"I AM NOT WHAT HAPPENED TO ME,
I AM WHAT I CHOOSE TO BECOME."
Carl Jung
American writer Bernie S. Siegel is a New York Times bestselling author. He's written multiple books. To mention a few, he's written, Love, Medicine & Miracles, 365 Prescriptions for the Soul, The Art of Healing and A Book of Miracles. He's even dabbled in writing for children as well. And just to think, he used to be a physician and pediatric surgeon many moons ago. Many have had the opportunity to interview Dr. Bernie S. Siegel, even Oprah. I am extremely honored that I got the chance to chat with this extraordinary man and listen to his uplifting words. First things first, Dr. Bernie S. Siegel has had a prolific career. Throughout his profession he's witnessed countless miracles among his patients. Naturally, writing became the obvious next step for him. Dr. Bernie S. Siegel felt compelled to share his experiences with people in hopes of benefiting from his stories and begin to heal their illnesses along with their lives.
During Dr. Siegel's previous career he noticed how most of his patients that had fallen ill were experiencing some type of personal upheaval in their personal lives. Dr. Siegel being the overly friendly person that he is, always made it a point to ask his patients what was going on in their lives. He immediately saw a correlation between health and emotions. As he puts it,
"Your body is trying to tell you."
Ever since then, he's been an advocate for patients. He encourages people to not fully rely on a prognosis, but instead to dig deep and find the root of the problem. You might be surprised, sometimes the root of the problem more often than not, is mommy and daddy.
Dr. Bernie S. Siegel doesn't pull any punches, he's honest and to the point. Once upon a time he was considered controversial. However, Science has backed up what Dr. Bernie S. Siegel has known all along, the body can heal itself. That is why he firmly believes it is of utmost importance to deal with these sensitive topics. In doing so, the body can rid itself of any emotional trauma that's been festering in the body. Once a person rids themselves of such past emotions, the body can begin to heal.
Dr. Siegel has had countless patients divulge to him that they did not receive proper love as a child. I expressed my concern regarding people coming to terms with the fact that they might have been deprived of love as a child. How would acknowledging such a sad truth facilitate a person's healing? He went into great detail explaining how that key piece of information is actually quite liberating. Once a person realizes that most negative feelings stem from a lack of acceptance from a parent, they transform. No longer do they blame themselves anymore for their past. They can move forward and not carry all of the heavy burdens that they have endured for so many years. Of course feelings of frustration, guilt, shame and so on can come from other sources such as marriage, a job or friendship. Dr. Siegel simply encourages individuals to not be afraid to go way back into their past, their life may depend on it.
There are several ways people can begin the healing process. Dr. Siegel's focal point is self discovery, but he also believes pets are an integral part of the healing journey as well.
In his book, Love, Animals & Miracles: Inspiring True Stories Celebrating the Healing Bond, he shares several stories devoted to animals coming into people's lives and healing them in a variety of ways. Dr. Siegel firmly states,
"Animals are teachers."
Mr. Bernie Siegel went on to explain that animals possess an intuitive wisdom that humans can benefit from. I couldn't resist and sneaked in a question for purely selfish reasons. I just had to know what were his theories about why our beloved pets do not have a long lifespan. If you've read any of my previous articles you will see that I've mentioned the loss of my dog on more than one occasion. Dr. Siegel went ahead and gave me the sweetest and most profound answer to my question,
"The animals know the answers better than we do. If we imitate them, we'd be better off. They don't need a long lifetime to have a meaningful life, some fun and joy in it. They don't have troubles. They know how to live and how to die."
Dr. Bernie S. Siegel also recommends having a sense of humor. His mother taught him early on to always look at the bright side, and to this day it has served him well. He describes humor as a childlike quality that should be respected. Dr. Siegel explains how people shouldn't misinterpret humor as an excuse for making fun of others, but as an asset to fully enjoy a moment. He confidently admits,
"I act like a child, literally. Keep that kid going."
Dr. Siegel expresses how we are all wounded. He knows everyone has troubles. Dr. Bernie S. Siegel still remembers when Norman Vincent Peale once told him, "If God slams one door further down the corridor another will be open."
And that is preciously what Dr. Bernie S. Siegel wants everyone to realize. That people have the capability to redirect their lives. He encourages people to use humor and laughter as a tool to navigate through this very thing called life.
This all sounds fine and dandy, but what can a person do when confronted by others that don't believe in these methods and try to thwart an individual's progress. Nowadays people freely give out their unwarranted opinions. One must be ready to not wander off course if they want to attain healing. Dr. Bernie S. Siegel had this to say,
"I tell people to be a love warrior."
Dr. Siegel suggests whenever people offer any sort of criticism, tell them you love them. He says it drives people crazy. Dr. Siegel is aware that too many individuals do indeed have horrible people in their lives, therefore, it is imperative to remain strong. Not to let bitterness or resentfulness take root. Learning to forgive. Being a love warrior is about acknowledging that we've been hypnotized into becoming who we are and be willing to love ourselves enough to change the program. Dr. Siegel proclaims the mind is very powerful, so lead with expectancy.
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"These are the keys to your health and well-being."
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