December 25, New York City: Reflections on Health and Well-being

December 25, New York. I awoke to a quiet and sleepy city. Spring-like weather. And Christmas for many.

My usual routine was sidetracked by my happening upon a recent piece in The Boston Globe about end of life care. Interestingly, it was written by the CEO of Massachusetts Blue Cross Blue Shield.

It’s a poignant reflection, a merging of the personal and the profession‎al, and a call to action.

Here’s a link to the piece:‎ bit.ly/1OqX6jH
 
About mid-way down, Atul Gawande is quoted. He’s a surgeon who writes devotedly about matters and meaning in medicine. Here’s the excerpt, in case you don’t read the whole Boston Globe piece:

“We’ve been wrong about what our job is in medicine. We think our job is to ensure health and survival. But really it is larger than that. It is to enable well-being.”‎

Reading this reminded me of how a dear friend and colleague describes health: she says “health is inner peace.”

Taking these two perspectives, I’ll offer that it’s not what’s going on in our lives, our bodies, our relationships, our paths, any other circumstances. Rather, it’s how we’re feeling about whatever’s going on.

Are we relating to our circumstances with equanimity, with serenity, with peace, or with “dis”-ease?

On that note, I’d like to close by wishing you well-being and inner peace, no matter what’s going on.

And hoping that you’ll find here, in my offerings and those of others that I share, resources and tools to support your well-being and inner peace. In all ways.

Yours in service of healing, wellness and living,

Dr. Muehsam