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You may have seen Seth Godin's free ebook "What Matters Now." In it, he asked 76 of his favorite big thinkers what is on their mind as they enter the new decade. Each entry is a short, spontaneous argument; together, the collection is an interesting snapshot of the the present moment as well as predictions of the future.
However, the overwhelming majority of people invited to participate were men in the areas of business, marketing, and technology, leaving some readers wondering what women and leaders in psychology, health, and spirituality would say.
In response, another book is in the works inviting women "big thinkers" in many fields to share their point of view of what matters now. I was invited to participate, and below is my entry. (You can now download the compilation.)
It's about the definition of health, and how "health" is getting lost in discussions of healthcare reform. My hope is that we get real reform that makes medical care affordable and accessible to everyone in the U.S. But medical care is not the same as health, and there are things we each can do to support our health that medicine will never be able to pay for or provide.
Healthcare
Let's get something straight for once and for all: Disease care is not health care. As Dean Ornish, M.D., recently argued to the U.S. Senate, we have a system of disease care. No matter what kind of reform we get, it is still going to be disease care. Actual health care is up to you.
The World Health Organization defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." This definition has not changed in 60 years. Logically, then, healthcare should care for our holistic well-being. But when was the last time your insurance company paid for something that made you happy? With few exceptions, our so-called healthcare system only throws money at what is already killing or disabling you.
Even what the system calls prevention is not health-promoting. Cancer screening doesn't prevent cancer, it just finds it. Cholesterol tests don't prevent heart disease, they just identify risk. Asking your patients if they are depressed doesn't prevent suffering, it just helps you know who to write the prescriptions for. None of this creates health.
There are, of course, things you can do that both create well-being and prevent cancer, cardiovascular disease, and depression. You can exercise, meditate, and eat a plant-based diet. Be active in your community. Even getting a good night's sleep may ward off loneliness, diabetes, and the flu. We just don't have a system that wants to--or knows how to--pay for this kind of "medicine." There is no reimbursement code for "filled with joy" or "gave a sense of purpose in life."
It's up to you to create a life that sustains you physically, mentally, and socially. Yes, do everything you know you should do to take care of your health. Then give yourself permission to do the thing that makes your heart sing, or that quiets the suffering in your mind. Remember to look at something green and living, or pet something soft and furry. Stay connected to nature, and to others. Feed your spirit gratitude, compassion, creativity, and the satisfaction of hard work.
This is what real health care reform looks like, and for now, it's up to you.
