Today's message is a recommendation and review of, The Extraordinary Healing Power of Ordinary Things, Fourteen Natural Steps to Health and Happiness, by Larry Dossey, M.D.  I ran across this book in the library and it has been hard to put down. 

Do you want to know what the 14 steps are?  Here they are without explanation:

Optimism

Forgetting

Novelty

Tears

Dirt

Music

Risk

Plants

Bugs

Unhappiness

Nothing

Voices

Mystery

Miracles

I have read through Risk and I had to write already because the concepts are so good.  My favorite so far is Music.  Did you know that the ideas that planets and stars make recognizable music has now been proven?  Did you know that plants make music?  Music is not just something we have stumbled upon which gives us pleasure.  Sound has great power to support our health especially if we enjoy it.  Mitchell L. Gaynor, M.D. has written a fascinating book on the subject:  The Healing Power of Sound:  Recovery from Life-Threatening Illness Using Sound, Voice, and Music.  He is a cancer doctor who has found that adding sound to a patient's treatment results in much more success.  He has also written an excellent book on foods to prevent and treat different types of cancer.  I have been listening to a lot more music lately.  What a great way to start the day, enjoy my workout more, and de-stress at the end of the day.

Aren't you intrigued by some of the items on the above list?  I am.  Some are surprising:  dirt is necessary for our health.  Don't try to eliminate all dirt especially for children whose immune systems need a workout to grow strong.  And Risk is a factor that can make you healthier! 

I can't wait to get to Nothing, Mystery and Miracles, well, really all the topics.  I will report more as I make my way through the list.  Maybe you want to pick up the book and join me!  If you do and you email me your favorite on the list I will put your name in a reader's drawing for a free natural essential oil air freshener.  This will be a good test to see if anyone ever reads to the end of my message!

Contest begins today and ends July 31, 2010.  Email:  info@wsmt.org with your favorite step and your telephone number.  On 7/31 I will pick a winner, call you, and get out a bottle of natural air freshener to you with instructions for using it.  I would recommend getting and reading the book, but this is not required.  You may just pick the one you think you like the best without the full story if you like.  Now that's easy!

              Zinnia started in February when winter's

                   winds were blowing.  Ah, such

               satisfaction to receive this as my reward

                                         in June.