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| Be Well - Vol 1, # 5: The Power of Love |
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This month's newsletter focuses on the powerful impact of love on health. I've written about this before, but it is worth taking a fresh look at why love affects physical health as well as mental and emotional health. I will start with a copy of my column that is appearing in the Citrus County Chronicle today. For those of you who take the Chronicle, it means you're getting a double dose, but it's not toxic! For those who do not take the Chronicle, this will be fresh. For everyone, I will conclude with a bit of commentary. Here is the article: The Power of Love Love is the underlying foundation of health. This may seem surprising, but there are solid reasons why this is true. Before going into those reasons, let’s be clear about what I mean by the word love. I don’t mean romantic love, familial love, or any conditional kind of love. A simple caring kind of quality comes closest to the kind of love I mean. Caring about oneself is essential. Here again it’s important to be clear about what I mean by this phrase. Caring about oneself does not mean focusing on one’s looks or one’s reputation. It does not mean focusing on what brings one pleasure or comfort. It does not mean focusing on gaining power, wealth or great possessions. Narcissism, hedonism, and/or materialism may be common substitutes for love, but they’re not love. Loving oneself means caring for one’s authentic inner being. It means being in integrity with one’s highest and best self. To use an older aphorism, it means being true to one’s soul. The value of this kind of self care cannot be over-emphasized. If one lacks this kind of inner strength, no other substitute can take its place. No matter how successful any substitute seems, it does not have enduring value. Caring for oneself in this way is necessary to truly care about others. Loving others is to care about them as authentic beings. Caring for self and others with integrity is essential for personal, family, and community health. It is the master key to good health. To see why love is so important to health, look at what happens in the absence of love. Distrust, anxiety, loneliness, depression, fear, and/or anger begin to surface or take over in the absence of authentic caring for self and others. Examples abound in the world today. Besides tearing families or communities apart, these emotions have profound negative effects on personal health. They badly sabotage good health in multiple ways. This is not simply abstract theory. It is intensely practical reality. The HeartMath Institute has done decades of research on the effects of various emotions on health. There is no doubt that emotions like anxiety, fear, and anger have powerfully negative effects on the human body. The heart reacts with chaotic kinds of rhythm, and destructive hormones released into the circulation impact every one of the trillions of cells in one’s body. By contrast, love produces harmonious heart rhythms, and the messages going to all the cells of the body are beneficial. Again, this is not theory. It is measurable reality. Our cells literally relax and do their work much more effectively under love’s influence. Biblical wisdom stated this same truth two thousand years ago, long before we had the laboratory tools to prove it. Colossians 3:14 says: “Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” How do we clothe ourselves with love? Children who grow up surrounded by consistent love have a head start, but it is never too late for anyone. Practicing loving care toward oneself and others is infinitely worthwhile to our health, in every sense of the word. Added Commentary: Does love really have such a powerful effect on health? It does - even though cynics may doubt this, and many others may question the practicality of love. It's worth looking at this question, because it is universal. When examined carefully, doubts or questions about the effectiveness of love come down to thinking that it's too idealistic or too soft to be practical in the real, hard-knock world. There is an element of plausibility in these criticisms of love, because some idealistic people do not appear to take hard realities into account. Others seem to be too pampering or yielding to be very effective in the real world. Yet both these criticisms fail to appreciate the full definition of love, and therefore fail to recognize its true power. Truly caring about oneself means to care about one's inner authenticity and integrity. This requires real strength. To care for oneself with honesty takes self-discipline and the ability to make hard decisions that involve saying "Yes" to inner growth and "No" to that which hinders inner growth. To care for oneself often means the opposite of pampering oneself. Caring about others involves recognizing and honoring them as authentic beings. It means making every effort to understand them and to facilitate their inner growth. Does this mean that one should always yield to others? No. Loving others does not mean giving away your integrity. It does not mean always agreeing with others. It does mean honoring their authenticity, even in disagreement. It is not always easy to find the loving solution to every problem. Yet, in any conflicting situation, whether personal, familial, national, or international, working on a caring solution for all concerned is healthier and more productive than trying to force a power solution. Unfortunately, in the midst of conflict, the power of love is often not even considered or recognized. However, the power of love is much more magnificent than simply being an agency of avoiding or resolving conflict. More than all else, love is what brings joy and meaning into life. It is what creates overflowing blessings in life. It is why St. Paul wrote, even in the midst of hardship, "Now abides faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is love." By no means have I exhausted the topic of love, but I've explored enough for today. I welcome any thoughts or observations you may have on this subject. If you would prefer not to receive my wellness newsletter, please let me know. On the other hand, if you want to recommend or forward it to others, please feel free to do so. Be Well! Ed Dodge, MD |