Simple

I am convinced that being simple will lead to greatness, joy, and inner peace. Our lives in this era have become increasingly complex. That complexity has lead to more problems and less enjoyment. If we watch the activities of small children, we can witness how simplicity leads to enjoyment. Innocence is apparent with each activity of children. Their minds are untangled with conditionings and thus free to imagine so beautifully.

I am not suggesting that people give up everything and attempt to create a false outward sense of simplicity. Rather, I believe that simplicity must occur in the mind before an outward expression happens. Our excessive thinking creates all the complexity and confusion in our lives.

Try to remember a prominent, unpleasant event that took place in your past . . . Now try to remember how many times you have relived that event in your mind. We tend to remember things that shock us. Unfortunately, the most shocking things in our lives are usually unpleasant events. Tragic isn’t it?

Each time we think of an event, we strengthen a nerve pathway in our brain. As the nerve pathway gets stronger, it is more likely that we will revive that memory. How silly is it that we go on thinking of things that disturb us day after day? Why wouldn’t we want to relive memories that give us joy instead?

The crazy thing is that what we remember from the past is not reality. It is just a memory of what we thought happened. Yet, those memories can trigger chemical responses in our body that lead to a fight or flight (stress) response (see end of this post for a physiological description of this). Fight or flight from what, a memory? Sounds crazy doesn’t it?

The stress response is useful if you need it, but over time, the response can contribute to a weaker immune system. Stress plays a role in every disease process as it affects our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual balance. We do not need copious amounts of adrenaline moving around our circulatory system as we are sitting on the couch. Yet we all do it.

So, how do we get out of this pattern?  Simplify. We have to know ourselves first. The knowledge of others is great, but the knowledge of oneself is infinite. Once you have experienced your true self, you can begin to peel away the layers of nonsense that are not you.

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An explanation of the basic physiology of the fight or flight response is here:

“Increased heart rate, blood pressure and respiration. Pumping more blood to the muscles, supplying more oxygen to the muscles and heart-lung system.

Increased sugar rates in the blood. Allowing rapid energy use, and accelerating metabolism for emergency actions.

Thickening of the blood – to increase oxygen supply (red cells), enabling better defense from infections (white cells) and to stop bleeding quickly (platelets).

Sharpening of senses. The pupils dilate; hearing is better etc., allowing rapid responses.

Prioritizing – increased blood supply to peripheral muscles and heart, to motor and basic-functions regions in the brain; decreased blood supply to digestive system and irrelevant brain regions (such as speech areas), this also causes secretion of body waists, leaving the body lighter.

Secretion of Adrenaline and other stress hormones – to further increase the response, and to strengthen relevant systems.

Secretion of endorphins – natural painkillers, providing an instant defense against pain.”

(Atkinson et al, 1996; Hanson, 1986; Kandel, 1991)

A Beautiful Death

Every culture has its own style of dealing with the event of death. Some cultures ignore death until they have to face it while others embrace the event. I will share a real life account of a family who taught me that there could be beauty at the time of death.

Some years ago, I was working the night shift in an intensive care unit in a hospital. That night I was working with a Samoan family whose father was fatally ill. The man (let us call him Joe) was on the ventilator and barely hanging onto life. The news came to the family from the attending physician that there was no cure for Joe’s condition. The elders of the family decided that it was time to let Joe pass on; that his suffering should end. As the night went on, more and more family members poured into the room. By 3 a.m., 4 generations of family were present amounting to 22 people. By consent of the family elders, we withdrew all life supporting equipment.

They all began to sing Samoan and English Hymns. Such beautiful harmonies echoed throughout the halls of the intensive care unit that night! The atmosphere was full of joy and of mourning. Between songs, the family members took turns sharing stories of the joyful times that they had spent with their uncle, their brother, their father, their grandfather, and their friend. Though there was much sobbing, there was just as much laughter to lift the spirits of all those present.

As every family member said their goodbyes, I could see that each of them were satisfied and at peace. That night I saw a miracle performed. The Samoan family had transformed a normal hospital room into a vibrant, heavenly sanctuary. How lucky I was to be witness to those moments.

Overtime Cost

STORY 1

The first hospital I got a job in as a healthcare provider was a dreadful long term acute care facility. “Long term acute care” is also known as “the place where people go to prolong their death.”

I had this lovely family under my care for some months whose father was in hospital with lung failure. Nicest family anybody could ever meet. Even though the father was on a ventilator (through a tracheostomy) he was often smiling and was always very friendly. The wife and their children were a delight to be around and were often there to support their father through this difficult time.

After spending a number of shifts in hospital with this family I came to know how the father ended up with lung failure. Tragically, prior to this hospitalization, this man had never been in hospital and had never had any major illnesses. He had a high stress job that he had been successful at for the past 25 years. In 25 years this man never took a single vacation. The episode of lung failure came on very suddenly and ultimately took his life.

This man was never a smoker, had money for food and shelter, and had a very supportive family. But because of his extreme dedication to work, he paid the ultimate price.

STORY 2

A friend of a friend had worked a 45 year career at the Boeing Corporation as a mechanic. At his retirement party he was asked “if you could change anything about your work at Boeing what would it be?” 

The recently retired man replied, “I would have never worked a single hour of overtime. If I could, in a second, I would give back all the overtime money I earned for more time with my family.”