Wake up and feel the pain

People who experience chronic pain and dream of better health and well-being may seek to achieve this by using narcotics. Counselling and reassurance may do little to soothe physical discomfort. Chronic pain sufferers indicate that without a continuing supply of narcotics, they become disabled by an inability to cope with pain, and their lives are unbearable. To what degree this is true before taking narcotics is under question. Self-examination is a way to explore how you feel and what you might do.

Physicians believe narcotics are appropriate for some pain sufferers, but it's come under fire that doctors prescribe them too freely for patients who could be helped in other ways. While it’s advisable to take chronic pain reports seriously, physicians must also address a pain source separate from the pain itself. As doctors will contemplate whether pain is real enough for drug treatment, patients are left to deal with the matter. Some choose suicide. The ones who 'stick it out' wish doctors could awaken and feel the pain of the experience to know how real it is.

This said, consider the origins of chronic pain are hard to identify. Doctors trained as problem-solvers may hesitate to diagnose and treat what they can't see, especially when their position will be surrounded by so much controversy. Even when a pain source is clear, like a pair of torn spinal discs, physicians may resist prescribing narcotics because they fear federal regulators and understand strong drugs, in the short- or long-term doses, can build powerful addictions.

At the same time, some pain sufferers admit their pain is so bad, their life all but stops. When physicians are prohibited from renewing narcotic prescriptions, it's difficult to find another physician to prescribe them. Patients may be labelled as addicts or 'problem cases' associated with physicians who are under investigation for prescribing habits. This leaves the pain sufferers without effective treatment.

Physicians find themselves between a rock and a hard place. One thing that causes them to get concerned is the possible abuse to the detriment of true need and appropriate use, as well as the prospect of losing a license for perception of inappropriate prescriptions. Its not widely acceptable to use hard drugs for serious illness, even if regulations are slowly evolving.

Doctors face conflicting guidelines at state and federal levels. They are duty-bound to ease patients' pain, but prescribing too many strong drugs or dispensing them too freely can lead to suspicion and federal investigation. What is acceptable remains open to question. It brings up quality of life issues, control, and fear of error in judgement. Should you prioritize the status quo, doctor's license or patient care?

If people you know experience challenges due to chronic pain, or if you do yourself, then you'll gain new insight into the crux of this murky issue. Even if you don't, imagine yourself as suffering. What would you do? Who would you support? Which treatments would you seek? How you evolve to see health and well-being, what is possible or desirable or, what is a perceived opportunity in life, changes greatly.

5 precepts to enrich your life

1) Avoid regrets. This life is too short to waste energy on what can't be changed. Choose instead to learn and apply your new wisdom to "next time." Your life experiences will forever be enriched by your ability to refer back to lessons learned by yourself and other inspirations.

2) Remain open to learning and changing your beliefs. If you change your beliefs, you influence the root cause of your behavior. Who you were yesterday will not necessarily be who you have evolved into today. Embrace change as a facit of personal growth with joy and gratitude.

3) Teach yourself to be happy in the moment. Remind yourself no 'right or wrong' decision exists, only your perception of what matters at a given time and phase of your life. Savour every feeling, from love to pain. Every feeling offers you a message. How do you learn to intuit?

4) Take every opportunity to get-to-know yourself better . As you learn to listen closely to your inner voice, you'll make choices according to who you really are, not who people lead you to think you are. This soul-searching can also encourage you to develop and deepen a spiritual side.

5) Commit to people and causes.  As you do this, it will enable you to believe more in yourself. Distance yourself from perceived needs of "enough" of anything, from thinking you may never get enough money, attention or reciprocity. Choose instead to give unconditionally of yourself in all that you do, from relationships and work to spritual pursuits. You will find unexpected sources of appreciation will bless you by the truckload. You will attract what resonates from within you.

Hitchhiker's guide to extinction

If you dream of a resolution to situations of pending animal extinctions, it's wise to hitchhike around your local library, community and Internet and obtain information. You can organize your own guide to extinction, and decide how endangered species affect who and where you are.  If you feel disconnected from this scheme of things, track how you live and the nature of your choices. How do you travel? What products do you use? Where do you shop? Where do your things originate? Who makes them?

Environmental reports continue to be published and inform the world about dangers of global warming. Yet, few people realize that as well as negative effects of climate change, humans also kill off animal species at alarming rates, mostly for food and inappropriate landscape management. This reality reflects a blatant disregard for balance in ecosystems. Since most people desire to increase the likelihood of human survival long-term, it makes sense to understand what's going on with the animal populations. After all, their fate could be our fate. Is that what you desire?

As of 2005, according to a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 794 animal species were on the brink of extinction. Now, nearly 51 percent (408 species) of the listed species are amphibians, showing serious threat of a group that includes frogs, toads, salamanders and caecilians. Since the late 1970s, amphibian populations have been declining and 129 species have been reported extinct since 1980. In 2005, a thorough survey of amphibians found nearly a third (32%) of the world's 5743 known amphibian species are threatened. While scientists can't say exactly what causes this decline, global climate change has been strongly linked to a deadly fungal disease, a possible reaction to undue stress.

Many people wonder what initiatives are being taken to reverse this destructive process, and what we can do as individuals to make a difference. As you think locally and also more globally, you may be pleasantly surprised to discover passions that help you shape and inspire new kinds of dreams.

1) Join an organization. Many groups organize initiatives in different countries to focus on saving particular species. You can choose a continent, country or animal to support and help you narrow choices. Support may include; volunteering, funding and contributions in-kind. You can participate on-line, in an office role, a wildlife park, zoo or somewhere in the field, working with penguins, sea turtles or other species.

2) Plant bushes and trees with berries or nuts. These serve as useful food sources for birds and other animals, while also providing much needed shelter. Why not do this with a child or friend? It’s a great activity to suggest for boys and girls clubs as well as school or neighborhood projects.

3) Join or found a bird watcher’s club. You can look into local species and learn more about creatures you have seen and promote their return next year. Regardless of age or background, its an opportunity to bring like-minded people together in an Audubon society. Invite local experts. Set up birdhouses and birdbaths as projects to assist creatures and invite more regular visits.

4) Help preserve your local habitat. Remove "invasive species" that could disrupt local animal food sources. Take advantage of the opportunity to learn about what is natural vegetation and what is foreign. Which animals consume what plants? Chat with local nursery owner or vegetation expert. Read. Unwelcome species crowd out native plants critical to survival of area wildlife. You may discover people involved in or interested in initiating projects you would join too.

5) Adopt a foreign animal. Much like adopt foster child organizations, you can adopt a foreign animal through different kinds of sponsorship programs. This can be done through the post, the Internet and Rotary. Ideas may appeal to school children who would appreciate a class project.

6) Help rebuild threatened riverbanks. Replanting native trees on riverbanks will help keep soil from crumbling. Take time to collect garbage on waterfronts and beaches as well. Community fundraisers have been known to help create more sustainable habitat for birds, fish and animals.

7) Look into community wildlife restoration. The museum may be a good place to contact specialists in butterflies and insects as well as other local wildlife. Check out your local high school and university science departments, government environmental departments. You'll find different people versed in areas of possible interest. As you learn what exists, go choose.

8) Get active in Frog watch and Toad monitoring. Various countries aware of the growing decline of amphibians have initiated activities to help citizens keep track of these creatures. Consult http://www.nwf.org/frogwatchUSA/ or your local wildlife office for details.

Leave the realm of "I died yesterday"

Imagine someone asks you what you truly wish to do. What would you reply? As for people who are aware of some key hope or desire, they may say it, but usually add reasons why they feel unable to make it happen. You may know someone like this or it may sound a lot like you.

Now, if part of someone you know feels trapped in their own life, it's not you're role to cause them to change. Yet, if it's you who feels confined in some kind of life which is incompatible with who you are, then its time to leave the realm "where you died yesterday." How much of your life will you choose to reclaim? Part of you believes you may have to fight. Ask yourself from whom you wish to reclaim your life, if it isn't from yourself and an inappropriate mindset.

In essense, for a time, you have inadvertently chosen to give at least part of your life away. You may devote time to causes, give money to people, and do other things that make you feel good. The spirit of giving isn't the issue. Rather, its the things you do which cause you to wish you were somewhere else doing something else. Is this because you choose not to learn from a potentially valuable situation? Or, do you accept being what you're not so much you almost come to believe it? Only you can determine the level of contentment and joy inside of your own soul.

The idea of coming into yourself is always possible. You exist to get-to-know yourself better and reading this article is guiding you deeper into that experience. The more you realize what you don't wish to continue doing, the closer you get to what you really aim to accomplish. This isn't what you're doing now, but you had to experience that to move ahead. Now, you're more likely to take steps. As you ask new questions, you reach out and find clues to answers you already know inside.

If your dream would require you to give up all that you know and yet, you prevent yourself from taking a leap of faith, then the world will respond by holding you back from other opportunities. It deems you're not ready. Your behaviour is your own statement of what is enough of what kind of existence. Redefine your view of what is enough of your past and current experience. Rather than think of not having enough of things, consider what it would take to reverse your thoughts. How you think determines the energy you produce, and what you believe will come to pass.

The ultimate alibi

To meet someone on the road may have more significance than you realize.  This person, regardless of their physical appearance, or what they may say, draws attention to you.  Imagine everyone you met was your clone.  If this was true, it would be difficult to describe who you are, to be in a position to distinguish yourself from other people.  If we thought people were all the same inside, it would also be hard to expand experiences of who you are. The question is, do you recognize learning opportunities take the form of people or permit it to simply pass you by?

A friend of mine is developing his character by investigating the newly-discovered, suspicious practices of his business partner. If the situation had been discovered a year ago, its unlikely he would be taking his current approach to uncover the truth.  This friend's original plan was to turn a blind eye and escape from details he didn't wish to know. And then, out of the blue, he was recontacted by an old school friend to reconnect. Turned out this old friend had a shockingly similar experience with a former business partner.  Old friends tightened their bond by helping each other. My friend has been learning new ways to step outside his comfort zone. He considers his old friend a guardian angel who entered his life when he had been trapped in a prison of fear.

What is your ultimate alibi for not doing what you know in your heart to be the right thing? You may offer excuses as an effort to convince yourself what you're doing or not doing is acceptable to yourself. You might remind yourself a difference exists between creating a meaningful life and trying to eek out a living. If part of you is living in a state of quiet desperation, doing what you think you must do in order to survive, perhaps its time to redefine the meaning of your survival? As you learn to look beyond what you have to lose, you'll discover everything you have to gain.

My own life has taught me we construct our understanding of survival and this may go far beyond satisfying basic needs. In speaking with passing strangers, and in particular, a man I recently met on a plane who could a recent encounter with a guardian angel, my attention was drawn back to what has always brought my soul its greatest joy. In our exchanges since, I've thought back to having referred to some of my greatest passions as "alibis." I sensed I was just biding time for something other people thought was better for me, when I knew myself what was best all the time.

After all is said and done, to whom to we owe our greatest sense of responsibility, if not to ourselves? In case you forgot, you're your ultimate alibi, from the moment you are born until the day you die. Guardian angels you meet throughout your life will remind you of this. Yet, will you listen?