In this election year it’s painfully clear that there are many people with many differences. Many needs. Many perspectives. Many polarities.  Many grievances. Many resentments. Many biases. Many prejudices.  A great deal of intolerance. A great deal of hostility. A great deal of rage and aggression.

We have forgotten who we are. We have forgotten that we originally all came from one Source. We all came from a place of Unity, a place of Universal Acceptance and Love. And then we fell into a dream of separation, a dream of selfish egos competing with each other rather than cooperating, attacking each other rather than living in harmony.

We have lost our way. We have lost our universal identity as a brotherhood of people. So caught up in the distinction of skin color, races and nations, we have lost our true connection with God. And now, amidst all the chaos, the confusion, the rage and the hate, we must find our way Home. We must find a way to re-unite with God and each other before we destroy ourselves. How do we do this?

How do we unify amidst so much divisiveness and venom?

It surely would be a whole lot easier and happen a whole lot faster if we had leaders who made acceptance, forgiveness and love the platform of their party, the priority above all other priorities, the glue holding together their political agenda.

Unfortunately, that’s not what’s happening. When I listen to the various presidential candidates all I hear is what they’re going to do for us. Right now it’s the Republicans, but later it will be the Democrats doing the very same thing, everybody telling us what they’re going to do for us.

No one telling us what WE need to do for us, what you and I, what we the people need to do for ourselves if we want to truly solve our problems. If we want a world where people cooperate and co-exist in harmony, peace and prosperity, we must appreciate that it won’t happen at the level of nations and leaders.

It will happen from the ground up. It will happen first with the choices that WE make, you and I, each and every one of us. The choices we make to be more tolerant, more accepting, more loving, more forgiving, and more generous.

Easier said than done amidst so much anger, grievance, resentment and judgment swirling all around us, so many of us seeing the differences in people rather than the similarities, seeing others as the enemy if they don’t think the same way we do. If they have a different god or a different religion or a different political persuasion, if they’re too far to the left or too far to the right, we don’t just disagree, we demonize them, we label them evil and dangerous, they’re going to destroy America.

All this fear mongering, all this demonizing has got to stop. It solves nothing. It further polarizes people. It makes things worse.

Bottom line: There are too many people with divergent views and needs. For any of us to take extreme intransigent positions and expect the rest of the nation to get on board is unrealistic and counterproductive. We will never have a nation where everyone thinks the same way. We must find common ground amidst the differences. We must find ways to cooperate, compromise and negotiate for the greatest good of all concerned.

How do we do this? One person at a time. One mind at a time. One heart at a time. We do it by example. By role modeling right action. Albert Schweitzer had it right when he said, “Example is leadership.”

Example is leadership.

We cannot rely on our leaders to be the examples of right action. We must be the example. We must be the role models. We must each of us make the personal commitment to discourage the fear-mongering,  the demonizing, the rageful, hate speech about those who don’t share our beliefs.

If we don’t do it, it’s not going to happen. All the divisiveness will defeat us in the long run. Not global warming. Not earthquakes and tsunamis. Not nuclear  weapons. Not terrorists. Our divisiveness will defeat us.

We are the enemy of ourselves when we lack tolerance and compassion, and lash out at those we disagree with. True patriotism means respecting our fellow citizens regardless of their political viewpoints or religious beliefs.

We have been trained to believe in concepts like “every man for himself,” and “kill or be killed” which suggest that we must compete and battle others if we are to succeed and prevail. We have been trained to believe that aggression is necessary in order to survive.

The truth is that we do not need aggression in order to survive. The truth is that we will not prevail, in the long run, as long as we believe we must attack and subjugate others in order to win.

Most people think that “survival of the fittest” means survival of the strongest, the most aggressive, the most violent and predatory. They are wrong. Survival of the fittest in the final analysis will be survival of the spiritually fittest, survival of those who strive to unite rather than divide, survival of those who strive to let go of judgments and prejudices, survival of those who strive to embrace acceptance and tolerance, survival of those who are dedicated to the application of compassion, generosity and forgiveness.

The meek shall inherit the earth.

“The meek shall inherit the earth” doesn’t mean the weak shall inherit the earth. It means those who are humble, accepting and forgiving shall inherit the earth, those who embrace peaceful methods to solve problems, to bridge divergent ideologies, and to find the common ground shall inherit the earth.

We will not survive as a nation, as a people, as a planet unless we recognize that the solution to all of our problems requires a unified approach that embraces trust, compassion and cooperation rather than further entrenchment in the ideology of war and destruction of others as a means to our peace and prosperity.

There is great beauty in the diversity of nature. There is great beauty in the diversity of human beings. But instead of appreciating that diversity and glorifying it, we fear it, we blame it, we scapegoat it, we destroy it… and in the process we destroy ourselves. Sooner or later we destroy ourselves with our fear and our divisiveness. Therefore, it behooves us to find a way to rise above the battlefield, to perceive the world in a different light, so that we can appreciate the foolishness of attacking others.

One way to do this is to consider the analogy of a jigsaw puzzle. Each jigsaw puzzle piece looks different in some way from other pieces, but each piece is inherently the same, in the sense that each piece is an integral part of the puzzle that contributes to the puzzle’s wholeness. Without every single piece, the puzzle is not complete.

It would be irrational and self-destructive for one puzzle piece to hurt or destroy another puzzle piece because the integrity of the whole puzzle, which each piece is ultimately dependent upon, would be damaged in the process.

We are all puzzle pieces. Each of us looks different but we’re all the same. Each of us a piece of the puzzle, a piece of the total picture, a piece of God. When we attack one another, we are being irrational and self-destructive because we are attacking the integrity of the whole organism, we are attacking the Oneness which each of us is a part of.  We are essentially attacking God when we attack any of his children.

And so it behooves us to appreciate the Oneness of Life, that despite differences and diversity, we are all the same, that we were all cut from the same cloth, that we are all part of the whole, that we are all interconnected, that we were all created by God and deserve equally all the blessings of life that God offers, that we need to share our blessings with others, that we need to care about those less fortunate than ourselves, that there is one thing we need to do above all else and that is to treat others as we wish to be treated.

Love ye one another.

This is how we will unify our nation and our world. With love. With acceptance. With tolerance and with forgiveness. This is what we must practice and preach. Love. Acceptance. Tolerance and Forgiveness. This is how we must behave towards each other. This is the behavior we need to role model for our children. Unconditional love, acceptance, tolerance and forgiveness.

We must teach our children well. We must teach our children to recognize their spiritual brothers and sisters in everyone they see, regardless of what they look like, what clothes they are wearing, what country they came from, the color of their skin, the language they speak, or the God they believe in.

We must teach our children and everyone we meet the virtues of generosity, courtesy, consideration, humility and grace.  We must teach our children and everyone we meet to be of service to others, to aid others as best we can, to ask the question, “How can I help you?” rather than “What’s in it for me?”

We must  teach our children and everyone we meet  to find ways to let go of anger and hurt, to see the God in people, the good in people, despite how they’re behaving, to find ways to hate the sin but love the sinner.

We must teach our children and everyone we meet that there is a oneness, there is a wholeness of which we are all a part, that we are all inextricably bound together, that we each have a responsibility to each other, that we ARE our brother’s keeper, that we must exclude no one from our love, that we’re all in this together, that nobody wins if anybody loses.

In this election year and the years to come, try to remember that it is our job not to elect leaders but to BE leaders, to be the role models that our world needs to survive and to thrive. It is our job to find the similarities, the commonalities rather than the differences. It is our job to find ways to unify rather than divide. It is our job to remember that either we all hang together or we will surely hang separately.

Forgive To Win!

On an entirely different note: I am on Day 4 of the ACIM Workbook For Students: “These thoughts do not mean anything. They are like the things I see in this room.” … The point being: The thoughts we think, perceived as either “good” or “bad”, are actually masking or blocking our True Thoughts. They are a meaningless smokescreen designed by our ego, born of fear, to maintain the belief in separation. Insofar as the things we see are a projection of our thoughts, since we’re not really thinking, we’re not really seeing. Only when our Mind is grounded in Unity, Oneness, and Unconditional Love, Forgiveness, and Acceptance will we actually see the Real World with all of its miraculous beauty and eternal peacefulness.

For those of you who view the above paragraph as too far out there… understood. A Course In Miracles is not for everyone. It’s not an easy read. It’s not an easy program to master, which is why I wrote my book, Forgive To Win!, which shares the core concepts of the Course but explains them in ways that are easier for most people to understand and apply. I encourage you to take a look at the book on Amazon where you can peek inside. Additionally, if you subscribe to my free newsletter you can download a free chapter from the book on Self-Loathing & Self-Sabotage.

Which brings me back to the initial paragraph I wrote about going after your dreams and taking action: When we learn how to love ourselves and forgive ourselves – the crux of A Course In Miracles and Forgive To Win!, we eliminate the unconscious self-sabotaging programming getting in the way of our happiness, our relationships, our physical well-being, our success, our prosperity and our inner peace.

When we meld tools of self-mastery with humanistic choices as to how we perceive and treat others, there are no limits, there is nothing we can’t accomplish. It is not simply faith that moves mountains. It is forgiveness, acceptance and love. Hold these thoughts in your mind as much as you can, as best you can, wherever you are and under all circumstances, regardless of how others are behaving, without conditions or exceptions — and watch your world get better.

No joke. No lie. It works if you work it: Change your Mind. Change your Life. Change your World.

Peace, joy and blessings to you all!

Forgive To Win!

In my late twenties I read the Bible, the Old and New Testament, for the first time. Although I was impressed with the transformation of God’s consciousness from the Old Testament God of anger, judgment, vengeance and war to the New Testament God of peace, love, acceptance, charity and forgiveness, I was more impressed with the implications of several thought-provoking Biblical comments:

(1) From the Book of Matthew: He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

If the above-passage is an accurate quote from Jesus of the Christ, that’s pretty awesome and powerful. “Nothing will be impossible for you.” That’s not a vague and ambiguous assertion. That’s a description of how Reality Manifestation works. That’s the Secret right there. That’s the Law of Attraction, the Law of Abundance. The power of the Mind to transcend time and transform space, and thereby create the reality of one’s choosing! “Nothing will be impossible for you.” Wow. I like the sound of that. And I find it hard to believe that Jesus of the Christ was exaggerating. His word was his bond.

(2) From the Book of Mark: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” I don’t take the word “rich” literally here. I believe what was meant instead of rich is the word greedy. “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a greedy man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Greed is of the ego. Greed is about competition and separation rather than cooperation and unity. Greed is about judgment, aggression and unforgiveness, not acceptance, tolerance and harmony. Greed is not of God and if you really want to get to God and Heaven and the Garden of Eden, or whatever else you understand to be a place of eternal, unconditional peace, compassion and joy, then be of Service to Others. Help others. If you’ve got two coats, give one away to a needy brother.

3) From the Book of Matthew: “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”

Meek doesn’t mean weak. Meek doesn’t mean wimpy. Meek doesn’t mean sucker or chump. Meek means those who are gentle, those who are non-violent, those who are compassionate, those who are accepting of others, those who are unconditionally forgiving. “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” The implication of this being that those who seek peace through violence and murder are not blessed and will inherit the wind.

4) From the book of Matthew: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  This is very clear. The message is basically that if you walk a righteous, honest and forgiving path, you will get the life that you want. You’ll get the goodies. First be a person of integrity. First be of service to others. First let go of anger, fear, judgment and attack. First forgive. And then “all these things will be added to you.” In other words: You win. You Forgive To Win!

5) From the Book of John: “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” In other words, All these things that I have done, you can do and more if you have faith in me, if you follow my principles of forgiveness, acceptance, and love. That’s the ticket. There’s the message again: Want to do 22 impossible things before breakfast? First seek the kingdom of heaven. First be a person of honor. And then with your faith you’ll move mountains, and all things will come to you.

Why? Because when we get our mind focused on Forgiveness, Acceptance and Love, this removes the obstacles to the natural flow of abundance and prosperity which is available in infinite amounts to everyone.

So that’s my New Year’s resolution:  To first seek the kingdom of heaven. To first be a person of honor. To forgive. To accept. To love. As best I can. As unconditionally as I can. Wherever I am. Without exceptions. Without expectations. Without the need for appreciation or acknowledgment.

To have forgiveness, teach forgiveness to learn it.

Forgive To Win!

Perhaps because those who suffer from the holiday blues look at their current life situation and perceive it as empty and lonely, lacking in loving, nurturing relationships, lacking in meaningful, supportive family bonds, lacking in personal fulfillment, lacking in health and happiness. Perhaps because those who suffer from the holiday blues fear the future will deliver them more of the same. More loneliness. More alienation. More frustration. More regret. More pain and suffering. So what do we do about it?

REFUSE THE BLUES

Best we not focus on the disappointments of the past. When thoughts of the past pop into our mind, we give them no power to terrorize us. We gently tell them to go away and haunt someone else. We don’t want those thoughts anymore. We don’t need them for our safety or protection. We don’t wish to victimize ourselves anymore with painful memories.

Best we not focus on the potential disappointments of the future. When anxious, fearful thoughts about the future pop into our mind, we give them no power to terrorize us. We gently tell them to go away and haunt someone else. We don’t want those thoughts anymore. We don’t need to dwell on all the horrible “what ifs” that might someday happen. We don’t need to fill our mind with anticipatory thoughts of failure, loneliness, pain and suffering possibly yet to come. We don’t wish to victimize ourselves anymore with the belief that we will not be able to handle what our life’s future has to offer.

BE HERE NOW.  BE LOVE NOW.

The above subhead are two titles from books by Ram Dass, whose spiritual journeys he has distilled into these two phrases of powerful wisdom. The best way to overcome the holiday blues or any blues for that matter is to BE HERE NOW: Be in the present. Appreciate that in this present moment is massive potential for happiness and contentment. In this present moment we can look at the beauty of nature all around us. In this present moment we can marvel at the miracle of life in all its myriad forms, animal, vegetable and mineral. In this present moment we can BE LOVE NOW: We can help a stranger, hug a friend, ease someone else’s pain, share a laugh or a smile, see the love in everyone despite how they’re behaving, forgive others for they know not what they do, accept the Oneness of life despite the differences and diversity that sometimes can seem quite disorienting or frightening, appreciate the connection we have to the earth, to the wind and water, to all creatures big and small, and above all else, to each other.

ABOVE ALL ELSE:  LOVE YE ONE ANOTHER

There is great joy to be had in this world, in our present moments despite not having the relationships, position and possessions we desire, by simply connecting with others. Making eye contact with others. Extending acceptance, tolerance, love and forgiveness to others. Do these things on a daily basis. What you give to others you can’t keep from yourself. What you give to others will come back to you.

Forgive To Win!

You can read right now what the experts, as well as people like yourself, have said about Forgive To Win!, and you can check out all the awesome bonus gifts being offered by myself and my partners at http://forgivetowin.homestead.com

Why I Wrote Forgive To Win!

I wrote Forgive To Win! because during my many years helping people as a board-certified psychiatrist, I realized that the cause of most people’s unhappiness, depression, anxiety, anger, and frustration with their health, their relationships, their career and their finances is self-sabotage.

Most people get in their own way. They don’t do things they know they need to do and when they do take action they make poor choices that impact negatively on their lives and keep them from attracting and manifesting all that they desire and aspire to accomplish.

When I started teaching my patients the secret to ending their self-sabotaging behaviors (spiritual techniques and cognitive tools designed to increase self-esteem and eliminate guilt, shame and self-loathing deeply embedded in the unconscious mind), their emotional turmoil subsided and their lives got better!

I realized that the Forgiveness Diet, my structured 90-day program for ending self-sabotage, was something that could benefit a great many people, particularly those who repeatedly buy self-help books but don’t get the results that they desire.

My Forgiveness Diet is not complicated. And it works! With diligent practice and persistence, you can:

Be successful in your career.

Generate wealth & prosperity.

Be successful in your relationships.

Generate love and harmony.

Increase self-confidence.

Eliminate fear and worry.

Be happy and healthy.

Lose weight. Keep weight off.

Get in shape.

Live long and live well.

When you re-program your mind to neutralize your negative, harsh Inner Critic, that voice inside yourself that subconsciously causes you to sabotage your opportunities and best efforts, EVERYTHING CHANGES!

Opportunities miraculously appear. Positive people are attracted to you who cooperate with you, share their blessings, and help you to succeed and prosper! There are NO LIMITS to what you can accomplish with Forgive To Win!”

As you engage in the Forgiveness Diet to eliminate your self-sabotaging behaviors and manifest the life you desire and deserve, you role model right-minded actions for others, you transform others, and you help to move the whole of humanity towards universal peace and prosperity. That’s serious icing on the cake, my friends.

DO IT NOW!

Today’s the day to make a renewed commitment to your happiness and success. GO RIGHT NOW to http://forgivetowin.homestead.com, order your copy of Forgive To Win!, immediately download all the FABULOUS BONUS GIFTS which are AVAILABLE TODAY ONLY, and watch your world get better!

EVERYONE DESERVES BLESSINGS & ABUNDANCE

Please SHARE THIS WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY. Please TWEET, FACEBOOK & E-MAIL THIS BOOK LAUNCH ANNOUNCEMENT to your friends and family members so they can take advantage of this great book and this great one-day offer.

http://forgivetowin.homestead.com

The premise of Forgive To Win! is that through acceptance, forgiveness, love, and being of service to others we eliminate self-sabotage and mobilize our subconscious mind to attract positive, synergistic people and circumstances for our self-fulfillment.

The great thing about my book is that, while applying a self-actualizing solution which will enable you to achieve the life you desire, you will be role modeling for other people and moving the world towards a place of universal peace and global prosperity. Consider buying the book and spreading the word!

Below are READER TESTIMONIALS and an AMAZON.COM BOOK REVIEW:

READER TESTIMONIALS

“Forgive to Win! is one of the most to the point and take responsibility books I’ve read. There is a purpose to every word and it hits you and uplifts you at the same time -and it’s a quick read. Forgiveness has many nuances, yet at the core “Forgive to Win” allows you to feel pain and hurt, yet that we can take ownership of what comes next and choose to move forward. It is a choice that has literally changed my life’s direction. I used to think artists, and writers, and actors etc. were the people I said “lived on the other side of the line.” I was afraid to step over it. At 52 I am now a selling pop photoartist and about to assist a theater with their playwrights reading series. Dr. Jacobson has a message that works! Like he says, just give it 90 days and see what can happen. I’m proof, and it can happen for you too!” ~ Kimberley Joy Ferren

“I read your book last night and I honestly say to you that it is excellent. Your writing is fantastic and the way you organized the concept and your ideas works really well.” ~ James Gierman

“Just finished your wonderful book on forgiveness. Tremendous. Such a hard topic to tackle. I really was impressed by your tool, The Forgiveness Diet. I am 73 years old and I agree that forgiveness is a process needed throughout the day just like sensible meals.” ~ Barbara Hall

“My mother read the book, and last week I brought her and my sister together for the first time in 3 years. It was a a lot of factors that worked, and I’m sure your book was one of them. Thank you, and continued success!” ~ Jacqueline Dunn

“My work neighbor just picked up your book from our waiting room while he waited for me to make some courtesy copies for him. He LOVES it.. borrowed it. I found him reading it in his office. His entire office is buzzing about your book. They are all impressed and amazed at the content and help. Keep up the good work.” ~ Cindy Kotler

AMAZON BOOK REVIEW by Todd Rutherford

Forgive to Win! by Walter E. Jacobson, M.D. is a book of self-help and self-discovery reminiscent of best-selling books like The Secret and The Power of Now. While those books are excellent, Forgive to Win! takes self-help to a whole new level by showing individuals just how to apply its principles into their daily lives—for amazing results.

Dr. Jacobson proposes the Forgiveness Diet, a ninety day regimen that focuses on forgiveness through one’s, “thoughts, actions, and exercises designed to establish new thought-emotion behavior habits of esteeming, accepting, forgiving and being of service to others.

Dr. Jacobson theorizes that there is something in the subconscious that blocks individuals from achieving their goals. The only way to achieve success, according to this remarkable author, is through inner peace and contentment. An interesting point that Dr. Jacobson makes is that we are naturally prone to resistance. He states, “We resist. We don’t follow direction. We don’t follow through. We allow ourselves to be distracted and derailed.”

Whether it’s a painful event from our past or an individual that has caused us pain, we become conditioned to subconsciously believe that we cannot overcome. We become defeatists. Human tendency is to say things such as, “There’s no point in trying.” “It will never work.” In other words, humans “self-loathe,” and are quite adept at self-destructive behavior, and it directly affects relationships, job opportunities, and ultimately the ability achieve success.

The solution: the 90-day Forgiveness Diet—a structured program that will de-condition and build positive habits through forgiveness and the ability to let go. The process from negativity to a positive mindset is a rigorous reparation process. The end result is to ensure that “our subconscious mind gets the message that we are worthy of reward instead of punishment.”

The Forgiveness Diet regimen includes activities such as “Forgiveness Mantras,” “Forgiveness Inventory,” “Gratitude List,” “Forgiveness Affirmations,” “Dream Programming,” and “Rating Scales.” The most important thing that Jacobson emphasizes is that one’s thoughts, behaviors, and emotions will not change overnight. In fact, there will be good days and bad days, but the point is to keep applying the principles of the Forgiveness Diet in order to realize a positive end result.

For those seeking to change their lifestyles for the better, to reach goals, and to see success on every level, Forgive to Win! has the power to transform and is a must-read!

Visit Dr Jacobson at www.walterjacobsonmd.com. Buy his book at: Forgive to Win

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More From Dr Walter Jacobson:

1. The Importance of Communication in Repairing Relationships
2. The Challenges of Weight Loss and How To Overcome Them
3. Does God Work In Mysterious Ways Or Do We?
4. Vegan For All The Right Reasons

If I were to pick one passage in the book which inspired me to do a fast it would be this one: “The innate wisdom of the body is such that, while fasting, it will consume for its sustenance superfluous tissues, carefully conserving vital tissues and organs. The body’s wondrous ability to autolyze (or self-digest) and destroy needless tissue such as fat, tumors, blood vessel plaque, and other nonessential and diseased tissues, while conserving essential tissues, gives the fast the ability to restore physiologic youth to the system.”

That was my motivation. Take a break from food and put my body into a fasting mode whereby it would spare protein and, instead, gobble up fat cells, cancer cells, diseased cells and atherosclerotic plaque.

Frankly, I have no idea if in the seven days of my fast I accomplished anything of that nature, with the exception of losing weight. I am, nonetheless, glad that I chose to fast for seven days and stuck with it.

What Fasting Taught Me

Although it was a physically and emotionally draining experience, it made me consider a number of things that I hadn’t thought much about prior to my fasting. It made me appreciate my willpower, that there is much I can accomplish if I apply similar tenacity and determination in other areas.

It made me appreciate my relationship with food, that my tendency in the past has been to eat when the clock, not my stomach, tells me to. Better to eat when I’m hungry, stop eating when I’m full, eat slowly to savor the distinctive flavors and taste sensations, and eat slowly for more healthy and efficient digestion.

It made me appreciate that I was not eating food for seven days by choice whereas there are millions of people not eating food for weeks and months, eventually starving to death, not by choice but because there is no food to be had.

This is disturbing enough as it is. Now add this nugget to the mix: “… the same amount of grain needed to produce one pound of meat could feed thirty-two people a day if they ate the grain directly. And so as our population increases, we will basically face the choice of whether to continue feeding our corn, wheat, barley, oats and soybeans to animals, while letting untold millions go hungry, or else to eat our grains directly, and have many times as much food available for human consumption.”

This quote comes from the book, “Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth From The Cattle Rancher Who Won’t Eat Meat” by Howard F. Lyman. This book is very easy to digest, so to speak. And very powerful. Howard Lyman was one of the good ol’ boys who used all the modern technology, antibiotics and hormones to brutally terrorize, torture and mass murder animals for food and other commodities until he woke up to the truth of what he was doing to animals, to people and to the planet.

The Price of Beef

In terms of the planet, our rainforests are disappearing so that more cattle can graze.  Plants, animals and fish are becoming endangered and extinct. Our water acquifers are drying up, turning once lush grazing land into eventual deserts. All of this is happening because of the animal-based food industry’s insatiable desire for profit by any means necessary.

Unfortunately, the majority of people on the planet are in favor of what is being done to the planet in order to have a flesh and blood based diet. The sad irony is that they are unaware of what is being done to themselves in the process.

For example, allow me to borrow another quote from “Mad Cowboy” which states that “… in 1991, a thirty-six country study reported a strong and direct correlation between consumption of dairy and animal fat and the incidence of prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer and breast cancer.”

In addition to cancer, an animal-based diet has clearly been implicated in the high incidence of elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, heart attacks and strokes. Nice, huh? We kill animals for food and then when we eat them, they kill us.

The Big Con

Most people don’t think they have any choice in the matter, believing that protein which is needed in the diet is equivalent to animal products and nothing else. This is a lie. Fruits, vegetables and grains, not to mention legumes, have sufficient protein that is necessary for people to survive and thrive. Consider elephants and horses, both of which eat only grasses, both of which are incredibly muscular and powerful beings. They don’t eat meat. They get plenty of protein.

It’s not just the cattle barons and dairy farmers who want you to believe the lie that animal protein is good for you and a prerequisite for good nutrition. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is in on the con. Consider the story that came out last week that the “food pyramid” is being phased out and a new paradigm, the “food plate” is being phased in.

If you look closely at the food plate, it lists fruits and vegetables as one piece of the pie, grains as another piece of the pie, and then protein as a third piece of the pie. The protein has a picture of fish and eggs associated with it, further feeding the misconception that protein comes from animals and nowhere else.

The media is in on the con, too. Consider all the excitement a week or so ago regarding the possibility that cell phones can cause cancer. Where’s all the hubbub about the possibility that animal and dairy protein can cause cancer? You just don’t see it. To publicize that story would be bad for business.

Did you know that in some states it’s against the law to claim that meat causes cancer. Howard Lyman and Oprah Winfrey learned that the hard way when Oprah had Howard Lyman on her show and supported such a claim. They eventually won the lawsuit that was filed against them by the beef industry.

Government Mandates

A lot of people these days are decrying the concept of government mandates, that the government has no right to tell people what to do. This makes little sense to me. Certainly, when government intervention is unreasonable and excessive it is necessary that we speak up and protect our freedoms.

But the fact is I don’t think many people would disagree with the government mandates regarding driver’s licenses, automobile insurance, seatbelts, motorcycle helmets, cigarettes and toxic waste dumping. I do believe that a majority of people would be up in arms if the government mandated that they eat less meat.

Sadly, by not insisting that the government mandate the eating of less meat, we the people are mandating our heart attacks, strokes, cancers, diabetes and death, a failed healthcare system that can’t accommodate these catastrophic problems, as well as the demise of the ecological balance of our planet.

Don’t worry. Be happy…. Got milk?

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO BUY MY BOOK, “FORGIVE TO WIN!”

This is not a unique problem. This is an extremely common behavior seen in relationships that are failing. Over time, as hurtful things happen, as amends aren’t made, and as conflicts are swept under the rug rather than resolved, resentments build, bitterness brews, partners withdraw, and walls go up.

Unless someone steps up to the plate and makes the effort to open an honest dialogue, the relationship is doomed.

Don’t wait until it’s too late.

Problems in relationships will never get fixed if we choose not to deal with them. If our fear of confronting our partner and the problem head on is so great (because we anticipate we’ll receive devastating information that we don’t want to face) such that we allow it to immobilize us and paralyze us from initiating sincere communication, then no matter what state of disrepair the relationship is in, it will only get worse, and eventually our worst fears about our partner falling out of love with us and the relationship failing will be realized.

Don’t wait until it’s too late.

As soon as we recognize that a wall has gone up, that there is emotional distance, that a disconnect has occurred, that there is a coldness and a detachment evident in our partner, rather than do nothing and hope it will miraculously go away, it is critical that we address it, that we confront the problem, that we ask our partner the necessary questions, without anger, without hurt, without attack, without any agenda to generate guilt or shame. We ask the questions to discover how they’re feeling so that we can address their concerns, fix the problems and repair the relationship.

If we don’t do this and choose instead to avoid the issues that have created the rift in the relationship, we can know for certain as we allow more time to pass with words unspoken, that the rift will expand into a chasm and the relationship will descend into greater depths of disrepair, past the point where it can be healed and restored.

Don’t wait until it’s too late.

Best we recognize the red flags and warning signs of a relationship going south. Best we not avoid confronting the problems for fear that we will hear the worst and not be able to deal with it. Best we have the courage to face the music because only by doing so can we ever hope to change its tune.

Visit Dr Jacobson at www.walterjacobsonmd.com. Buy his book at: Forgive to Win

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More From Dr Walter Jacobson:

1. I Love You, Mom, But Ix-nay The Frozen Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
2. Cognitive Tools To Assist In Weight Loss
3. The Challenges of Weight Loss and How To Overcome Them
4. Why People Have Difficulty Losing Weight
5. Does God Work In Mysterious Ways Or Do We?
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Last week the Catholic Church released a report claiming that the sexual abuse problems with their priests is partly due to the promiscuity and free love consciousness of the ‘60s. This is clearly inappropriate. The sexual abuse problems with their priests is solely due to the sexual abuse problems of their priests.

Personal Development Lesson #1:

We must put an end to trying to shift attention and responsibility to other people, situations and circumstances. When we have done something wrong, we must own what we have done, take full responsibility, and make amends as best we can.

Newt Gingrich and Social Engineering

Last week Newt Gingrich appeared on Meet The Press and made a statement about the radical nature of Paul Ryan’s plan to disassemble Medicare. When he met with resistance and condemnation from the GOP, he reversed his position to avoid any further backlash against him.

Personal Development Lesson #2:

We must have the courage of our convictions. If we speak our truth and it is not received the way in which we would have liked, best that we not retract it for expediency sake. Best we stick to what we have said and believe in, have the courage to stand up to our detractors, and make our best case. When what we claim we believe in shifts with the winds of public opinion and peer pressure, we lose our credibility, it quickly becomes apparent we cannot be trusted, we lose the respect of others and our self-respect as well.

Harold Camping and The Rapture on May 21st

Last week Harold Camping’s prediction of the end of the world failed to materialize, leaving many of his followers and true believers in serious financial difficulties insofar as they had liquidated assets and spent a lot of money promoting his end of the world campaign, expecting that May 21^st would be their last day on the planet.

Personal Development Lessons #3 & 4:

Although it’s a good thing for us to have the courage of our convictions and to put our money where our mouth is, it is also important that we not do anything impulsive and reckless that would jeopardize our well-being. To have believed that the Rapture was going to happen on May 21^st is fine, and to have communicated the message to others is equally okay. But to not take into consideration the possibility that it might not happen and to put ourselves at financial risk is an example of magical thinking gone amok and is foolhardy.

“Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.”: Harold Camping made the same claim in 1994 with absolute certainty that the Bible doesn’t lie and all his calculations come from analysis of the Bible and there is no question that the Rapture was going to happen, and it didn’t. Take home message: When we have followed someone’s prediction in the past and it was proven to be false, best we not go down that same road in the future. Best we take into account his previous track record and not put all our eggs in his basket.

Arnold Schwartzenegger and His Love Child

Last week it was revealed that Arnold Schwartzenegger had an affair with his housekeeper in his own home and fathered a child with her, which has led to a diminishment of his career opportunities, the break-up of his marriage, a loss of respect from others and perhaps a loss of his self-respect, though it’s possible he has no shame.

Personal Development Lesson #5:

Best we pay attention to the potential consequences of our actions. Best we seriously consider all possible outcomes of any decision we anticipate making and be sure we would be comfortable with the outcome should the worse case scenario ensue. If we would not be comfortable, we choose not to go down that road.

Visit Dr Jacobson at www.walterjacobsonmd.com. Buy his book at: Forgive to Win

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Join the 232,000 people following @famhealthguide

Stay up to date with personal development advice from Dr Walter Jacobson. RSS Feed, Email Newsletter

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More From Dr Walter Jacobson:

1. I Love You, Mom, But Ix-nay The Frozen Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
2. Cognitive Tools To Assist In Weight Loss
3. The Challenges of Weight Loss and How To Overcome Them
4. Why People Have Difficulty Losing Weight
5. Does God Work In Mysterious Ways Or Do We?
6. Vegan For All The Right Reasons
7. The Power of Distraction

How insane is this? Are today’s Moms so terribly pressed for time that they can’t slap some peanut butter and jelly on a couple of slices of bread and stuff it into a plastic bag? Is buying a pre-made sandwich really that much of a time-saver?

The fact that this product exists at all is astounding to me. The fact that there is a market for this product speaks to the eventual extinction of the human race because being an unconscious consumer will certainly, sooner or later, lead to our demise.

What is profoundly disturbing about this food product is that the ingredients are significantly unhealthy. A bunch of chemicals, preservatives and carcinogens have been added to the bread, peanut butter and jelly such that not only is it easier for us to send our kids off to school with sandwiches that we didn’t have to prepare, we’re also sending them on the fast track to diabetes, obesity, heart disease and cancer. And it’s costing us more money than it would if we made the sandwiches ourselves. How cool is that?

So what’s the take-home message? Let’s stop buying prepared, processed foods. Let’s purchase whole foods and take the time to prepare our meals ourselves, without adding salt, sugar, oils and chemicals, thereby retaining their nutrients and natural flavors, the end result being foods that heal us rather than kill us.

The broader message is this: Perhaps we should stop trying to make everything so gosh darn quick and convenient. Perhaps we shouldn’t be so busy finding ways to save time and appreciate the fact that oftentimes the shortcuts we take end up costing us dearly in the long run.

Visit Dr Jacobson at www.walterjacobsonmd.com. Buy his book at: Forgive to Win

__________________________________________________________________

Join the 227,000 people following @famhealthguide

Stay up to date with personal development advice from Dr Walter Jacobson. RSS Feed, Email Newsletter

____________________________________________________________________

More From Dr Walter Jacobson:

1. Cognitive Tools To Assist In Weight Loss
2. The Challenges of Weight Loss and How To Overcome Them
3. Why People Have Difficulty Losing Weight
4. Does God Work In Mysterious Ways Or Do We?
5. Vegan For All The Right Reasons
6. The Power of Distraction
7. The Power of Negative Thinking