Unit 7

"Meeting Asclepius: Mindfulness and Meditation"

When doing this exercise, it didn't take me long on deciding who to concentrate on. My older brother passed away a few years ago, and June 30 is his birthday. He and I were very close. He was my go to person whenever I had problems or decisions to make. I miss talking to him and getting his advice on things. Even to this day, when I have to make a decision, I try to think of what he would tell me to do. Concentrating on his image was easy for me. This exercise actually helped me a lot, focusing on him. because I have missed him so much lately. Transforming my mind int his mind, feeling like he was with me, feeling his energy. Taking on the love and his wisdom. I allowed his energy to come into my heart and tried to take on his qualities. Picturing him and concentrating on his words, I now realized it was really myself talking. It is really myself that I have to look to for guidance. I need to accept that it has been myself guiding me and will continue to do so. This was really hard for me to accept, because I never thought I could make the right decisions for myself without talking it over with someone else first. Meditating, concentrating, focusing. This is all something I will need to continue to work on.

One Cannot Lead Another Where One Has Not Gone Himself.

How can one try and tell someone how to live there life, what is best for them, when they don't practice what they preach. I have seen doctors and nurses tell their patients that smoking, overeating, drinking and etc. is not good for them, but yet they are doing it themselves. Many times I have seen caregivers pass out education about quitting smoking, telling patients how bad it is for them, only to see them a short time later, outside taking their cigarette break. How can you try to advocate good health, when you are not practicing good health. How can you recommend alternative treatments, when you have never really tried them, or at least attempted to educate yourself about them? All caregivers need to really take a look at this statement, and really examine the meaning, and start living the statement.