I remember clearly, the first time I got a basketball through the hoop. It was the summer of 1956, probably the third time I had tried over and over to make a basket. It was on the outdoor court of Hosford Grade School, and all 7 of us were having a sunny Saturday in the park. It was probably the happiest moment of my 3 years of life. My dad saw it happen, trying to look like he wasn't watching while staying close, but silently cheering.
There is a natural attraction that comes with cheers and ovations. We like to cheer on teams of competitor's, and take a family orientation to the member's of our chosen teams. From the gladiator's and NASCAR chariot races, to knights jousting for the pleasure of the King and Queen, this has been a feature of our society's. Some would say "social order" and a level of conscription to the order of the empire, other's might hypothesize that the magnetic draw to celebration is a genetic or innate aspect of the human species.
As a therapist for nearly 50 years, physician for 40, rarely did a week go by, that a patient didn't confide that they were struggling to discover about themselves, who, what, where, when, why, and then where to. Each one of these discussions was highly individual, many common themes existed, but uncertainty and a lack of clarity was almost always the reason that they brought up the current issues. My family practice had a very diverse population with recent Russian Emigrant's, many African Emigrants, a large Indian population with our high tech industries, what we now call Latin X, but most were people whose roots were from the far south of turtle island, and not from within or from across the big water to old lands. While I did public radio for 22 years with a unique and critical view of medicine, while sharing what I knew and practice of natural, "nature cure" traditions and contemporary advances in natural therapeutics. It was 7 years before my audience found out that I had a private clinic and practice. I had a welcoming clinic that served broadly different political alignments, differing religious practices and traditions.
While I am quite intuitive, my role as therapist was to listen first; first with the ears, then with the heart. When I would feel confident that I could see the most probably barrier to their confidence and success in change, I would never give them my answer. I would be very good at speaking about my thought within their best common logic, so for some, I would farming and soil, for other' I would talk pipefitting, pressure impact in joints and bends, and from here I would lob them easy to hit softball's until they at least got a solid contact. No one know's what is right or best for you except yourself, and your higher host.
What comes with confusion, conflict, suffering? The answer is often; thought, integration, intention.
When we get to "intention", this is one of the natural inspirations of life. Sometime's we feel absolutely no inspiration (we are not aware of any inspired sensations), usually during extended hard times, but this too shall pass. So, when you feel good about intended actions, even if they don't come easily, try, role play, and eventually, usually in good time, it gets easier, until it is naturally who you are.
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