Elizabeth Gilbert, author of bestselling book Eat, Pray, Love (One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia), thinks so.

In this TED talk, she considers the possibility that everyone has a ‘genuis’ inside them and they just need to find it and let it out.

Watch it. It will inspire you to keep working on finding your genius.

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Many have tried to answer this question but in the end, death and the possibility of an afterlife, remains a mystery.

The directors of a new documentary The Path are hoping to remove some of this mystery surrounding death, dying, and, in particular,  the afterlife.

It features interviews with 13 individuals – well renowned authors, practitioners and well respected local practitioners in Upstate New York - who offer their their expertise on their own souls path, what they have learned along the way and their knowledge about the afterlife.

You can watch the trailer here.

According to the Michael Habernig and April Hannah, creators of The Path, they hope that people watching this documentary will…

 ”…take away some knowledge about other possibilities of the afterlife [and]  feel empowered to become their own explorers and researchers. We want people to leave the theater feeling like they need to find out more answers for themselves and begin to experience other possibilities as to what may be out there after we die. We are also hoping that the fear of death will subside as our documentary does give hope that consciousness lives on and never dies.”

The Path is due for release 12th Febuary and I have to admit I am intrigued to hear what they have to say.

Healthbolt’s got a copy of The Path DVD to giveaway.

So if you’re interested, all you need to do is leave a comment telling us why you want to see this DVD.

Entries close 11th Febuary 2009 and the winner will be announced on the 12th February 2009.

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So in celebration of the day, I thought I’d share some of my favorite posts with you…

Nine Christmas Gifts for the Hypochondriac in Your Life was the second post I wrote for Healthbolt and it was probably the most fun. Exploring all the interesting and fun gifts you could buy for the ‘hypochondriac’ was a blast. After all, how could a person resist fluffy giant microbes and internal organs.

And then there was Doing the Hasselhoff and Pumpkin Positive, an examination of entertaining and information medical slang.

On a more serious note, I wrote about how the CDC says Morgellons is a mystery disease worth investigating, found 5 Smoking Gadgets That Might Help You Quit Smoking, discussed needle phobia in No Needles Please…I’m Belonephobic, and looked at some fascinating historic facts about Marijuana.

There was also human interest stories with the Ice Man, the Blue Man, the Tree Man, and the Upside Down Man.

Plus the unique, the intriguing, and the bizarre with Can You Do This With Your Body, Dermatographia as Body Art, Blood-Sucking Beauty, What’s That in Your Head,  A Visit to the Anatomical Theatre, and Russian Spa builds a monument to the enema.

There were some health tips such as Humming my way to clearer sinuses, Do the Hara Hachi Bu, Zip Your Migraine Away With Magnets, and Are You Tired of Being Tired.

But of all 300 plus posts over this past year, Remembering Randy Pausch is the one I consider the most important. What he said in The Last Lecture will stick with me always…

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Except for some, it’s not that easy. After months of intense dedication to the cause, suddenly it’s over and irregardless whether your candidate was the chosen one or not, there’s now a huge void in your life.

The ‘post election blues’ have struck.

You need a place to unwind…a place to relax…a place without television…without internet…without blackberry access.

Sounds like you need …  a meditation retreat.  It’s the perfect place to clear you mind, relax your body, commune with nature, and simply get away from it all.

Start reading this list of America’s top meditation retreats put together by Forbes Traveler and you’ll soon be wishing you could be there…

The Abbey of Gethsemani, Trappist, Ky – once the home of author and monk Thomas Merton, whose spiritual journey inspired millions, this old Trappist monastery (1848) is now a center for renewal and peace.

Kripalu Center, Stockbridge, Mass – set in the peaceful Berkshires, this retreat offers over 700 experiential workshops and has one of the world’s best yoga spas.

Menla Mountain Retreat, Phoenicia, N.Y – located in the Catskills, this retreat is popular with stressed-out New Yorkers.

Breitenbush Hot Springs, Detroit, Oregon – with over 154 acres of wildlife sanctuary, this retreat is the perfect place to escape from the connected world.

Shambhala Mountain Center, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado – even better, this Colorado retreat has 600 acres to get lost (in thought) in.

Mount Madonna, Santa Cruz, California – overlooking Monterey Bay, this retreat is home to a silent monk who hasn’t uttered a word since 1952, communicating by writing on a small chalkboard.

Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, N.Y. -this Hudson Valley retreat attracts people in search of inspiration and rejuvenation.

Ala Kukui, Hana, Maui, Hawaii – legend has it that this retreat is located in an area of Hana known as “the land where the heavens meet the earth.”

The Abode of the Message, New Lebanon, N.Y. – once a Shaker community, this retreat has historic Shaker buildings, an organic farm and gardens, abundant wildlife, hermitage huts, campgrounds, hiking trails and a swimming pond.

Esalen, Big Sur, California – this legendary new age retreat offers spectacular views as you open your mind.

Okay, so heading to a meditation retreat to get over the post election blues does seem a little over the top. But still, it was fun to dream…

(photo by Liz Lewis)

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Randy Pausch, the inspiring Carnegie Mellon Professor who talked so passionately and eloquently about living life to the fullest in a speech known as ‘The Last Lecture’, died friday of pancreatic cancer.

His inspiring words and thoughts will live on.

Here’s just a few of the great points Randy made…

* Never underestimate the importance of having fun. I’m dying and I’m having fun. And I’m going to keep having fun every day because there’s no other way to play it

* Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted

* No one is pure evil. Find the best in everybody. Wait long enough and people will surprise and impress you.

* Brick walls are there for a reason. They are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. The brick walls are there to stop people who don’t want it badly enough.

* It is not about achieving your dreams but living your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you.

R.I.P.

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The Wall Street Journal called it ‘the lecture of a lifetime’. And having just re-watched it, I’d have to agree. Here’s a man who has just been given the equivalent of a ‘death sentence’ and he’s up on stage talking about living your dreams.

If you haven’t seen this lecture, you should.

And if you have seen it, then see it again.

So grab a coffee, wine, or beer (hey, research indicates all are good for you in moderation), sit back and watch and listen. This man has a lot to say.

Here’s just a few of the great points Randy makes…

* Never underestimate the importance of having fun. I’m dying and I’m having fun. And I’m going to keep having fun every day because there’s no other way to play it

* Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted

* No one is pure evil. Find the best in everybody. Wait long enough and people will surprise and impress you.

* Brick walls are there for a reason. They are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. The brick walls are there to stop people who don’t want it badly enough.

* It is not about achieving your dreams but living your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you.

* We can’t change the cards we’re dealth, just how we play the hand.

Those of you who live in the United States, check out this ABC Special – The Last Lecture: A Love Story with Your Life – airing this Wednesday (9 April) at 10/9c when Randy talks with Diana Sawyers about how things have been since The Last Lecture.

By the way,  The Last Lecture has also been turned into a book (co-written with Wall Street Journal columnist Jeffery Zaslow) and was due to hit the bookstore shelves yesterday.

Powerfull stuff…

Post from: Healthbolt

After reading this article today, I really began to wonder something: If you were on a committee to decide whether or not classes in spirituality (as it applies to medical care) should be taught to the med students of today, how would you vote? Yay or nay?

Is there some sort of bond to be bridged between physician and patient by incorporating spirituality? Would a doctor saying “I’ll pray for you” make a difference in your outlook if you were ill? Does knowing that someone else with “power” is praying for your well-being give you more strength? Or would that make you uncomfortable and uneasy?

All interesting questions to ruminate on for your mid-week. We’d love to hear your thoughts, so please weigh in…

Post from: Healthbolt

Or they’re writing about what your 2008 resolutions and goals should be.

I don’t know about you, but I get tired of having to come up with new resolutions every year.

So I’ve decided to create a list of evergreen resolutions that will do for this year…, next year…, and every year thereafter.

They are not original.

I found them on some decorative tiles at the local garden center when I was there the other day buying a lemon tree to replace to one I’d manage to kill.
       
Inspiration, it seems, appears in the strangest places.

So here are a few Healthbolt approved resolutions for you….

Sing like no one is listening

Dance like no one is watching

Love like you’ve never been hurt before

             
and always remember this very important fact…

Life is Too Short to Drink Bad Wine

Post from: Healthbolt

When we think about our health, we usually focus on things like wrinkles, Omega-3’s and beer bellies. Fiber may be bulky and greens may be grand, but in the scheme of things, I think the kind of life you lead may be much more important. I’m not saying a chipper outlook will squelch diabetes or that a thoughtful life will eliminate the need to hit the gym on a regular basis. But I do think that internal satisfaction cannot help but to create a right relationship with yourself, your body, and your life. (I know, I know…what is this impenetrable silver lining and what have you done with Sara?)

Here are 28 things health experts don’t talk about that really matter for your health.

1. Overlook small inconveniences rather than complain about them.
2. Change your own tire, scrub your own tub, dry your own hair.
3. Let go of sarcasm by default. True conversation is so rewarding. (Develop yo skillz.)
4. Stop every hour at work to take a short walk or get a drink of water.
5. Pay your bills on time. If you can’t, call the company instead of avoiding the problem.
6. Return phone calls. (Texting is for pansies.)
7. Keep plans. If you keep canceling, that means: find new friends. Hooray!
8. Avoid telling white lies. Asserting yourself is liberating and no one cares that much anyway. Dammit!
9. Learn the facts of a situation to the best of your ability rather than going the sound bite route. Because in real life it’s just too much chew and not enough juice.
10. Read something every day.
11. Trust the opposite gender implicitly; reserve judgment for the individual.
12. Let go of the adversarial mindset in relationships. (My court vs. your court instead of playing on the same team. It’s tough to keep the ball in the air when you’re both watching your backs.)
13. Maximize thy gadgets. This is a fun way to stay sharp and spend money.
14. Assume that whatever it is, it’s not about you. You’re just not that important!
15. Learn a language. If only to swear in it. (Just me? Anyone?)
16. Pay your own way. (Coughladiescough)
17. Remember that the past is done.
18. Ask yourself if you are acting or reacting when you feel passionate about doing something. (Translation: wait to send the email.)
19. Find a cut of clothing that works for you and stick with it. Why go through life feeling any less than a million bucks? If Armani can wear the same outfit for a lifetime, anyone can.
20. Play every day. (Hang around people who want to play with you.)
21. Fall in love with the person you want to fall in love with.
22. Conquer a physical fear.
23. Forgive.
24. Conquer a mental fear.
25. Actually cook your food. Heat, time, and personal investment add so much to meals.
26. Know how to build a proper fire.
27. Two words: mutual orgasms.
28. In all you do, commit.

The bones of self-assurance, self-reliance, self-worth: they may not make you live until you’re 90, they may not give you a six-pack, and they may not be available in whole grain. But they feel great!

Now I know this list doesn’t stop at 28…

Photo credit: Cayusa

Post from: Healthbolt

A simple dose of epsom salts could save 363,000 humans from death every year. Eclampsia (a condition in which a pregnant woman convulses, slips into a coma, and dies) strikes millions every year and kills hundreds of thousands of women and their infants. A life-saving sprinkling of salt costs less than a dollar, which means eclampsia could be eradicated as a cause of death worldwide for less than the cost of a split-level in Tacoma. Though I’m not the most materialistic woman on the block, I do enjoy the finer things. Still, do I need that pair of Chanel sunglasses? Because that’s 300 human lives I could have saved instead. How is it that we live in a world so juiced with intelligence, wealth and knowledge – yet millions still die from utterly stupid and needless causes? I’ll tell you why. We’re consumed with the pursuit of cool. I call it the f*ck you factor. And we all want it, just a little bit.

So let’s debate and discuss and consider, because that’s what feels familiar. There is no salve quite like complicity. After all, you can’t help where you’re born and you can only do your best and life just is what it is. When you justify reality, you get exactly what you fake. Just how deeply do we loathe ourselves that we’re willing to watch others suffer in order to stave off our gnawing misery for another day?

A little salt, a little authenticity: we’re all made of the same stuff.

- Deviant Art Photo

Post from: Healthbolt