I love helping others. I am committed to helping as many people as possible. I want people to see what I see and know what I know. Years ago, a friend, knowing this, gave me some advice. He said… imagine you’re in a hotel and see that it’s on fire. You run room to room, knocking on doors, telling as many people as you can about the fire and urging them to get out while they can. One by one, people flee to safety. But then you come to a room, you tell them to get out because there’s a fire, and they resist. They ask, “How do we know there’s a fire?” You explain that there are flames in the stairway and smoke flooding the hallways. They continue to resist. “We don’t see any flames. And we don’t smell any smoke.” Do you stand there and try to convince those couple of people, who simply don’t want to listen? Or do you move on… to save hundreds of other lives?
Humans have a long history of trying to push their beliefs, philosophies, and ideals on others. We want so badly for those around us to see things the way we do. We tell our stories, share our resources, and do what we can for them to see what we see, do what we do, and believe what we believe. And most of us do this with a big heart and caring intentions.
These past two years have made it very clear that minds are not changing. For some, once they have made up their minds, it becomes set in stone. It’s as if the neural circuitry in the pre-frontal cortex of the brain (the part involved in decision making) gets cemented in one it’s set. We know the brain has plasticity, meaning new neural pathways can form, but lately, once people have their minds made up, they don’t seem to change.
The health and wellness story that I’ve been telling throughout my whole career as a physician is one that goes against the grain of traditional, allopathic medicine. It hasn’t been easy, as the current model of health and healthcare has been around for quite some time, and has been accepted like a religion. We now know that the outside-in model of health is flawed, has failed miserably, and can never solve the problems people currently face when it comes to sickness and disease. Drugs and surgeries, while necessary and even life-saving at times, are no solution to the chronic illness crisis we are in right now. And they never will be.
We now know that true health and healing come from the inside out. The human body has a tremendous capacity to heal, grow, and adapt. The miracle of human function and performance isn’t the result of a pill, a potion, a procedure, or a doctor.
People are now, more than ever, open to and excited about this new model of health. That’s because, for so many people, they have seen firsthand the failing of modern medicine. The drugs they’ve been prescribed, the procedures they have endured, and questions that have gone unanswered have left them sicker than when they started. And when things get bad enough, and the truth becomes clear enough, minds MUST change.
Whether you’re trying to convince a friend, family member, or co-worker to change their views on health (as I’ve dedicated my life to), religion, politics, or whatever, just know that all you can do is try. But be warned… some people, no matter how clear the truth is, how important it is for them to see things differently, and how much better their lives would be if they would change, they simply won’t hear it. And as frustrating as that can be, and as passionate as you are in regards to showing them what they need to know, it is often critical to just move on.
We are at a critical point, when we need people to see, know, and understand the truth. It is so clear to so many. And it is important for us to make strong efforts to share what we know to be true. But one thing that has become more apparent than ever before is that no matter how clear the truth is, some people just can’t see it. I’m trying hard to recognize who those people are, still make the effort, but then just move on. Why expend all that energy and effort trying to convince someone who simply won’t hear it, when you can move on… and save so many more lives?
