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BERNIE By Bernie Siegel, MD


The Craving Cure T


here are many myths which ask the question, “What does every woman, or man, want?” What do we all crave in this life? The answer the myth ultimately reveals is that we all


want a life of our own, where we decide how we live and spend our lives’ time and not a life imposed upon us by the spell caste by a demon or the people in our lives telling us what to do. The sad part is that when we give up our healthy and true desires and cravings because of the desires and cravings of others we lose our lives and at the same time find that our cravings now become self-destruc- tive and depersonalizing and are no longer life enhancing for us or the people in our lives because of what has been taken from us.


When our relationship with life becomes unhealthy so does our relationship with food.


One cannot separate one’s life from one’s desires. No matter


what age this unhealthy change happens at, it leads to unhealthy cravings and addictions. Self-destruction replaces self-esteem and what we seek and crave are any foods that will give us the feel- ings we no longer can experience due to the absence of healthy and loving relationships. The development of our bodies and its receptors are literally changed by what we have lost. So we seek any artificial means of providing ourselves and our bodies with temporary relief from the losses we have experienced.


People whose lives are being destroyed by unhealthy crav- ings are not stupid. They know what they are doing is not good for them but they do not have the inspiration and determination necessary to be reborn and act as if they were the person they want to be. It is no accident that the term born again comes up so frequently in the lives of those who are awakened by addictions, diseases and disasters and find new meaning in their lives. You must be ready to show up for practice and rehearse being the per- son whom you have created as your new role model. It is crazy but people take better care of their pets than they do themselves.


For many, Dr. Bernard Siegel-or Bernie, as he prefers to be- called-needs no introduction. He has touched many lives all over- the Planet. In 1978, he reached a national and then international audience when he began talking about patient empowerment and the choice to live fully and die in peace. As a physician whohas cared for and counseled innumerable people whose mortality has been threatened by illness, Bernie embraces a philosophy of living and dying that stands at the forefront of the medical eth- ics and spiritual issues our Society grapples with today. Read Bernie’s regular blog posts on his website where you will also find his books, articles, and CDs: http://www.berniesiegelmd.com. See ad on page 33


To do this you must trust yourself and your feelings and be


ready to forgive yourself when you lose your way. You are each a work in progress and can always touch up or redo things if you do not create the work of art you intended. Now is the time to do what makes you happy and not what you think is the right thing to do. Feelings and heart wisdom need to be your guide. It is time to dump the guilt, shame and blame others have imposed upon you and move into faith, hope and love as your motivators. Start saying yes to yourself and no to the people and things you do not want to do.


Simply doing something or accumulating material things will


not make you a success but it will make you into a human doing. When you find happiness and meaning in your life you become a human being and a true success. It is never too late to re-parent yourself.


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