Good Health Has Four legs
Good Health Has Four legs
In 1948, the World Health Organization published their definition of good health: “Good health is the combined physical, mental and social well being of each person.” But this definition is lacking one of the most important elements: family health!
Every one thinks that perfect health simply means having a robust body. This is far from the truth. To enjoy optimal health an individual must possess four factors in equilibrium: the physical, the. mental, the familial and the social. Therefore, good health is like a chair with four legs. We all know that a chair must have legs of equal length in order to be firm and stable. On the other hand if one leg is shorter or longer than the others, whoever sits on such a chair will tumble, as surely as health will fall. Only in a good state of health can an individual produce and experience the normal electricity of love.
Physical Hhealth Twenty-eight centuries ago the Greeks celebrated the importance of physical health with the creation of the Olympic Games. However in our day, machines, the automobile, elevators, shorter work hours, have made our modern life much more sedentary than our ancestors’ way of life. The sedentary life and obesity are not good for the electricity of love. On the other hand if physical activity is excessive in golf, tennis, football, base ball, jogging, etc. stealing time from the family would make the familial leg shorter and the physical longer. This causes the chair of good health to be lopsided, resulting in disastrous consequences.
Mental Health Two thousand years ago the Romans already knew that physical health was essential for mental health. The poet Juvinal expressed in Latin the ideal Roman man: “Mens sana in corpore sano” Sound mind in sound body. He only, failed to state that this combination is also essential for the electricity of love. Unfortunately, 10 percent of the American population, 23 million, are victims of mental diseases, such as schizophrenia, drug addiction, alcoholism and severe depression. Such individuals will not be able to produce normal electricity of love.
Social Health It has been demonstrated that man is a social being. The person who is usually isolated (single, widowed, divorced) is more prone to mental illness and diseases of the lungs, heart and the digestive tract. To enjoy good health we must take active part in social, political and cultural organizations. Never theless, social activity may lead to the neglect of family health.
Family Health The family is the basic and most important social unit of mankind. The vigor of nations can be measured by the moral caliber of the family. In U.S. there are 53 million families. The typical American family consists of husband, wife and two children.
If complete health has four legs of equal length, there is no doubt that family health in order to be strong, must possess four essential ingredients: love, dedication, honesty and respect. Only with these ingredients can an intense electricity of love be produced.
Doctors Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe of the University of Washington conducted a survey of thousands of respondents asking them to rate from zero to 100 points the relative painfulness of various stressful situations. They found that death of a spouse was rated highest (100) in degrees of painfulness. What situation was rated in second place? After a drop of 27 points divorce came in second with 73 degrees of stress.
This is followed by marital separation which produces 65 degrees of painful stress. Going to jail causes 63 degrees of stress and having a heart attack only 53 degrees of stress. This means that it is more stressful to go through divorce than to go to jail! Divorce produces excruciating pain, and “excruciating” means nailed to the cross! Divorce, being the most common of the major stressful situations and the U.S. being the world champion of divorce, it follows that Americans are the most stressed, people on the globe! If divorce is a national disease, how can poor unhappy Americans be rich in the of love
The best creed for perfect health — and therefore for the electricity of love — is Appollo’s motto (Greek god of Sun): Pan (all), Métron (measument), Areston (not excess). This means “Everything in moderation,” like the four equal legs of a chair. Pan Metron Areston corresponds to the Latin proverb: “In Medio Virtus” — the virtue is in the middle.” “Virtus” means strength or will power. With strong will power an individual can maintain the four legs of good health: physical, mental, familial and social. This is absolutely necessary for healthy electricity of love.