Robin Williams

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   "Williams, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, was also suffering from Lewy Body Dementia, a common but devastating disease “marked by abnormal protein deposits in the brain that disrupt normal function.”  Lewy Body Dementia is often associated with Parkinson’s, and when the dementia is combined with the Parkinson’s medications there can be severe side effects. Family and medical sources told TMZ that they believe Lewy Body Dementia was a key factor in the Williams’ suicide." online news

I was struck by the suicide of Robin Williams, and I wondered at the time if he knew that his Parkinson's diagnosis also had the element of dementia.  News released yesterday says that his diagnosis not only included dementia, but the diagnosis was Lewy Bodies Dementia.  Having watched the ravaging of this disease over the past decade in my loved one, I can definitely understand the action Robin Williams took.  I pray for a cure for this debilitating, humiliating and costly disease.

Being Present

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   "In the present is the whole of time." Jiddu Krishnamurti
   
   

   So many of us humans are focused on the tasks that need to be done, or ruminating over slights or celebrations from the yesterdays - when all we have is now.  If we truly immerse ourselves in now, it is healing.  In fact, that is where healing can happen - in the present moment.  A technique from the ages for staying present to this moment is noticing our breathing, because we can only breathe right now -- not 10 minutes ago or an hour from now.  While that seems obvious, it often is not the way we lead our lives.  Today let us have the intention of being present to what is before us right now.  

Looking for Good Experiences

"You are the owner of all that you perceive. But you can't perceive apart from your vibration. Feel your way, little-by-little, into a greater sense of abundance by looking for the treasures that the Universe is offering you on a day-to-day basis."  ---Abraham

There is growing evidence that we experience what we are looking for -- it is not an absolute because we will still have unpleasant experiences occasionally, but - to a large degree - if we are looking for the good in ourselves, in others and in life in general -- that is what we will experience.  Where is our focus?  Is it on the restrictions and limitations of life --- or is it on the abundance of all good things in life?  This can be a tricky difference, and one good way to tell what we are focused on is how we think of our bodies.  Our bodies are beautiful, wondrous and have served us so very well.  Do we focus on those facts or on perceptions of deficits?  Notice how you are thinking when you are just idly thinking.  Those unconscious thoughts will reveal our focus.  

Ponderings

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     "Take a day to heal from the lies you have told yourself, and the ones that have been told to you." Maya Angelou
     
     

     We are told things that are misleading -- the stories that have been passed down in our culture, the remarks that others have made to us that have erroneously shaped our self image, the beliefs that we downloaded that do not fit us.  As we go through life, one task is to dismantle these misconceptions, and to come to love ourselves and others.  It is such a rare gift to be born a human.  Let us make the most of it.  

The Test of Smell

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   The ability to smell is associated with the first cranial nerve and is often one of the first things to be affected in cognitive decline," reads this release from the University of Florida. 
   

Interesting new evidence for testing for dementia.  I remember that my loved one's smell was  significantly diminished in the years before we knew of the diagnosis of dementia.  It may just be another way we can know when something serious is going on within the body.  The body/mind are so connected -- it makes sense that we can notice one of the senses along with the signs of cognitive difficulties -- since they are so closely connected.

Listening to the Silence

To be in the silence is a gift.  It seems that in our modern lives we may not take enough time for silence.  Autumn is a wonderful time to spend some time in nature in silence.  In silence we can get to know and honor our true self.  Silence is solace for the soul.  

Being Grateful

Being grateful is the path to many ways of being:  good health, good mental health, positive outcomes, good relationships.  Who wants to be around an Eeyore?  So many people are focused on the negative -- even when they think they are focused on the positive.  In talking about one's health, do you focus on how well your body is working, or on its minuscule flaws.  Do you focus on the freedoms we enjoy, or the troubles in the system?  Do you focus on the blessings in your relationships, or on the shortcomings?  In my experience, it is a daily practice to focus on the good in our lives.  What is going really well in your life today?