All the Blessings of Positivity

“As long as enthusiasm holds out, so will new opportunities.”
Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

“If there is no fun in it, something is wrong…”
Dr. Norman Vincent Peale 

Greetings my gentle readers to this weeks installment of the “Be Yourself, Often” Blog. This is a time where we can sit back and share with each other some of the common themes and opportunities and challenges that have occurred through the week and see how it dovetails into us and our basic intelligent concern for ourselves and others, also known as love Have we infused the week with the spirit of us, or have we been mindlessly trucking along dead to the opportunities? 

We are responsible for our own choices, beliefs and actions that we take and make. I am positive of that. Sometimes, they are negative and this is only a big problem if we allow mistakes and negatives to stay negatives. Per wit, one does not Learn from them. That makes one lost, and potentially a fool, in the true medieval sense of the word.

If this discussion stings, there is the chance to leverage, discuss and advance in positivity. The past is history. The new day that emerges is extciting, and a mystery. Today is the day to do with which, as you wish. This is what is is the Present. 

All the blessings of positivity is a wonderful quote that came in the passing through a discussion with a valued friend. This statement really can make one stop and take stock of the inventory within the store as what one says and what one does can be totally different. As well, there may be prismic facets that reflect and refract back different things to different people. Some examples of those may be person, gender, race, religion, culture etc.

What is important here is that the concept of positivity holds a great degree of commonality across all of those facets and religions? It is a state of Being, rather than a truly human quality. If it were a truly human quality, people in North America overall would be the happiest and most positive people on the planet. Why? Their GDP and annual income is some of the highest in the world and unlimited access to gifts of nature, health, wealth and all the shiny spoons and 2-car garages that one can conceptualize. Yet, these people are often negative and being positive is held by very few. The incidence of mental health disorders in this dynamic is about 25 times that of the population in the Southern Sahara.

Why is that? Well…it means that stuff is not a sole root of happiness long term. While it may provide a transient feel good release of hormones and neurotransmitters, it truly is just stuff. And that begets the concepts of hoarding and attachment to said stuff and that begets fear of loss and theft and that leads to bigger fence and walls and the concepts that revolve around “commercial happiness”. My friends, you will never ever be like that person selling whatever on the television or Internet. Why? Because its NOT you and please stop transposing and imagining that you are entitled to be that. You’ve been sold a harsh bill of sale.

All the power of positivity lies within you already and the life and miracles that abound around you if you stop and reflect. To step away from every level of stuff and fluff and exercise basic human kindness with you is a critical first step. One needs to be aware of strong emotions that impact this may have on others and yourself. Transference and counter transference are very very large issues that can suck away positivity faster than a black hole. People that have strong behavioural disorders rooted in Cluster B within Axis 2 are often unable to sustain long periods of positivity. Why is that? Because they are constantly on the attack and fighting the next person that they perceive will “screw them over”, yet not knowing they themselves are the reason their life is so empty. They are devoid of pleasure by virtue of their defense mechanisms. 

Let us be more understanding to each other and a gentle word to ourselves. Small and gentle steps will help us evolve, in the form of mental weight training to build up to be more positive. Why, how and where do we act and react in situations? How could we have done it better? Being in a safe environment with gentle friends who help you see that, vs denigrate or attack you will help you develop through learning. 

At a certain point, the student becomes the teacher and the positivity shine through as the Hand of God and the miracles of the moment may be seen in every small, intricate moment that happens in life. That there is a moment, where even in the darkest hours that will hit and horrid news, periods where one sees that they can move ahead and live. And not only live, but positive this situation will help them help others. 

At that point, surrounded by miracles, you become a hero and inspiration to others and then may just have become and truly be yourself, often.

                        ~~ Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure   August 2012

Announcement: Canadian UNESCO-Affiliated Bioethics Unit to the International UNESCO Chair in Bioethics

UNESCO Chair in Bioethics

Canadian UNESCO-Affiliated Bioethics Unit to the International UNESCO Chairs in Bioethics

 

August 22, 2012

In 2001 there was establishment of a UNESCO Chair designation in medical bioethics resulting from published research under Professor Carmi from 1996 and 2001. This research centered on the specific field of the provision and outcomes of medical bioethics education. Secondary to this research, a UNESCO International Chair position was created for a UNESCO Chair in Medical Bioethics. An international network was created from interested and supporting Universities across the world, with each of the 29 signatory countries being designated a UNESCO Medical Education Bioethics designated University, with a corresponding National Network and Chief/Lead for their country. In 2009, Canada became a signatory to this initiative. Western University enjoys collaboration with the other Bioethics Universities including Harvard in the United States, Tokyo Medical University in Japan and the University of Haifa in Israel to name a few.

These networks have been tasked with determining the status of medical education deliverables in bioethics across the country, including quality, placement, sustainability and robustness within the medical curriculum.

The Canadian Network at August 22, 2012 has been awarded by the UNESCO Chair to the supervision of Dr. Joel Lamoure, a critical care pharmacist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Lamoure also serves as a scientist with Lawson Health Research Institute and surveyor with Accreditation Canada. Joel was licensed as a pharmacist in 1991 and completed his Doctorate in Divinity in 2011.

A revised cross-Canadian panel and committee will be convened to address and go the next level of questions that have been posed by the UNESCO Bioethics Chair to support the Charter.

The aim of the Network is to ensure a robust and evidence based approach to the provision of medical bioethics within the medical curriculum. In a sharing, international network format we aim to determine the level of current education, identify the needs for bioethics education and train the educators through adult based learning educational strategies.

UNESCO has noted the emergence of the need for bioethics at grass roots, educational level that is continuous, consistent and mirrored through education, practice and mentoring. Their statements surrounding the current challenges are as follows*:

“There is an emerging need for introduction of teaching medical ethics as a consequence of several social and scientific processes:    

•  Health-care consumers emphasize nowadays not only the need for health but the need for quality of life. Patients expect professionalism, effectiveness and quality, along with empathy, reliability and devotion.
    • Health-care providers are detached from traditional concepts of idealistic medicine, adopting a contractual, consumer paradigm.
    • Medical technology has created new dilemmas (e.g. procreation, euthanasia, intensive care, medical genetics, bio-technology), while at the same time causing previous ethical resolutions to become obsolete (e.g. definition of death, family composition).
    • Specialization and sub-specialization in medicine have encouraged technicality at the expense of patient-physician relationship and communication skills, thus creating a growing gap between physicians and their patients, and between medicine and society at large.
    • Growing social concern, suspicion and demand for closer inspection on medical activities is filling this gap. The demand is materialized in the form of ample litigation, increased health-related legislation and formulation of international declarations, conventions, charters etc., creating new ethical and legal frameworks and new obligations for the practicing physician.
    • Resource allocation in face of growing monetary constraints creates a substantial effect on the everyday practice of medicine.
    • The need to adhere to ethical norms in scientific research and experimentation (human cloning, pharmacology etc.) remains a constant challenge”

*UNESCO 2012 http://www.unesco-chair-bioethics.org/UI/A01.aspx

We would like to thank the previous Canadian Network members for their immense efforts to date since 2009 to bring Canada to the table in Bioethics as it relates to education and setting the stage for the next exciting stage of development. Being that education based in CANMEDS is a life long role, we look forward to creating new Canadian linkages to move the medical education bioethics across the scope, specialties and lifespan of clinicians.