Our Health - Who's Responsible?
Despite the input of trillions of dollars and dedicated research by leading scientists, there is little evidence that medical cures will be found for the major causes of death in the "developed" countries - cancer, heart disease, and so-called "accidents." We do not even have a cure for the common cold! Still, we persist in believing something/someone "out there" can save us.
The prevailing belief is that our health is something existing apart from us. The idea that we could be accountable for our backaches, flu, AIDS, accidents, heart disease, or cancer does not occur to us. With our minds firmly entrenched in the Paradigm of Disconnection, we believe that things "out there" are "attacking us," and we must attack back. Our response to dis-ease is generally a mixture of despair, helplessness, and anger. We feel victimized. We look to medical science to "fix us." In direct contrast to the Paradigm of Disconnection, the Paradigm of Connection recognizes everything as connected with everything else, and everything as part of the entirety of who we are. It requires letting go of the myth that someone or something "out there" can make us better. It requires that we get down to the real business of accepting responsibility for our wellbeing. A vital first step is understanding the difference between responsibility and blame.
Not Blame or Guilt
Though often equated in some people's minds, responsibility is not synonymous with blame or guilt. Responsibility entails no judgment of right or wrong. It is simply recognizing what is, and acknowledging that we have consciously or unconsciously participated in the creation of the situation. It is an empowering attitude. The more responsibility we take for any situation, the more ability we have to respond creatively.
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