The Purpose of Growth

With the UK economy bumbling along at a quarterly growth rate of 0.2%, gloom abounds for the prospects of employment and revival. We hear that the current recession is deeper than any seen in 50 years. What’s to be done?

The perilous state of the economy is very painful for the country, especially for those most immediately affected by foreclosure, unemployment or repossession. But more than simply reacting to the crisis in a knee-jerk, headline grabbing fashion, surely there is a need for a reappraisal of the type of economy we need, to best serve society in the 21^st century? How can this period of change be managed most productively? What are the most beneficial targets to aim for?

The world is waking up to the fact that we are running out of oil – and even if we weren’t, we’re poisoning our environment by burning it. Even worse is to directly release it into our oceans to destroy marine life and the livelihoods of those who depend on it. The disastrous tsunami in Japan and the catastrophe at Fukushima underscore the dangers of nuclear fission technology. Radiation leaking from the plant will continue to poison the world for generations. Perhaps we will now seek sustainable strategies for energy supplies? While we’re at it, it must surely be time to examine the pursuit of growth and the sustainability of every aspect of production and the society it serves.

In the adult body growth is about maintaining a new-for- old balance in cells in the continuing process of renewal. Blood and skin cells, for example, replicate most frequently while other cells on average may replicate up to 100 times in a lifetime. Dependent on the function the cells serve in the body there is a balance between generation and cell death. When this balance is lost, reproduction gets out of control and cancer tumours form. The parallels to our economic crises are striking.

The technological advances of our time have given us enormous power over our environment and vastly expanded our understanding of genetics and the progression of disease. We also have unparalleled ability to communicate so that world news events are on our screens within minutes. Yet it seems our ability to use these advances wisely has not kept pace with their development.  How has our knowledge of the drought in East Africa helped us to avoid famine? How has our knowledge of disease processes prevented the massive rise in obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer? How is the inconvenient truth of global warming saving our global ice caps?

‘Developed’ society has reached a state of chaotic overconsumption borne of rampant self-interest  and exploitation. We have ignored the fact that our planet must support future generations and instead sentenced our grandchildren to pay our debts.  There is a way through this chaos to a society composed of healthy people living in healthy, sustainable relationship with the world. We all know it but how can we agree on the necessary measures to bring it about?

Just as weight loss diets, without a long term commitment to lifestyle change, tend to fail, so we must be prepared for the discomfort of living sustainably and not simply abandon our efforts when no immediate change is visible.  As far as possible let our decisions be guided by consideration of what’s best for our personal health and that of mankind. Let us adopt the true purpose of growth as our uniting force and work selflessly and tirelessly to be truly healthy.

Serenity

Lord Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change

The courage to change those I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

-          Reinhold Neibuhr

Grant me the serenity to accept the challenges life presents me, since the only person I can change is myself. Such challenges might be a physical handicap, a chronic illness, a bereavement or an unwelcome change of circumstances. Help me also to recognise a higher presence in all people so that I avoid the temptation to try to conform them to my will.

Grant me the courage to meet the challenge of change, from wherever it emerges. Help me to rigorously examine all areas of my life, to take personal responsibility for my circumstances so that I can proactively change aspects that betray my higher ideal. Let me be open to the observations of others who see the image I present to the world. Help me to recognise that everyone has a higher self at their core and so to relate to them with the same reverence that I would afford to my own ideals.  This perspective draws me into communion with others to collectively seek the best outcome. Grant me also the courage to give voice to my highest self and to speak my truth as it is revealed to me.

Grant me the wisdom to recognise the source of the anger that wells within me in response to change and to use its motivating powers wisely. Is my resistance a righteous defence of the highest ideals and the common good or is it born of wilful self-justification and self-deception? My body is the temple of the spirit. Therefore help me do all in my power to nourish and protect the body so that the spirit is strong within me.  Since this higher spirit is common to all, I will seek also to nourish others.

People generally do not fear death. More commonly we fear life and the challenges it brings. Grant me the serenity and courage to receive life’s challenges and thereby inspire others to do the same so that collectively we can appreciate and celebrate life itself and play our part in improving the health of mankind in both body and spirit.

Direction of Travel

When thinking of the typical constitution of an organisation, the health of its members and that of the organisation itself, the move to a ‘healthier way of life’ will sound ominous to everyone in one way or another. Those with personal weight control challenges may feel threatened by the slim, muscular, fighting-weight metaphor. Others may fear that the image of a lean and focused organisation means losing personnel from their departments and more intense demands on those remaining.  The fear of change is universal, in particular when staff members feel that such changes are imposed without consultation, beyond their control or against their wishes.  The difference with the ‘Healthier Way of Life’ programme is that it is intended to help the whole corporate body and to reflect the desires of the collective consciousness for a competitive, profitable, ethical and sustainable business. The whole organisation is engaged in deciding what is to be done and how.

It is said that how a society looks after its less fortunate citizens is a measure of its decency. We want to provide good quality care for the sick and elderly recognising that the ravages of time affect us all and that we must follow them. We also recognise the contribution our predecessors made to our community and to the generational benefits of family cohesion. However medical advances have greatly extended longevity so that populations have become imbalanced. This has placed great strain on our social services and a huge tax burden upon those of working age – or those in work.

So what parallels can usefully be drawn between societal and business change?  ‘Healthier Way of Life’ initiatives will result in scorn if they add 20 years of incontinence to octocgenarians. Neither will they be welcomed in organisations so heavily regulated as to prevent a healthy addition of young talent so that the organisations stagnate. A primary purpose must be to ‘Add life to the years rather than adding years to life’.

A news report on the threat of obesity in the UK (August 2011) suggests that as many as 40% of the UK population could be obese by 2030 raising the question as to whether a ‘Fat Tax’ should be introduced on fast-foods and sugared drinks. Radio programmes discussed the situation and the underlying problems. For me there were two key themes. Firstly the addictive nature of the foods – high in sugar and salt and secondly the often low self-esteem of overweight people for whom food becomes a comforting indulgence. Rather than imposing taxes or legal restrictions, I believe the cure will come through nutrition education and by helping people to address their underlying issues.

In the organisational environment the equivalent protection against unhealthy practice will emerge naturally as the workforce collectively create a sense of identity, purpose and pride. A demoralised workforce will seldom volunteer its energies enthusiastically. Indeed a lethargic workforce becomes an organisational ‘couch potato’ and almost certainly invites premature corporate failure and death. Here too the organisation’s self esteem needs to be raised through participative programmes that nurture pride in best practice and success through innovation.

What do you know about the long term effects of the food you eat? What is your personal mission and sense of self? In what ways does your organisation ‘sweep poor practice under the carpet’ as tomorrow’s problem? How does your organisation build a genuine sense of community and contribution? What is your direction of travel?

© Paul Curran September 2011 

It's a Fair Cop - Sometimes!

Society responds harshly to miscreants who disturb the social order. We expect the Police to arrest and prosecute those who break the rules. Neither do we tolerate misbehaviour in the corporate sector where we may summarily dismiss those involved in wrong-doing. (Except perhaps in the boardrooms of our major banks and corporations) In both cases the law allows for a defence and requires proof of guilt. There is perceived to be fairness about the procedure which we can acknowledge and comply with. Elsewhere however, incidents occur over which we have no control - other than how we choose to respond to them. Ultimately such choices define us. Viktor Frankl’s account of his experience as a Jew facing extermination in Auschwitz is one of the most extreme examples of this use of free will.

There are many situations in life where bad things happen to good people through no fault of their own. At such times stoic resilience grows only slowly and painfully. Today, 11^th September 2011, marks the 10^th anniversary of the greatest terrorist atrocity in history.  The attack on New York changed the lives of countless thousands of individuals and families around the world. Terrorist activities and war leave in their wake millions injured and maimed. Years later, in their wheelchairs or wearing their prosthetic limbs, these heroic individuals live out wholesome lives and are beacons of courage to the rest of us.  Bereaved families similarly must cope with shattered expectations and learn to live without their loved ones. The courage and fortitude of these survivors is exemplary and very humbling.

Every day countless millions more bemoan their self-inflicted illness in a much less edifying manner.  Our culture promotes the consumption of manufactured and denatured food products, which over time weaken our immune systems and lead to chronic disease. When the doctor presents us with his diagnosis we submit to medication or the knife, often accompanied by a ‘woe is me’ abandonment of responsibility. If we’re big enough to accept our role in this decline then we may be able to adopt a more healthy lifestyle with its promise of a better future. If not, then we may face the coronary bypass, the diabetic amputation, the kidney failure or the stroke – 15 years earlier than might have been expected.

Denial catches up with us and sooner or later we must choose how to respond to the new reality. It was once asked of me “Are you going to become a better person or a bitter person?”. This was a tough question, posed at a time when I was hurting and self-medicating my psyche with self-pity. Many years later I’m still building a stoic resilience and continuing to roll back the shutters of my self-awareness. Fortunately I can still walk and no one close to me died.

Today I choose to live with gratitude for the gift of life with all its joys and tears. I accept my responsibility for my circumstances and choose to make amends as best I can. I extend support and respect to those suffering the shock of change however experienced. To the best of my ability I will inquire, explore and contribute to our understanding of health to help avert disaster. Today we remember the victims and their survivors, both of 9/11 and of its repercussions. We acknowledge the suffering of the sick whether timely or self inflicted through ignorance. In my case at least, it was a fair cop.

Elephant in the Room

We’ve all heard the joke “How do you get 4 elephants into a mini?” – “Two in the front and two in the back”. The absurdity makes it funny and the joke has been around long enough to have won a special place in our popular culture. Similarly we have culturally adapted to accept the ‘Elephant in the Room’, the unmentionable subject that, if raised, may lead to altercation or unpleasantness. Such subjects typically go ignored until the issue reaches crisis point. Alternatively they may fester for years causing a chronic malaise with attendant stresses affecting everyone in the vicinity be it home, workplace or community.

In her recent book, Developmental Coaching, psychologist Tatiana Bachkirova examines Haidt’s metaphor of the elephant as the unconscious mind. When the relationship is strong, it may choose to follow the instruction of its rider. When change appears difficult it may be that the client finds their conscious and unconscious minds in conflict. In coaching we often find situations where we encourage our clients to acknowledge their feelings, then examine and accept them. Having done so clients are often able to move forward through issues on with which they previously felt stuck. It’s a personal democratic process that allows the several opinions to be heard so that the individual can buy-in to the chosen direction.

Through our personal relationships we invite others to enrich our perspective with their views. Healthy relationships allow for give and take, both in good times and in conflicted situations. Couples earn and develop trust which sustains their relationship through the tensions that inevitably arise.

Similarly in the boardroom it is important to have trust in one’s colleagues so that full-on debate occurs and decisions made on which the group collectively take action. Through this constructive conflict colleagues invest ‘their skin in the game’. This increases their commitment to the outcome and they will hold one another mutually accountable for the results. Collectively their decision making capability is strengthened. However, they are wise to consider the compatibility of their decision on the culture of their organisation – as the elephant driver requests suitable behaviour from his animal.

The recent riots in England’s major cities are readily condemned as the work of mindless hooligans. The sickness unleashed resulted in at least four murders as well as dozens of families left homeless and livelihoods lost. Unfortunately the perpetrators have not identified with the fact that in lashing out at their society they are effectively self-harming.  Hopefully we can find a constructive way to include their opinions and use their energies to address the greater challenges facing humanity.

What is the elephant in your room? How readily do you listen to opinions that differ from your own with an open mind? When and where do you express your own opinions? What ‘collective’ do you contribute to through your unique gifts? How are you earning and developing trust in your home, your workplace and your community?

How do you know when there’s been an elephant in the fridge?

So Have You Worked Out Why You Were Spared?

This seemed like an odd question to have asked of me around 4am by a night nurse I’d never seen before and didn’t see again. I was recovering from serious surgery and an illness that might well have killed me. As far as I was concerned the illness struck without warning and was undeserved. Curiously, I felt that my formal entry to the world of coaching some years before had indeed awakened a realisation of my purpose. My work was helping people to find their way forward through difficult circumstances, reducing stress, improving communications and promoting organisational learning. So what was missing?

Over the next year my health improved, my wounds healed and I regained the weight the fever had stripped from me. Then in 2009, most unexpectedly, I fell in love.  Suddenly I was transported back 25 years, filled with excitement, hope and total infatuation. There was something incongruent about a balding middle aged man being so smitten with a beautiful woman 7 years his junior. But that summer was wonderful and made me want to turn the clock back as best I could. I wanted to live really healthily and avoid any repetition of my hospital experiences. As I searched the internet for answers it slowly emerged that my previous ideas of healthy living were quite wrong. For years I had rode the cultural conveyor belt of the ‘vertically sick’. It now seemed strange that I hadn’t been ‘horizontally sick’ long before.

The relationship didn’t last but it was certainly a landmark in my life. It caused me to look at an even bigger picture than I’d previously considered –at the interrelationship between the physical, mental, emotional and social aspects of our existence, - at the meaning of life itself. My blog pieces are intended to share my perspectives on health in its widest sense, beginning with the individual and extending to the wider context of workplace and community.

So why might anyone be interested in Action Centred Health?  Let me ask another question. - How important is it to you that you enjoy good health and vitality in every aspect of your life – personal, organisational and social? To me it is sufficiently important to have adopted a lifestyle that has reversed a pre-diabetic condition, shed 23lbs, reduced blood pressure from 170/110 to 130/80 and dramatically improved a threatening cholesterol profile, all without medication. To the extent that we move away from the Sick/Not Sick paradigm toward optimum health so we will improve every aspect of our lives. I want more than purely survival, I want life to the full.

This is not about perfection. It’s not about turning back the clock or denying our experience.  It is about celebrating who we are and achieving all of which we’re able from the very real circumstances that we’re in. It’s about creating the work environments that stimulate our creativity and best efforts. It’s about building homes and communities that nurture and through which we find fulfilment. It’s about living in sustainable ways so that we pass on a world that future generations can enjoy. So think big and live courageously. As Ghandi put it – ‘be the change you want to see in the world’.

I’m on a mission to contribute to a better world. One that John Lennon sang about, one that challenges us to be our best. Suddenly life appears too short yet totally wonderful. Perhaps this is why I was spared. What about you?

© Paul Curran, August 2011

Inflammation

This last week the UK has been shocked at the impromptu rioting, looting and arson breaking out in major cities and towns. People’s homes have been burned, businesses looted and gutted and police taunted by marauding crowds of youths, some as young as 9 years.  In Birmingham 3 young men were murdered by a hit and run driver as they stood protecting their locality from attack. There is widespread consternation at why some of the country’s youth is determined to score an ‘own goal’ against society and anger at the wanton disregard for societal norms and values. Understandably, Parliament is debating the situation and measures for containment.

Theories abound on the causes of the rioting and on what should be done to prevent it occurring again. There are inevitable calls for stronger policing tactics and a higher police presence on the streets. Of course emergency measures are needed to tackle the acute situation. Already there have been multiple arrests and 24 hour magistrate court sittings to process offenders. Water cannons and plastic bullets have been approved for use on the UK mainland for the first time. Is this the answer? What can nature tell us about minimising the risk of spontaneous public order breakdown?

The human body has developed elaborate defence systems against infection and we can do well to examine their relevance to the societal situation. Firstly the skin forms a very effective barrier against infection. Secondly white blood cells are summoned to counter any foreign bacteria detected. Macrophage cells absorb the neutralised intruders and store them away from normal blood flow. While these defences are effective, even they have limitations. Chaffed skin breaks the seal. White blood cells may not be available in the right quantity. Macrophage ‘imprisonment’ causes arteries to gradually narrow raising possibilities of thrombosis or infarction. Some of the most serious conditions arise when the body’s defences turn on themselves in an autoimmune response. Analogies can be drawn to all of these situations.

We might liken the outer skin barrier as a fundamental expectation of society for the behaviour of our citizens. This is instilled through the simple disciplined living of family life. White blood cells are equivalent to community police, regularly patrolling to uphold the law and intervene as required. A basic police presence provides maintenance of lawful society, civil reassurance and order. The macrophage level response is like the prison service, locking away offenders until they can be readmitted to normal society. In a healthy body rehabilitation happens through the action of HDL cholesterol which ensures that macrophages do not cause foam cell build up and that the arteries remain clear. Similarly prison programmes which help offenders to gain skills and change behaviour allow such individuals to rejoin society and make a contribution. The more serious autoimmune situation, symptomatic of a very sick country, is seen today in Syria. There the government seeks to suppress dissent against authoritarianism by sending in the army to attack its own people.

While it is necessary to have defence against life threatening situations, it is vital that society responds in a measured and appropriate way to the threats it faces. Intensive ongoing policing would be the societal equivalent of arterial inflammation with an inevitable slide into cardiovascular disease or heightened public tension. What we need is an attitude of communal endeavour where everyone has a role to play and everyone’s contribution is valued rather than a self centred individualism that leads to wanton greed, exploitation and suppression by a controlling elite.

Transfiguration

In the Catholic tradition the feast of the Transfiguration, celebrated on August 6^th , tells the story of how the true nature of Christ, as the son of God, was revealed to his apostles during his life. After the event Jesus instructs them not to tell anyone of what they have witnessed until after his resurrection. What value might this story have in a secular world?

There is an ancient Chinese saying – ‘when the student is ready the teacher will appear’. This speaks of man’s tendency to focus on things of immediate interest to the exclusion of a deeper level of understanding that only life experience can bring. There comes a time when the wider context of life becomes visible and the student’s curiosity is awakened.

To me these stories come to realisation in thinking of our societal structures in terms of the human body. No matter what one’s cultural heritage, land of birth, standard of education or material wealth, every human being plays a unique role in the great cycle of creation. Every cell in the body has a role to play. Every person in creation has the gift of life and a purpose to fulfil. We become absorbed in the minutiae and pressures of daily life so that we are unaware of or unreceptive to this uniqueness of purpose, this spiritual imperative to shine and contribute our light to that of the entire brotherhood of man.

John Lennon was a free and far-sighted thinker, a challenging voice against the social and political institutions of his day. He was much maligned during his life for his ideas, his contempt for authority and his influence on a generation. Two thousand years earlier Jesus was an unpopular figure, he was put to death. In their unique ways each challenged the status quo. Each had the audacity to shine their light on the world and to point to the oneness of creation.

Why must the uplifting message of healthy living be suppressed?

Why organisational departments, or indeed nations, fight for supremacy as though one organ of the body was more important than another?

When will our perspective of our true nature be transfigured to a glorious appreciation of the common soul.

Could it be that one day ‘Imagine’ will find its way into a hymnal for humanity?

© Paul Curran 6^th August 2011

Cancerous Communications

Studies on Vitamin D by Dr Garland of University College Seattle suggest that the earliest driving force behind cancer is not genetic mutation, but loss of communication among cells due to low vitamin D and Calcium. Communication between cells is essential for healthy cell turnover.

Similarly in an organisation clear communications are necessary to maintain health. When communications falter, the rumour mill is always primed to take over. In many companies the grapevine is more powerful than the official communication channels. Far from wishing to suppress the grapevine, it is important that leaders can get honest, and if necessary, anonymous feedback from the rank and file so they can stay tuned in to their staff.

 In both the commercial and political world we often hear the call for strong leadership to sort things out as though conflict resolution can be achieved by one heroic figure or a narrow group of zealots. When a ‘might is right’ approach is taken, a Win-Lose situation develops. Problems may get swept out of sight for a while but there remains a festering feeling of injustice. As soon as an opportunity arises, harboured resentments re-emerge to reignite the conflict. The stage is set for ongoing chronic confrontation. When groups with vested interests have the upper hand their ideas proliferate. They will pursue their interests over any opposition and at the expense of the general good.  Corporate cancer is very destructive, very costly and very difficult to contain.

Current oncology practice targets tumours with radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery. Very seldom does a patient make a full recovery. Rather, periods of remission shorten, metastasis sets in and before long the patient is lost. Too often the illness is punctuated by periods of intense suffering through aggressive treatment programmes and ultimately palliative care. The burn, poison or cut treatment options fail four times out of five and five year survival rates are poor.

Newer thinking recognises cancer as a long term condition where ‘nutraceutical’ preventive therapy can prevent the illness from taking hold. There is appreciation that cancer generating processes are constantly at work in the body and that optimum health requires a proactive engagement to keep the body’s defences functioning well. Successful anti-cancer strategies are based on prevention, starvation and blocking by avoiding gene triggering contaminants, inhibiting blood vessel development and protecting the body from destructive ‘matrix metallo-proteinases’.

Organisational cancers are a constant threat. At best they slow an organisation, deflecting effort from addressing market needs. At worst the aggressive accounting cancers can bring about spectacular corporate failures such as with Enron and Worldcom. Once the disease is established, the corporate oncologists will struggle to contain it. Better to play the long game and establish the healthful organisation driven by a collective belief and commitment to offering superlative performance and customer satisfaction.

What corrupting processes are affecting your organisation today that, if left untreated, will emerge as virulent disease in a few years time?

What action will you take to protect your organisation’s health?

Contact Action Centred Health today to promote your health and that of your organisation.

©Paul Curran June 2011

Diamond in the Rough

Occasionally in life we meet someone who’s effervescing with enthusiasm for their chosen work. In them, aptitude and skill meet with passion and energy. They work in a Flow state (Csikzentmihalyi) and achieve great results. Moreover, they engender enthusiasm and confidence in others. Often they’re not aware of their gifts nor of how best to nourish and protect them. Life challenges everyone however, and in time their mettel will be tested. How can they be supported as they develop the depth of experience that will best serve them and their communities? How can such ‘diamonds in the rough’ best become the polished jewels so highly prized in their professions?

All the professional bodies run mentor programmes that pair learners with more experienced colleagues so that knowledge can be transferred and work related issues explored in their wider context.  Such mentoring relationships commonly grow well beyond ‘know-how’ focused dialogue to address wider issues of management and ethical development. The pairings inevitably prove valuable to both parties as the experienced partner is challenged to examine the basis of their ideas and so remains fresh.

Professional coaching and mentoring offer the opportunity for individuals to examine their lives in the round and, where appropriate, set directions for development. They can do so within a structured, experiential framework in which their learning becomes personalised. Such an environment emphasises their personal responsibility and control. The sky may be the limit but the coachee is responsible for navigating their journey and for providing the fuel to take them there. The coach acts as a trusted co-pilot constantly raising their awareness of themselves and the world around them so as to minimise ‘navigation instrument error’. Coaches love the challenge of working with such individuals whose typically rapid development is highly rewarding. Here it is relatively easy to polish the diamond, but elsewhere the task is much more difficult.

Every one of us has something about which we’re excited or enthusiastic. Every one of us responds to others who show a genuine interest in us. In our own way we’re each a diamond in the rough. Our communities are challenged to aid the ‘harder to help’ individuals struggling to meet the expectations of society. Their diamonds go unrecognised. Perhaps their diamonds don’t want to be discovered? Perhaps the layers of indifference, disinterest and segregation are so deeply ingrained that such individuals cannot be helped to meet society’s expectations? Might it be that such individuals contribute to society through their obstinacy? Are we are so infuriated by their seeming intransigence that we are uncomfortably confronted with our own intolerance? Could it be that these people are the mirror in which we see our own conditioning, privilege and deep intransigence?

Life seeks itself. As long as we draw breath we have life and are challenged to grow. At all levels of engagement there is an ability to improve, limited only by the latent talent and drive of the individual. In this sense the coach is a catalyst for life itself – urging, praising and reflecting progress wherever it occurs. It is very privileged work – as handling precious stones always is.

What diamond in your character remains unpolished?

Cloud Computing and Societal Health 19th May 2011

There is a compelling case for organisations to rationalise their software usage and buy licences as they are needed rather than as one-time purchases for multiple platforms on which many of the programs may never be used. From the supplier’s perspective it will be easier to maintain the software when it remains under their sole control. In many ways this move toward ‘Cloud Computing’, where we access and use programs over the internet, reflects the existing use of social media like Facebook, LinkedIn etc where we regularly share data among communication groups. What are the longer term implications of this open cyberspace society?

For me this use of technology offers a curious blend of autocracy and democracy. From an autocratic perspective we are entrusting personal or corporate information into the hands of a few suppliers to whom we are beholden for security and continuation of access. As sole suppliers of favoured programmes they are automatically an established monopoly with the power to cripple our corporate communications or hold personal information indefinitely and not necessarily securely. From the democratic perspective, social media have ushered in new levels of transparency that challenges the status quo and is even bringing down governments.

Open communication ensures that the weak have a voice as never before and their compliance can no longer be assumed or imposed. This results in a more fluid environment of constant change rather than allowing stresses to build until seismic and destabilising forces are unleashed. It also allows younger people to become personally invested in politics because they witness the power of their democratic engagement.

Since the internet is now freely available, and access to it is progressively accepted as a human right,  there is an even greater need for defined shared values within organisations whose staff communicate with their publics. Rather than imposing strict controls on external communications, organisations need to make greater efforts to identify and socialise their value sets so that their workforce are fully invested and radiate the corporate identity in every communication.

The internet era is firmly established and socially the genie will never go back in the bottle but we are learning that carelessness in cyberspace is similar to unprotected sex. Personal data liberally shared on the net raises the spectre of future problems of identity theft, unemployment or social exclusion. Corporate defences must be multilayered as in the human body. In addition to a well maintained firewall, or protective skin, there must be a voluntary code of discipline in communications, DNA repair, and a clear policy governing internet use – white blood cells.

While there is a natural suspicion toward a cloud provider that may seek to dominate the market, limit choice and control the flow of information, there is also a realisation of the dangers for personal security from unrestricted access, absence of protocol and naivety in communication. Maturing use of the internet will cause new multilayered and self-regulated systems of protection to become established so that this powerful medium can serve as mankind’s nervous system.

Chuckles - The man who loved the sea 5th May 2011

Today we learned of the death of Claude Choules, the last remaining combat soldier from WW1. Claude, aged 110 years, died at a nursing home in Freemantle near Perth and leaves a large family including several great, great grandchildren. He told interviewers some years ago that he attributed his longevity to keeping his family close. We also learned that he hated war and only took part in Anzac Day celebrations under direct orders. This sounds to me like a man who lived by principle and sought to reduce conflict and stress in his life. Through his family he was also someone who appreciated the life enhancing benefits of a joyous and loving environment.

We were not told about his diet, his attitude to exercise in middle age, general fitness levels, dental health or regular moderate exposure to sunshine. Neither have we been told anything of the medications he may have been taking in his later years and up to the time of his death.

Also making the news today is a recommendation by Professor Nicholas Wald of the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine that everyone over the age of 55 should take statin drugs and blood pressure pills to reduce incidence of heart attack and strokes. Professor Ward tells us that age alone is a better predictor of heart disease than typical medical enquiries of whether the individual is a smoker, and measures of blood pressure and cholesterol.

Professor Ward’s observations on heart disease incidence being related to age may be statistically true but the causative factors are our society’s dietary habits, our attitudes to exercise and our exposure to environmental toxins. Statin drugs are successful at lowering cholesterol but are known to have many side effects. Statins destroy the same enzyme in cholesterol that is required for the production of Q10, an essential ingredient for cellular energy production.  The pharmaceutical industry believes that a chemical cure can be found for our ills and in this case is promoting the taking of statins as a preventive measure against heart disease. A truly preventive approach would be to boost our consumption of foods rich in omega 3, eat a selection of fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants and to incorporate 30 minutes of vigorous daily exercise, but that requires effort and change. It’s easier to take a pill and ignore the unseen dangers.

Mankind has evolved to live healthily into old age if properly fed, physically, mentally and emotionally nourished and protected from environmental toxins. There is no disease caused by a shortage of statin drugs or ACE inhibitors. At best such drugs temporarily mask out symtoms of a more serious, dysfunctional lifestyle and suggest that the cure to our ills is just a pill away. This has never been so.

Claude Choules had a full life and retained his mental powers to the end. I’m betting that his longevity owes much to a simple, healthy lifestyle and a loving and supportive family and community life. Nicknamed ‘Chuckles’, Claude may well be chuckling at the Disease Management systems that we call Health Services.

International Trauma Meets Personal Health - Friday 18th March 2011

This has been a shocking week for the world. The death toll from the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan continues to rise, the Fukushima reactors are out of control leaking dangerous radiation and winter snows are bringing misery to the thousands of displaced survivors.

In Libya there has been a military suppression of democratic wishes by a discredited leadership.

Yet despite these dreadful situations the world has responded. The G8 nations have intervened to protect the Japanese economy and the UN has passed a resolution to establish a ‘no-fly zone’ for the protection of civilians in Libya.

There is both a respect of sovereign independence and a humanitarian solidarity in an hour of need. While respecting autonomy we give emotional and practical support. At the highest level we recognise the interdependence of the human family.

On a different scale we see a similar situation in the human body. A cell replicates but suffers DNA corruption. The body attempts to correct the DNA error, but if necessary removes the cell. Where that fails, restrictions to the development of blood supply networks prevent the problem from spreading. Amongst the trillions of cells of the human body, replication errors are occurring all the time yet with a well-functioning immune system the spread of cancer is avoided. Conscious efforts are made to eat well and nourish the body. Unconscious metabolic processes mobilise the defence. The undeniable interdependence of the body’s organs provides an incentive for universally beneficial support.

Let us each contribute to the anabolic effort on multiple levels. Primarily we must consciously equip our immune systems to withstand attack, to combat internal corruption and thereby maintain our personal health. Secondly by contributing to the communal effort of the businesses and organisations within which we work. Thirdly by maintaining concern for the predicaments of our fellow man and extending support through our voices and our wallets. Passion for health feeds us both consciously and unconsciously and positions us to extend both physical and emotional support to others for the good of all.

© Paul Curran

National Inflammation Response - Thursday 10th March 2011

Today Lord Hutton’s report into Public Sector retirement packages is published. In it he recommends-

·         Raising the retirement age from 60 to 65 by 2020

·         Abolishing the Final Salary pension scheme in favour of a ‘lifetime average’ plan

In an almost automatic reaction the Trades Unions are strongly resisting his proposals as unfair – Their members are being asked to pay more and work longer for lower benefits and at a time when their salaries are being frozen. They are also aggrieved at having the terms members signed up to at the start of their career being changed now as they approach retirement.

Others will decide the relative merits of these arguments and next week the newsrooms will have moved on. What has happened here is an illustration of how the national consciousness has been raised to address an issue affecting the body of the nation. If we were to liken this debate to an inflammation process in the body, how is it being dealt with?

An atherosclerotic defence would be to absorb the troublesome issue by building a macrophage of financial cushions and absorbing the new arrangements into the arterial walls of public service. Such approaches do resolve the immediate inflammation but over time the arteries narrow and harden, greater pressure is placed on the organs of state and systems start to fail. We may resort to medicating the symptoms – it may even be decided to remove gangrenous toes, slash school renewal programmes, allow the armed forces to waste, through cardiovascular over-exertion in multiple draining conflicts or by simply lopping off a fleet of Harriers, and reorganise the Health Service again for good measure.

Inflammation is a natural process of healing. We are constantly amazed at how a scratch from a bush, grows, reddens, knits over and flakes off. We are incredibly resilient. Our bodies and the state are supported by a powerful subconscious intelligence which never sleeps.

As a mid-life convert to healthy living I recognise that my early adult lifestyle was unsustainable and, if uncorrected, I was in danger of premature death. Tough choices have been made, but gladly, because I have purposely deliberated on my situation, and chosen to add life to my years. The bellyaching is over, the cravings are dispelled and I love my greens.

The individual, the business, the state or the planet that wants to be healthy, strong and sustainable finds a way of consciously living within its means. We eat sensibly, work hard, treat our fellow man with reverence and respect and avoid creating mountains of toxic waste to blight the lives of future generations.

Lord Hutton’s report brings our awareness to an inflammatory situation which will swell support for impassioned debate, heat some air and redden a few faces today. If the good of the nation guides collective decision making then we will make the necessary adjustments so that we can thrive rather than simply survive. By 2020 we will have the energy to continue and will be happy to share our gifts. Today’s scabs will have flaked off and disappeared. 

©Paul Curran

Damascus Moment

Around 3:00am one morning in March 2008 a nightnurse came onto the ward to check on her patients. After reading my chart she asked “Have you worked out why you were spared? – You were given some task to perform and you’re being given another chance to get it done”.

I never saw her on the ward before and never saw her again. Her words spooked me.

Some 18 months later at a routine check up my GP told me it was time to address my blood pressure problem and to bring my cholesterol down from the clouds. I should start on medications immediately and expect to take them for the rest of my life. That was the moment that the lights came on for me. Ever since, my eyes have been adjusting to a new vision of the world, and I like what I see.

I’m seeing health as an overarching relationship between the individual, the group, the business and society. I’m able to maintain a big picture awareness while busying myself in my work and the business of everyday life. Every day is a gift, a challenge and a puzzle.

If you woke tomorrow at 3:00am and asked yourself ‘Why am I here? What would your answer be?