The Wabi-Sabi Way

As I read the magazine about the “way,” I asked the same question I am sure you are asking now – What the heck is The Wabi-Sabi Way?

Well, it is the “way” I plan on being and thinking from now on.

Wabi-Sabi is when you realize that you are not going to be perfect, your life is not going to be perfect, you are never going to look like Paris Hilton (that’s if you wanted to look like Paris Hilton). It’s also when you realize that your spouse is not perfect, that your kids will never be the genius that discovers the cure for why men go to war, and that you will not keep up with the Jones no matter how hard you try.

The term has Japanese origins and basically describes, “the beauty to be found in that which is incomplete or imperfect.” Wow!!!

So, now I knew what Wabi-Sabi was – but what does it look like? According to the article, an old weathered barn is Wabi-Sabi, as is that old worn t-shirt that you can’t give up, and that comfortable beat up chair from Fraiser. All Wabi-Sabi! In Japan an artist will make sure an art piece has one mistake in it just remind people of the concept of Wabi-Sabi. I guess I can call my dropped stitches in knitting as Wabi-Sabi – I will just pretend I did it on purpose.

But what would happen if we went through life deciding to NOT be perfect and instead to allow our imperfections to shine – our personal Wabi-Sabi? How would life become easier – less stressful – less complicated? How much would our blood pressure decrease if you said, “Oh, it’s OK – It’s Wabi-Sabi!?”

Wabi-Sabi is authentic and simple. It is a natural beauty. As we grow older, Wabi-Sabi allows us to be OK with the parts of us that change. A wrinkle becomes perfect imperfection.

Wabi-Sabi doesn’t mean we don’t try to do better, it simply means that we are at peace with things as they change. You never know how that change may work to your advantage. For example, when I lost my job a few years back I thought this is awful, devastating. But then I discovered coaching – and nothing has been the same since. It completely changed my life for the better. It didn’t happen in one day – it took time – Wabi-Sabi!

How can you make The Wabi-Sabi Way a part of your life? How will it change the way you see things? My suggestion, make Wabi-Sabi a conscious decision and enjoy the journey of life with all its imperfections.

Blessings, Judith Auslander

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By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist, Blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Guest Blogger

The rising cost of health care is a problem for millions of adults ages 50 to 64.

Health care reform offers the opportunity to help people in this age group reduce financial and health risks.

In 2007, 7.1 million 50- to 64-year-olds didn’t have insurance, according to the AARP report “Health Care Reform: What’s at Stake for 50- to 64-Year-Olds.” And those who do have insurance are likely to spend more of their income on health than younger adults.

In the U.S., which spends twice as much as other industrialized nations on health care, health care reform is badly needed for baby boomers.

Public Citizen, a citizen advocacy organization, would like to see single-payer national health insurance adopted and carried out here. It believes this is the only solution that provides universal access to care while reducing costs.

What is single-payer national health insurance?

It’s a system in which the health care expenditures of people are paid for through one source – the federal government or a subcontracting entity – using tax revenue from individuals and employers. Care is provided privately at hospitals and clinics but paid for publicly.

Individuals are allowed to choose their providers, and physicians are paid on a fee-for-service basis or paid salaries by hospitals that receive an annual budget or by nonprofit health maintenance organizations.

A majority of American physicians and the public support a single-payer system, according to Public Citizen.

The group offers the following information on “myths and facts” about single-payer because people have questions about what it is and how it works.

Myth: Single-payer would cost too much.

Fact: Because of our patchwork system of private insurance, more than 30 percent of every health care dollar is spent on administration rather than on care. This includes underwriting, marketing, billing, denying claims, profit, and paper-pushing for hospitals and physician offices.

By eliminating private insurance, a single-payer system would reduce administrative spending by about half – nearly $400 billion annually. These savings are enough to provide every American with comprehensive health insurance, without increasing total spending.

Myth: Single-payer would cost businesses too much.

Fact: Because a single-payer system is more efficient than the current system, health care costs would be lower, and businesses that already provide health care benefits would save money.

In Canada, the three major auto manufacturers – Ford, GM, and Daimler-Chrysler – have all publicly endorsed Canada’s single-payer health system from a business and financial standpoint. In the U.S., Ford pays more for its workers’ health insurance than for the steel to make its cars.

Myth: Lines for care would be extremely long.

Fact: In countries with single-payer, urgently needed care is always provided immediately. People in these countries may have to wait for some elective procedures such as cataract removal or knee replacement for arthritis.

Because the U.S. spends double what countries with single-payer spend on health care – and would continue to spend this much under a single-payer system – access to care here would be better and waits would be much shorter.

Myth: People would overuse the system.

Fact: Most estimates indicate that there would be some increased use of the system, mostly by the nearly 50 million people who currently don’t have health insurance. However, the dramatic savings from a single-payer system would easily cover the increased use of some services.

Doctors would still control most health care utilization. Patients don’t usually receive prescriptions or tests just because they want them, but because their doctors decide they’re appropriate.

Myth: Government programs are wasteful and inefficient.

Fact: Some are better than others, just as some businesses are better than others. To name a few of the most successful and helpful: the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Social Security.

Consider Medicare, which is national health insurance for the elderly; its overhead is about 3 percent of every health care dollar spent on administration, while overhead and profits for private insurance can add up to more than 15 percent.

Myth: The government would make health care decisions for patients and dictate how physicians practice medicine.

Fact: In countries with a national health insurance system, physicians are rarely questioned about their medical practices, and usually only in cases of suspected fraud. Compare this to our system, where patients and doctors routinely must ask insurance companies for permission for certain procedures, tests, and treatments.

Public Citizen urges consumers to become active in health care reform and help create the new health care system.

For more information, visit www.citizen.org/singlepayersolution.

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With obesity rates continuing to rise to epidemic levels, the fattening of America goes hand in hand with a cluster of health problems generally referred to as “metabolic syndrome,” including high blood pressure and high levels of the blood fats, triglyceride and/or cholesterol. Insulin resistance, where the action of insulin in the body is impaired and fails to control blood sugar levels, also complicates the picture. When these things happen all at the same time, as is generally the case, their collective impact is to raise Type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease risks simultaneously. Increasingly referred to in medical circles as the “cardiometabolic syndrome,” people with even one of its components may be at increased risk for others. Knowing what to watch for can make the difference between having, or preventing, full-blown disease; so early detection of risk factors and proactive preventive measures can help individuals lead a active, healthy and happy life.

There are 10 simple lifestyle changes that I wish to outline below, which can lower the overall risk of getting a heart disease. This information is not very new to us and we talk about the importance of all these facts in our everyday lives, but the question is how many of us consider these seriously.

More than a century and billions of dollars in medical research, hundreds and thousands of clinical trials- all have come to realize how important it is to:

1. Lose weight (especially some extra pounds accumulated in our abdomen)
2. Increase physical activity to at least 30- 60 minutes a day
3. Eat a healthy diet that includes more of whole grains, fiber, fruits and vegetables, lean meats, eggs, fish, beans and nuts
4. Quit smoking
5. Reduce stress levels
6. Manage dyslipidemia; maintain normal levels of cholesterol (both LDL-C and HDL-C) and triglycerides
7. Control hypertension
8. Limit alcohol consumption
9. Check for inflammation
10. Keep your hormones in balance

We keep asking for new tools for our physicians to formulate a magic pill, but let us stop and rethink how we can help our physicians formulate optimal treatment strategies for effective management of any or all risk conditions by considering the ten simple changes listed above.

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