Recently our US Surgeon General warned us.
“Today, we are faced with a profound choice: do we continue with the status quo, marked by pain, disconnection, and division? Or do we choose a different path − one of joy, health, and fulfillment, where we turn toward each other instead of away from each other; where we choose love over fear; where we recognize community as the irreplaceable foundation for our well-being?” (Vivek H. Murthy)
US Surgeon General Murthy is urging Americans to realign their lives around relationships, service, and purpose, what he called “the triad of fulfillment and the core pillars of community.”
Murthy went on to diagnose our society and state the diseases that may be cured as we take his prescription.
- Relationships: Connections we build with friends, family and others we encounter. Healthy relationships where we feel seen and where we can be ourselves can produce joy and support and can be buffers to stress. Being socially disconnected increases the risk of heart disease, dementia, depression, anxiety, and early death.
- Service: Moves we make to benefit others. Even though service is defined as benefiting others, filling one’s life with service can have profound benefits to the person rendering the service. Studies show it can reduce the risk of hypertension, stroke, early death, depression, cognitive decline, and more.
- Purpose: Obtaining an overarching life aim guiding and prioritizing our decisions and actions. “It’s not ‘what’ we do. It’s ‘why’ we do it.” It’s good for mental and physical health and can result in lower levels of depression and stress.
His prescription calls for a lifestyle change. We know that lifestyle changes are not easy but, according to Murthy, these lifestyle changes have been scientifically proven to affect our health for the better. And the reward is a longer, more joy-filled life!
General Murthy’s prescription is timely and, if properly utilized, will yield wonderful benefits. It is interesting to note that his prescription is remarkably similar to another physician’s prescription – one given over 2000 years ago.
“Jesus said unto him – Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it – Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
HIS MESSAGE IS TIMELESS!
We can make a better world, a better community, and a better life.
Citations:
Holy Bible, KJV, Matthew 22: 37-39. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/22?lang=eng
krhofhiens.com 