Love is the Center

I recently came across an interview of a 103-year-old woman doctor, Dr. Gladys McGarey, who was sharing five lessons that she has found to be the key to for living a thriving and healthy life. Dr. McGarey is a centenarian still-practicing doctor and the mother of holistic medicine. She says, "All healing and living is based on love--love is the center. You feel and know that life is there to be lived. You have to choose to live it." Her five lessons all being with L and, not surprisingly, all center around love.
​

• Life & Love: The first two are one unit. You can be like a seed in baren ground, and nothing happens. Love is like light and water--it softens the outer shell; it opens and grows. When we work together, we can gain deeper understanding by growing together.
• Laughter: Laughter without love is cruel, mean, takes families apart and can cause wars. But with love, laughter brings joy and happiness.
• Labor: Without love, labor is drudgery. With love, labor can be bliss. It makes us work harder than we ever thought possible because it becomes our passion. It makes our heart sing and we come alive whether our labor is for our family, investing in creating and developing something new or bigger than ourselves, producing beautiful music, dance, or art, or bringing vision into reality.
• Listening: The final L is listening--without love is empty sound. Listening with love is understanding; it creates connection. 

I recommend that you take the opportunity right now to close your eyes, put your hands on your heart and take a few deep breaths. Use this time to pay attention to yourself. Begin by asking, "Where in my life do I need to let in more love? Which of the five L's do I want to explore letting into my life in a greater way? Which of my relationships would be enhanced by bringing in more love, laughter and listening?"

To see the whole interview:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp5YZNpa1yQ

Dr. McGarey has a new book entitled, "The Well-Lived Life
www.amazon.com/dp/1668014483