Introduction: A Large number of Laws
Most educated folks have heard about God's laws (contentious, confusing, conflicting and confounding), regulations of Gravity, regulations of Thermodynamics, regulations of the Land, Parkinson's law, Murphy's law and so on. The majority are named after mcdougal of a succinct observation described by the law. Laws range from A (i.e., Aitken's law - describes how vowel length is conditioned by environment) to Z (Zipf's law - a linguistic observation a few words are utilized often but the majority are used rarely).
Because the wellness field grows and evolves, perhaps it's time for a REAL wellness law-or many such laws. If that's the case, you will want to associate as much as possible with one's own name?
Grandiose, perhaps, but if I don't do it, another person surely will and see your face just might create a mess of it. Wellness in corporate America and elsewhere on the planet is described and presented in wildly inappropriate and dysfunctional ways; you will want to eradicate the babble with several transformative REAL wellness laws? Such laws, when they seem sensible and lead humanity to sounder thinking, might well contribute modestly to improved health and life outcomes.
In addition, one does not have to formulate a law that is named in his/her honor or even be familiar with a law to be afflicted with and to call home in accordance with it. We have all complied with Galileo and Newton's laws about gravity, well before we became aware of them.
Anyone who desires a law to bear their name should present some credentials. Mine are modest, simple but adequate for the honor. As of this writing, I have written 15 books, posted well over a lot of essays at Seekwellness.com/wellness, 74 eight to twelve-page hard copy wellness reports commencing in 1984, 657 weekly electronic REAL wellness newsletters, at the very least a lot of lecture presentations in several countries while spending 43 years (since 1970) dreaming concerning the methods to and likelihood of vastly improved environments and cultures for greater health and happiness.
Which has led to this moment-the time when I offer the universe Ardell's two laws of REAL wellness.
Ardell's 1st Law of REAL Wellness: Random Chance, Natural Selection and Contingencies Trump All Else
Life's largest events often follow random, seemingly inconsequential small actions that we remain unaware.
Secular rational freethinkers place stock in knowledge, commitment, reason and persistence in shaping and fine-tuning lifestyle habits. We embrace perspectives and behaviors on matters existential and otherwise built to render positive states of enjoyment and well-being. We consciously seek happiness, freedom, physical fitness, love, mutually satisfying relationships and multiple skills. What matters most, what affects our successes and outcomes, appears pretty much to be under our field of control. Alas, this functional and preferred method of thinking is largely illusory. There are three much more consequential realities not under your influence in virtually any way. Furthermore, these three factors render the standard and duration of your existence unpredictable and unknowable. They are: 1) random chance or fortune; 2) natural selection; and 3) contingencies.
Ardell's 2nd Law of REAL Wellness: Relative to Ardell's 1st Law of REAL wellness, other REAL wellness laws don't total much.
Considering the immense black hole power of the initial law, additional such laws play a modest role in efforts to shape life quality and longevity.
But, that will not obviate the case for added laws of REAL wellness. The fact is that a lot of the eponymous laws on the books are useless to the majority of people but are yet of interest and even helpful for a few. I'm within my eighth decade; I'm not aware of most occasions when I would have benefited from an awareness of Aitken's law or Zipf's law. I heard about neither until I began the research with this essay. Ditto tons of other laws. DUI
Relative to the first law above, this law and those who follow don't total much. Nevertheless, I hereby offer a few more, just the same. They can't hurt.
Ardell's 3rd Law of REAL Wellness: Finding your passion is fine but keep going-become great at it.
Since few folks enjoy royal lineage or handsome trusts that assure first-class travel in life with little if any requirement for labor, we should choose trades of sorts to pay our way through life. Thus, we are wise to adopt a long-term goal of studying and laboring at a trade that will prove enjoyable and satisfying, in addition to properly remunerative.
When this challenge is met, your method of earning a full time income won't appear to be work.
Thus the next law - master a passion. Begin by following varied interests and, after years and years if not decades of trial and error, settle into one, immersing yourself in it.
Be somewhat realistic but guard against premature realism-while not anyone can get elected, take the films or play in the NBA or NFL, a select few can. Focus on which excites talents and gifts. Devote enough time necessary to qualify for Carnegie Hall (i.e., practice, practice, practice-take account of Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hours rule).
The target here's that at some point in your career somebody, somewhere, for some good or strange reason, will pay you to accomplish everything you enjoy doing-because you're so spectacular at whatever it's you've honed to a level of artful mastery.
Robert Frost expressed the notion of this law in his poem "Two Tramps in Mud Time:"
My goal in life would be to unite my vocation
with my avocation.
As my two eyes make one in sight.
For only where love and need are one
And work is play for mortal stakes
May be the deed ever really done
For heaven's and future's sake.
Ardell's 4th Law of REAL Wellness: More straightforward to chase after fun than to flee from pain.
Forget an ounce of prevention. That'll indeed be worth a pound of cure, but a grain of REAL wellness may be worth a lot of prevention. Prevention is indeed old school-it's vintage medical thinking focused upon avoiding negative outcomes. Furthermore, there's no fun in working so as not to have an adverse outcome.
Instead of preventing something, pursue good results via proactive initiatives that amuse and satisfy. REAL wellness initiatives guided by reason, exuberance, athleticism and liberty are more likely to be exciting and enjoyable. Such efforts will reinforce good intentions far significantly more than waiting around for negative states not to happen thanks to preventive strategies!
Naturally, SOME prevention is good. Contraceptive prevention is good, disease prevention is good-you have the idea.
Ardell's 5th Law of REAL Wellness: Scrutinize the role you played in virtually any scene, good or bad, and make adjustments.
Make personal responsibility your default setting. Yes, initially it is simpler, cheaper and more convenient to blame, excuse, deny and/or ignore responsibility than to embrace it. Such are the current default settings in many cultures, including our own. In the long if not medium range, however, it's healthier, more satisfying and far better to assume at the very least some degree of responsibility. This process allows you to make adjustments independent of actions by others. Your own personal actions will be the surest steps to supporting your interests.
Ardell's 6th Law of REAL Wellness: Dead, bloated rhino equivalents will be the staff of life.
All aspects of REAL wellness are not likely to be equally essential for everyone. We're all quite different in so many ways, though we are alike in lots of ways, as well. But, our circumstances, resources, capacities and such vary significantly. Among the most important elements for enjoying life should be the experience of plentiful, an active curiosity about and life-long openness to new meanings and a commitment to and maintenance of an incredibly fit body.
Therefore, in addition to mastering an awareness and acceptance of the truth of Ardell's 1st Law of REAL Wellness, create a point of always trying to check on the bright side of life. If the latter seems difficult, take comfort from the words expressed by the mother of Woody Allen's character in Annie Hall. Having just read that the universe is expanding, Allen's character laments that he's too worried to accomplish his homework. "Someday it'll break apart and that would be the end of everything."
"But," his Mother snaps, "you're here in Brooklyn! Brooklyn is not expanding."
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