Do you want healthy children? Then let them get dirty!

When my son was in elementary school, I helped coach his baseball team, the Bulldogs. Our players were younger, smaller and less experienced than the players on the other teams so everyone expected us to finish in last place. But what these kids lacked in size and experience they more than made up for in spirit, determination and heart. They were scrappy, they played hard and they had a blast. After the first few practices a team motto emerged: “Get Dirty!” Parents used to joke that soon we wouldn’t have a field to practice on because the players wore most of the field home with them. To everybody’s amazement, except ours, we ended up being one of the best teams in the league. At the end of the season the players presented me with two autographed baseballs. On one were penned the words, “Coach Mark, Get Dirty!” It was signed by Maury Wills who used to play for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers, and is considered one of the greatest base runners in the history of the game. In fact, he was the first player to steal more than 100 bases in a single season, breaking Ty Cobb’s record that was almost 50 years old. Maury Wills was a guy who liked to get dirty. The second – and most important – of the two autographed baseballs said, “To Coach Mark, Get Dirty!” and was signed by all of the Bulldogs.

Getting dirty on the baseball diamond, rolling around in the grass, and wet, sloppy puppy kisses help children build natural immunity. As kids are exposed to microbes from a variety of sources, their immune systems respond by developing a broad range of antibodies. These continuing challenges strengthen developing immune systems just as pumping iron builds six pack abs and rippling biceps on body builders.

In fact, keeping our kids too squeaky clean can actually lead to diminished immune capacity and poorer health. In the late 1990’s a hypothesis known as the Hygiene Hypothesis emerged which supports this point. A German health researcher named Dr. Erika von Mutius set out to show that children who grew up in the poorer, dirtier cities of East Germany developed more allergies than their counterparts in West Germany. When she compared the disease rates between the two countries she found just the opposite. Dr. Von Mutius concluded that children in East Germany had fewer allergies precisely because they were exposed more to other kids, animals…and dirt. Studies since then have shown that kids who live on farms, have pets, come from larger families or start day care at a younger age have a much lower incidence of asthma than other kids. Another report tells us that the more often kids catch colds during their early years, the less likely they are to develop asthma later on. When kids are exposed to common bacteria, their immune systems are able to mature the way Nature designed them to. Their immune systems are on the front lines maintaining their edge while the immune systems of kids in overly clean environments are kicking back all day and letting themselves get soft and weak.

Of course good hygiene is important; just try not to take it too far. Teach your kids to wash their hands before meals but resist the temptation to hustle them to the sink and slather them with antibacterial soap every time they pet the neighbor’s cat. Our well-intentioned attempts to shield our kids from every cootie in the neighborhood deprives them of essential opportunities to develop a robust immune system.

So, believe it or not, germs can be good for you! The next time your kids come in from playing outside, check their hands. If they are too clean, tell them, “Young lady, young man; you march right back outside and when you come back in I had better see some dirt under those fingernails.”

Your Potential is as Deep and Vast as the Ocean

"If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work but rather, teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
(Thanks, Cricket!)

This quote is a perfect lead-in for a big announcement I'm ready to make. Many of you know that I've been working on publishing my first book. I just finished a major revision of the book and will soon publish it as an e-book. Then, as soon as I can, I will publish it as a hard copy. It will be published through a new publishing company that I helped found: Bitterroot Mountain Publishing. I will provide updates as this process unfolds.

The reason that the quote is so appropriate is that my book will provide a new perspective on health and well-being. It will take you beyond the idea that health is merely the treatment or avoidance of illness, end even beyond staying well and becoming healthier. In this blog, I have written of human potential -- your infinite human potential -- a lot. That's what I discuss in the book, too. In it, I hope to teach you to long for the endless immensity of your own sea of human potential.

Healing update: Big day on Thurdsday! I went running for the first time since "The Big Gash." I only ran two miles (well, a little more) just for a test drive. There were a couple of very brief periods when I felt some stinging but other than that, it felt pretty good to be running again. I think there may still be another small piece of glass in my leg, but I doubt it will cause me any limitations. It may come out or it may not. Whatever happens -- as we know -- will be perfect. I haven't mentioned this yet, but I have a small fragment of glass in my right ring finger that's been there since I was a sophomore in high school (1974). I tried to melt a cover slip over a bunsen burner in my biology class. Guess what? Cover slips don't melt; they shatter. (Don't tell Mr. Hamrick; he still doesn't know.)

Trying to get well quick is like trying to get rich quick. Commitment is critical!

We are a society obsessed with new “miracle cures.” Often, they are nothing but lottery tickets for health.

When it comes to your financial security, is it wiser to buy a lottery ticket each week, or invest regularly? Of course, investing it is much wiser. By being committed over the long term, your wealth will grow and grow and keep on growing.

The same is true when it comes to your health. If you commit yourself to eating fresh, whole foods, exercise, meditation or prayer, and regular Chiropractic wellness care, these shrewd investments will pay off in terms of vibrant health.

By staying committed to your health over the long term, you can be sure your health investments will grow and grow and keep on growing.

Trying to get well quick is the same as trying to get rich quick. But investing wisely pays off.

What you do makes things happen. Who you are decides what happens.

Do you want a mansion? Don't build it; reveal it!

Follow the wisdom of be-ing rather than do-ing. Any successful enterprise requires effort (doing), but your doing must be built upon a foundation of being. Where you end up in life and health is driven more by who you are than by what you do. Who you are is the foundation of all that you build in your life. Without a rock solid foundation, any mansion you build will topple.

All that you seek already exists inside of you, just as the great symphonies of the future are already contained within the matrix of the Universe. The composer, conductor and musician do not create symphonies; they serve only to reveal them. Your task is to reveal you.

Healing update:
Innate Intelligence is awesome! I've been wondering -- trusting but still wondering -- why my wound has been taking so long to heal. On Thursday morning I found out, and got yet another lesson on the human body's amazing ability to heal itself.

Before I tell you about Thursday morning, I need to fill you in on what has transpired since my last healing update. About a week and a half ago, there was no longer any question that my wound was infected. It was still very red and sore, warm to the touch, open, and draining more than it had so far. So I decided to intervene -- a little. For two days I applied hot a epsom salt compress three times per day. After that, even though it didn't appear to have changed much, my intuition told me I didn't need to apply any more compresses. Within a couple of days, it finally closed for good and stopped draining.

Fast forward one week to this past Thursday morning...

I was pulling on a pair of shorts and, in the process, knocked the scab off of my cut. When the scab fell off, a shard of glass, an inch long, fell out of my leg! (See photo below.)

The amazing thing is that, when I first gashed myself, the glass was not even visible in the wound. Obviously it was pretty deep inside. Had I rushed off to have it stitched up, chances are, the glass would have been stitched right into my leg with no way to get out. I don't even want to think about the complications that may have caused. As it turned out, by honoring my body's brilliant healing wisdom, I allowed the process to unfold naturally, and my skin was able to work the glass out on it's own, with no complications.

I have showed the shard to a number of people and many have commented, "so that's why it wasn't healing." Let me point out that it was healing all along. It simply took a bit longer because my body had to expel the glass. That was all part of this remarkable healing journey. As I have said before, healing involves many wondrous things that we are unable to see with our eyes.

So...will it scar? At this point it looks that way. But it probably won't be any worse than if I had had it stitched.

Innate Intelligence rocks!



This is the shard of glass
and coin that were in my leg
for almost 6 weeks!
(Just kidding about the coin.)

Today is a good day to declare independence from the self limiting thoughts and beliefs you have.

This one stands on its own. Happy 4th of July everybody!

How can we really know the power and beauty of Nature if we always "assist?"

Could I be (gasp!)wrong?

People have asked me some interesting – and valid – questions in the weeks since my little scratch.

Why not just put…
…aloe
…vitamin E
…ice
…a dressing
…this remedy
…that cure
…on it?

What’s wrong with helping it along a bit?

Aren’t you worried about…
…scarring
…infection
…tearing it open?

What if you’re wrong?

All of those questions come from our standard western way of viewing our body and healing. I’m opting to look at the world differently this time, let Nature take her course, and see where that journey takes me. Maybe assisting would really only be interfering. How are we to know if we always assist? I can’t be “wrong” (or “right”) because I am not trying to prejudge the final outcome, and I’m not attached to any particular result.
I’m simply exploring…
…and sharing…
…so we can all learn.

This will be my last healing update for awhile. Visually, the wound looks pretty much the same as last week...and the week before. Miraculous healng is happening beneath the surface; it's just not visible to the eye. No picture this week -- the pictures are looking pretty much the same from week to week, so I won’t post any more until there is a visible difference.

Make health decisions from self love, not ego or fear.

I had to make a very difficult health decision during the last week.

The decision I was faced with was whether or not to let go of a dream…a two year quest…and not participate in Ironman this weekend due to my leg injury. It was a tough decision. I had actually decided more than a week ago not to run. But this week, as the athlete village started going up in City Park, and as the Ironman vibe began to permeate Coeur d'Alene, I began to have second thoughts.
“Well, I know it’s not the smartest thing in the world, but I’ll bet I can gut it out. It’ll probably set my healing back a bit...but I’ll be an Ironman!”
I went for a short run on Tuesday to test drive my bad wheel, and it actually didn’t hurt very much. But…it didn’t feel right. I’m not healed nearly enough to swim, bike and run 140.6 miles, and in my heart and mind, I knew that.

Had I been thinking rationally, I wouldn’t have even considered starting the race. But after two years of eating, sleeping and breathing Ironman, I had allowed it to become my identity. I had grown attached to winning a medal that I could show off, and being able to tell everyone I was an Ironman finisher. I had my story: “Arthritic to Ironman! What a hero! Hooray for Mark!”
Tough to let go of. Pure ego!

I also feared that I would be letting people down. The Ironman community is a close knit one. We train together, we party together, and we support and cheer each other on through good times and bad. I had set a goal and made a commitment…and told everyone about it.
“What will people think if I don’t come through?”
Fear!

Had I made my decision from a place of ego and fear, I most certainly would have failed to finish the race, and quite likely would have turned a relatively minor injury – and one that is healing beautifully – into a serious one. Luckily, I listened to the quiet, rational voice within me and stayed out of the race.

But I’m still a part of it. If you’re reading this on Sunday morning, I’m out on the course as you read. I’m cheering my fellow triathletes on with as much energy, heart and spirit as if I were running the race myself.

Good luck, my friends!!!

Healing update: I'm healing more and more every day. The wound may not look much better -- in fact, some people have said it looks worse -- but I can innately tell my healing process is continuing to unfold perfectly. Visually, we can only see what is on the surface. Healing takes place at many different levels. And, as I said before, healing is not a smooth, linear process. It's not always easy for us to understand, because it is far more sophisticated, complex and high tech than any technology we humans will ever invent. It is orchestrated by a wisdom that our intellect will never match. So...I am willing to trust...this is perfect!