Should Your Picture Be On A “Wanted” Poster

John Walsh ended his 23 year career on America’s Most Wanted, a show that helped capture some of the most horrific criminals and helped find missing children and adults.  He brought to light what can be achieved in today’s age of technology and just the humanity of people keeping their eyes and ears open for what’s going on around them.  It’s easy to see why these criminals were on the “most wanted” list, but what about other crimes, like those against the self?  Do they put you at risk of being on the “most wanted” list?

One of the first phases following the diagnosis of a chronic or life-threatening illness is shock.  It leaves many in denial while others scramble to find the latest and greatest treatments, both conventional, complementary, and experimental (not even in the realm of conventional medicine).  The trouble is that without understanding your diagnosis and your own body you may be doing more harm than good.  Those of you in denial (probably not reading this post) are setting yourself up for hardship and that’s never in your best interest.

Being on your own “most wanted” poster results when you begin to let your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being be on the back burner.  If your health is not primary, then how will anything else in your life work?  I’ve been thinking about this a lot since my return from working out-of-state for four months because it’s was easy to push of my choices on excuses like I didn’t have direct access to my provider, or it was too inconvenient to try to get my medications renewed once the prescription ran out…just another excuse.  So what’s changed?

Upon return from my out-of-town gig I reflected on what was distracting me while I was away.  The truth is I was distracting myself.  I was keeping myself on the run for a while and should have been on a “most wanted” poster.  Fortunately, I found myself before I had a medical catastrophe and was nabbed by the medical community.

It’s a tricky thing to put yourself first because there are so many distractions in life.  I’d like to suggest that instead of running, you stand still.  Be with the distractions and the conflict within you.  Find ways to soothe yourself and align your body, mind, and spirit.  Don’t wind up on a “most wanted” poster, be the face of the hero…your own hero!