MY ORATIO BEATITUDES #6 and #7

Beatitude #6 Blessed are the pure in spirit for they shall see God.

Aligned with the One are those whose lives radiate from a core of love; they shall see God everywhere.

THE TRUTH ABOUT MYSELF IS THAT I RADIATE FROM PURE LOVE. I SEE GOD EVERYWHERE, INCLUDING WITHIN ME.  I KNOW THAT I AM OF GOD. I SEE AND EXPERIENCE MY GOODNES. I SEE AND EXPERIENCE MY GOD-NESS.

Beatitude #7 Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are those who plant peace each season they shall be named the children of God.

AS THE REVELATION OF THE TRUTH OF WHO I AM GROWS BRIGHTER,  I AM MORE AT PEACE WITH MY BODY EVERY DAY.  I WANT TO TREAT MY BODY WITH LOVE AND CARE.  I NO LONGER PRACTICE JUDGMENT, CRITICISM OR COMPARISON. OTHERS RECOGNIZE THIS PEACE AS THE PEACE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING. IT IS THE PEACE OF GOD.

I guess it had to happen this week. The let down. I’ve been cruising on my Lectio Divina and my personal affirmations and eating right, exercising, drinking water and then out of the blue comes a bad day.  Actually, not out of the blue but the gray. It's cool, cloudy and rainy. I’m tired because I didn’t sleep well. I didn’t sleep well because I have an unresolved disagreement with someone close to me.  So, I spent a longer time in prayer this morning but now I’m behind schedule. When I get to work I am greeted by a comment at the elevator. “This day sucks.”  And I heard myself agreeing, even though I completely understand that the day is neutral. It is my attitude about the day that sucks. 

I need to pray.

Once off the elevator I began to think about the Beatitudes-seeing God everywhere and being in peace. I realized that Living the Beatitudes is not a “normal” way to live. I am going to have to be willing to be “not normal”. 

I need to pray to want to be "not normal."

Being “not normal” is one of the most difficult things for the social human to do. We all want to fit in. We don’t want to be considered  “weird” or “strange” or  God forbid “new age.” However, make no mistake, in order to adopt a healthy life style we will automatically be different from the unhealthy culture in which we live.  It will be like thinking that everyday is a “good day." People will think you are strange.

Today my Oratio is about praying to be positive and praying to adopt all of the healthy habits. I know that I will appear to be selfish or weird or not normal.  However, I realize that this is the price I am paying for the peace of being well and avoiding illness into old age.

If Dr. Shealy is correct (see newsletter below), then by being selfish now I prevent my family from a decade of caring for someone who is sick or debilitated. I may not prevent myself from having a health condition in old age but I certainly reduce the chances by adopting the Dr. Shealy's Basic Health Habits.

Today I  can begin by being “not normal” and thinking positively about this good day.  I can consider the rain a good thing. After all, we do need the rain. I can stop a get a cup of coffee. I can make a decision to resolve my disagreement or to just put some space between us.

I pray to stay in peace.

Living the Beatitudes helps to keep my mind in a higher more positive place. While doing Lectio Divina I am less stressed because I am constantly monitoring my thoughts.  I am filling my day with scriptures. I am reminded to pray. I am vigilant about eating and exercise.  To be Sacred and Fit is about adopting a new lifestyle and that means a new way of thinking. The new thinking is just that "new." It's a new thing to be conscious of your thoughts about yourself and your health. No more sleepwalking. Other people may not understand it or even like it. Adopting Sacred and Fit means not being normal.

The FIVE  BASIC HEALTH HABITS (my additions in parentheses)

   By C.  Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D.

1.     Think Positively(.... about Everything and Everyone- Especially yourself ; Eliminate Stress including criticisms, bitterness, unforgiveness etc.)
2.  BMI 18 to 24 (This is a normal weight range, 2/3 of Americans are either overweight or obese)
3.  No Smoking (This is obvious)
4. Eating a minimum of 5 servings of fruits and  veggies daily (A single serving is 4 oz, if you can't eat that much green take a good multivitamin)
5. Exercise at least 30 minutes 5 days a week

Dr. Shealy goes on to write in his Newsletter-

The April 26, 2010 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine  stated that people who smoke, drink excessively, rarely exercise and skimp on fruits and veggies die prematurely. In fact, those with these misbehaviors are THREE times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease or cancer; FOUR times more likely to die of other causes; and die an average of 12 years earlier than those with better habits!

THE BOTTOM LINE IS:
These unhealthy habits are significant components of the Death Wish!  Expressed or not, the choice of ignoring common sense health habits seems compatible with Freud's concept that most people have a death wish and my surveys which conclude that only 20% of people are reasonably happy! You cannot afford the luxury of ignoring health!! Death may not be so bad but most of the time unhealthy--sickly disease--leads to at least a decade of suffering before death.  Why is it that a huge majority of people fail to accept the simplicity of essential healthy habits?  Suffering should be optional. Premature death should also be optional and mostly avoidable!.