New Practice Paradigm — How, What and Why

by Cynthia Hazen

While I have always been fascinated by the “how” of life, I am more intrigued by the “what” and the “why” as drivers of intentional living.  I see focusing on these aspects moves us forward toward where we want to be (living, going, doing) in our lives.  I am stepping away from the requirement to codify what is wrong and provide evidence of the existence of the contrived labels we have been encumbered by in medicine (which has become heavily corrupted by third party involvement and government efforts to correct it).  Disease (the lack of ease or wellbeing) is an important feedback loop conveying to us in the language of symptoms that we are off track in living the life we value, want or intend.  In fact, quite naturally and necessarily symptoms accelerate to the level required to obtain our attention.

So then what do we do instead of codifying/treating illness you might ask?  We focus instead on what it is that we do want to be (feeling, thinking, doing).  We imagine and envision, we build the dream we desire and place ourselves in it.  We open to inspired thought as to what we might do to move forward on this self-defined path.  This is true regardless of what form the desire takes (be it physical, emotional, interpersonal, material or spiritual/psychic).  We develop our thoughts/images around this focal desire to facilitate our understanding (standing under) this intended direction and settle into this direction.  We feel our way forward.  It feels good when we are aligned with our dreams and uncomfortable when we are not (or undermine ourselves).

To develop and implement the creation of our dreams we can focus on why we chose our dreams, want what we want.  These focal points interact with how we express and live into what it is we want our selves and our lives to be.  How is that you might ask?

“When jungles of neurons fire in unison to support a new thought, an additional chemical (a protein) is created within the nerve cell and makes its way to the cell’s center, or nucleus, where it lands in the DNA.  The protein then switches on several genes.  Since the job of the genes is to make proteins that maintain both the structure and function of the body, the nerve cells then quickly makes a new protein to create new branches between nerve cells.  So when we repeat a thought or an experience enough times, our brain cells make not only stronger connections between each other ( which affects our physiological functions), but also a greater number of total connections (which affects the physical structure of the body).”  [From You Are the PLACEBO, by J. Dispenza, pg. 56)

By focusing our attention on what we WANT and developing our attention through focussing on why we want it we are cultivating neural networks at the mind that help us develop and implement new ideas and strategies.  Furthermore we are free to engage with the world around us in a synchronistic fashion attracting like-minded others into our interpersonal orbit to create this life we want in which we become who it is we want to be.  We do this by maintaining our focus on our desires and staying tuned into who meets us there.  We feel the lift in our hearts when we are met here naturally and in that respect we follow our created path of wellbeing.

So it is that I am delighted henceforth in my work to step outside the practice of medicine, of “clinical” social work psychotherapy and instead to engage people in thriving so that we might all learn and develop in being our most desired selves.  As I see it, thriving emerges in many voices from sublime to mundane inspired by thoughts religious ( in the broadest sense including the religion of science) to secular and I am excited to participate in this exploration with you who are interested.