I’m a Doctor. I make my living responding to people’s reports of pain or discomfort in their bodies. I also have a body that is as subject to all the unpredictable injuries, disease conditions and unusual sensations as anyone. These unwanted sensations are the personal reasons I went into this vocation of doctoring. “How come I don’t feel good all the time”? was the driving question that had me study as much as I have. In working with others I do my best to take on the symptoms myself and then apply my knowledge and experience to determining the next course of action. Always this determination is developed by answering what I consider to be the request for attention by their body. This practice developed a sense of compassion or sympathy in me for what others may be feeling.
I am very good at what I do in helping people. How I determine a course of treatment is treat every bodily, physical complaint as first and foremost a “request for attention”. If it is a broken bone the request is for it to be reset in it’s proper position. If it is a sprain or strain it is often a request for ice, elevation, rest and a deeper request for strengthening. If it is chronic bruising or swelling it may be a request for a supplement of some kind. If it is blood test results indicating prediabetic situation it is a request for a change in diet and exercise. If it is an unusual pain or dysfunction in the head it may be a request to go to an Emergency Room right now.
I mentored a young man from South LA from age 14 to age 18. When we met he took me around the city and showed me his tagging, graffiti skills on bridges and buildings. While this could easily be called vandalism I called it a “request for attention” by an undeserved young man. Our inner cities are filled with these undeserved young people who attempt to request attention by all kinds of illegal means and is one of the reasons we have more people in prison than any other culture in the world.
Our bodies are often given harsh drugs and surgical treatments for what could easily be treated as requests for attention and change.
I do not like to use the term “pain” in my clinic anymore.
“Request for attention” works much better.
Then the practice is to be rigorous with the term “attention”. I have heard “attention” described as the “magnifying mind”. What we “pay attention to tends to grow” is the basis for the “magnifying mind”. When we focus on solutions we get more of those. When we focus on positive attributes of anyone or anything we get more of the positiveness.
My job as a doctor then is to focus on what works really well about you and me, including our healing and growing abilities.
Which at age 75 for me is now a genuine daily practice in discipline.
Peace, love and exercise Friends.
