom?

If we could all work on being more present, I'm sure we would experience the world and each other is a much different and profound way.