13 Tevet, 5777
I recently read several books that impressed me with the descriptions of profound improvements in the lives of their authors. Each had described how he or she had chosen to commit to specific healing and/or inspirational lines of thought and how that has had appealing impacts on their lives.
Today I want to begin sharing excerpts from Sheldon Rice's book, A Formula for Joy. Here's the first excerpt:
A Formula for Joy
How fortunate I am! What gratitude I feel
or the gifts the universe has provided me –
consistent joy, devoted wife, perfect home,
financial security and deep spiritual knowing
that all is well. My three daughters and
or the gifts the universe has provided me –
consistent joy, devoted wife, perfect home,
financial security and deep spiritual knowing
that all is well. My three daughters and
five grandchildren provide harmony, love
and affection to us and to each other; they are
a strong anchor in our lives. We live without
medicine or pain. What more can I ask
in the 78th year of my life?
and affection to us and to each other; they are
a strong anchor in our lives. We live without
medicine or pain. What more can I ask
in the 78th year of my life?
I am blessed.
Some people relate happiness and joy to
material gains; others require spiritual
connection to feel complete. For me joy is
a sense of contentment that results in a
deep sense of well being. Happiness for me
is freedom from fear. It is made conscious
material gains; others require spiritual
connection to feel complete. For me joy is
a sense of contentment that results in a
deep sense of well being. Happiness for me
is freedom from fear. It is made conscious
when I
appreciate all that I have,
particularly when I can compare it to
how my life used to be. This appreciation
requires focusing on the now—how I feel now,
how my life used to be. This appreciation
requires focusing on the now—how I feel now,
not what I may feel in the
future or felt in the
past. When I am in a state of balanced mental,
emotional, or physical health, my joy is peaked.
past. When I am in a state of balanced mental,
emotional, or physical health, my joy is peaked.
What is the source of my incredible joy, and
how did it come about? Luck alone
cannot explain it. After extensively
pondering the issue, I concluded that
there exist universal truths that are
how did it come about? Luck alone
cannot explain it. After extensively
pondering the issue, I concluded that
there exist universal truths that are
easy to understand although they can be
difficult to apply. Successfully realizing
them has brought life changing rewards
for me.
difficult to apply. Successfully realizing
them has brought life changing rewards
for me.
The purpose of this book is to inspire
through the examples of these
through the examples of these
simple concepts. Personal experience is
the only real tool there is. Anyone
the only real tool there is. Anyone
can do what I did by applying
effort,
strong desire and deep self reflection.
strong desire and deep self reflection.
There is no need to accept everything I write
immediately. It is meant as food for thought
that sometimes makes sense long after
immediately. It is meant as food for thought
that sometimes makes sense long after
the first time you read about the concepts I
present here. On the other hand, something
you read might answer an immediate
personal issue.
present here. On the other hand, something
you read might answer an immediate
personal issue.
Balance According to Yin and Yang
Applying universal truths helped me turn my
life around. The first of these is the principle of
yin yang balance. Intuitively the idea
makes sense to me, but its application to
life around. The first of these is the principle of
yin yang balance. Intuitively the idea
makes sense to me, but its application to
my lifestyle, particularly in my case
my eating practices, proved to be quite
challenging.
my eating practices, proved to be quite
challenging.
Achieving balance requires significant habit
changes, an elusive and often difficult initiative
for many people. Why do some people make
changes in their lives so easily once they are
consciously stimulated to do so, while others
changes, an elusive and often difficult initiative
for many people. Why do some people make
changes in their lives so easily once they are
consciously stimulated to do so, while others
find it so difficult?
The ease of making changes is one of many
personality traits illuminated through the
esoteric science of numerology. We are all
born with a personality planned for us
by our soul, yet anything can be changed
through our free will. At least half of the
personality traits illuminated through the
esoteric science of numerology. We are all
born with a personality planned for us
by our soul, yet anything can be changed
through our free will. At least half of the
world
population—the percentage varies
from country to country—has difficulty
making changes. Given sufficient incentive,
anyone can make changes if they want to
badly enough. For me, making changes
making changes. Given sufficient incentive,
anyone can make changes if they want to
badly enough. For me, making changes
is relatively easy. In fact, I changed to
a macrobiotic diet literally overnight.
I decided and did it.
a macrobiotic diet literally overnight.
I decided and did it.
“Balance” always had been merely a
buzz word for me, only translated into my
day to day reality when I first undertook
macrobiotic cooking 30 years ago.
It was then that the terms yin and yang
entered my vocabulary. Before that,
I had had no way to measure
or understand balance.
buzz word for me, only translated into my
day to day reality when I first undertook
macrobiotic cooking 30 years ago.
It was then that the terms yin and yang
entered my vocabulary. Before that,
I had had no way to measure
or understand balance.
Everything existent may be classified as
either yin (expansive) or yang (contractive).
Balance is possible when these
two universal forces are synchronized.
For example, when Page 1 of 29
A Formula for Joy we dress warmly
in winter we are comfortable because
we are balancing expansive warmth (yin)
with its natural complement, contractive
cold (yang). On the other hand, when we
eat ice cream in winter, the effect on the
either yin (expansive) or yang (contractive).
Balance is possible when these
two universal forces are synchronized.
For example, when Page 1 of 29
A Formula for Joy we dress warmly
in winter we are comfortable because
we are balancing expansive warmth (yin)
with its natural complement, contractive
cold (yang). On the other hand, when we
eat ice cream in winter, the effect on the
body is discomfort, as the cold food (yin)
and cold weather (yin) together
create an imbalance of excessive yin.
As a result we feel tired, lethargic,
and cold weather (yin) together
create an imbalance of excessive yin.
As a result we feel tired, lethargic,
unfocused. These simple examples are
easy to understand.
easy to understand.
Stress, on the other extreme, is a
contracted (yang) state. A person who
by nature is already relatively contractive–
contracted (yang) state. A person who
by nature is already relatively contractive–
uptight, driven, serious, intense–may find
temporary relief in eating rich foods,
temporary relief in eating rich foods,
perhaps drinking alcohol to excess or taking
drugs. In my case, stress
relief was mainly
through sugar. The problem with all these
solutions is that they don’t address the
through sugar. The problem with all these
solutions is that they don’t address the
underlying cause of the imbalance.
Addressing and relieving the stress itself
neutralizes the need for destructive habits
Addressing and relieving the stress itself
neutralizes the need for destructive habits
and restores personal control. Each person
needs to balance his food intake with
these natural considerations in mind.
needs to balance his food intake with
these natural considerations in mind.
There is no single, universal formula for
achieving balance. I know when I am
relatively balanced in my daily life by
achieving balance. I know when I am
relatively balanced in my daily life by
the way I feel. It can be a long time in
coming and yet happen in a moment.
Even then it fades in and out.
coming and yet happen in a moment.
Even then it fades in and out.
When I feel content, I am balanced.
My mind is
clear to pursue my chosen
activities.
activities.
Imbalance for me means remaining hungry
after I eat. I feel agitated and dissatisfied,
and find it hard to relax. If I lose control,
I find myself endlessly and restlessly
after I eat. I feel agitated and dissatisfied,
and find it hard to relax. If I lose control,
I find myself endlessly and restlessly
snacking. With
attention, I can examine
the quality and quantities of what I ate to
find balance. I don’t believe that everyone
the quality and quantities of what I ate to
find balance. I don’t believe that everyone
has to follow a macrobiotic lifestyle
to feel balanced. There are many healthy
diets that leave people feeling good.
The important thing is that balance
requires good eating habits that leave us
in a happy, good feeling place.
to feel balanced. There are many healthy
diets that leave people feeling good.
The important thing is that balance
requires good eating habits that leave us
in a happy, good feeling place.
My eating imbalance originated with
early childhood training. My parents came
from a Belarus village in the Pale of
early childhood training. My parents came
from a Belarus village in the Pale of
Settlement, perhaps similar to the one in
Fiddler on the Roof without the sentiment.
For them, low body weight meant that
Fiddler on the Roof without the sentiment.
For them, low body weight meant that
when the next famine comes there won’t be
enough physical reserves to fall back on.
My mother’s neurotic food obsession
led her to insist that from an early age
I eat more, regardless of my appetite.
enough physical reserves to fall back on.
My mother’s neurotic food obsession
led her to insist that from an early age
I eat more, regardless of my appetite.
In order to be sure that I ate enough,
my mother spoon fed me until I was six
years old. Not sure how to stop this
insidious force feeding, she revealed the
details to my school teacher in my
presence. I have never forgotten that
shame. Even in my adult years she loved
telling everyone how she had allowed me to
break dishes while she fed me, just so
my mother spoon fed me until I was six
years old. Not sure how to stop this
insidious force feeding, she revealed the
details to my school teacher in my
presence. I have never forgotten that
shame. Even in my adult years she loved
telling everyone how she had allowed me to
break dishes while she fed me, just so
I
would keep eating.
These early obsessions around food
inevitably led to patterns of overeating
that continued for a good part of my life.
inevitably led to patterns of overeating
that continued for a good part of my life.
I binged consistently with sweets and
anything else in the house that was eatable.
Though I was never obese, certainly had
periods of being full-figured. The imbalance
of alternately binging and dieting became
a way of life for me for decades.
anything else in the house that was eatable.
Though I was never obese, certainly had
periods of being full-figured. The imbalance
of alternately binging and dieting became
a way of life for me for decades.
In my early 50s I adopted a macrobiotic
lifestyle, seeking discipline in that
structured framework. At first I continued
lifestyle, seeking discipline in that
structured framework. At first I continued
to overeat without control, until after a
year and a half I was diagnosed with
a tumor somewhere between my
year and a half I was diagnosed with
a tumor somewhere between my
bladder and spine. Only when I realized
that healing was contingent upon taking
control of my eating habits did I learn to
that healing was contingent upon taking
control of my eating habits did I learn to
release
my binging. The secret for me
was in learning to chew, taking an hour
to eat each meal.Chewing for such a long
time left me balanced, satisfied with a
relatively small quantity of food.
was in learning to chew, taking an hour
to eat each meal.Chewing for such a long
time left me balanced, satisfied with a
relatively small quantity of food.
This rigorous chewing regimen lasted over
two years. For the first time I began to
experience balance on a daily basis.
two years. For the first time I began to
experience balance on a daily basis.
It was an incredible relief as I could now
focus my mind on activities other than food
once I left the table.
focus my mind on activities other than food
once I left the table.
After my tumor finally healed, my
overeating habits resurfaced.
I lost control once again, this time
with nourishing food. Overeating was
so deeply ingrained that I couldn’t sustain
overeating habits resurfaced.
I lost control once again, this time
with nourishing food. Overeating was
so deeply ingrained that I couldn’t sustain
healthy eating patterns despite feeling
so much better with them. Once again, the
patterns of binging and dieting returned.
so much better with them. Once again, the
patterns of binging and dieting returned.
About 18 years ago I had the good fortune
of meeting with a superb hypnotherapist.
My desire for change was so strong that
one session was enough for me to
kick the habit of overeating and this
of meeting with a superb hypnotherapist.
My desire for change was so strong that
one session was enough for me to
kick the habit of overeating and this
time stick with it. What incredible good
fortune! It has made such a big difference
in my life, as my balance and good feeling
have been restored. After a lifetime,
binging is a problem I have put behind me.
fortune! It has made such a big difference
in my life, as my balance and good feeling
have been restored. After a lifetime,
binging is a problem I have put behind me.
Watch for a few more excerpts from A Formula for Joy when you visit this blog.
Buy the E-book or print edition of EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challenge.
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