To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you
Healing
Once upon a time there lived a woman who had a bad temper. She screamed at and scolded everyone around her. For most of her life she believed the fiery rage inside her was everyone else’s fault. But one morning, she woke up and realized she had isolated herself from all the people in her life who she cared about. She had no friends, and even her family wanted nothing to do with her. She knew in that moment that she needed to make a change.
She went to see a well respected Guruji to ask for advice. The Guru told her to take a large lay jug from his kitchen, fill it with water, and stay outside on the sidewalk in front of his house.
He said: “It’s hot outside, and that’s a busy sidewalk with lots of pedestrians”. Guruji told her as he pointed out the front window of his house.
When a pedestrian passes by, you must offer them a glass of water. And continue doing this until there is no rage left inside you.
The woman with the bad temper was confused – she did not understand how this would help her. But she had heard that this Guru was known for this unconventional wisdom and avantgarde methods of healing, and she was willing to do anything to heal herself and rebuild her relationships with those she cared about.
Rage
So, she stood outside with a water jug and served water to pedestrians every day for the next several weeks. And every morning she asked herself if rage still pulsed through her veins. And every morning the answer was “Yes!” So. she continued serving water. Suddenly that afternoon a big and husky man walked by, snatched the water jug out of her hand, drank out of it, and then tossed the jug on the ground as he continued on his way.
The rage within this woman skyrocketed into an irresponsible fit. Unable to contain herself, she picked-up the clay jug from the ground and, with all her might, threw it at the husky man as he walked away. It was a direct hit. The jug shattered into pieces over the back of his head and he fell to the ground. Unconscious and bleeding.
As the woman’s rage subsided, she realized the magnitude of what she had done and began to cry. She used a payphone to call 911 and report the incident. An ambulance and two police cars arrived at the scene moments later. As the ENT’s strapped this husky man into a stretcher, then one of the police offices walked over to the woman who was still crying, and said, “The city owes you a big ‘Thank You!’. That man has been our most wanted man on the list for over a year now. He is a primary suspect in multiple murder cases and violent robberies?”
The Moral
The moral of the story is that we simply don’t know, what we want to believe that if we completely rid ourselves of our inner darkness then we will always make the right choices, and be of service to ourselves and those around us. But life isn’t so linear or predictable.
Sometimes our darkness inadvertently leads us to do things that impact the world in a positive way, just as our unconditional love sometimes forces us to overlook the criminal standing before us.
I am writing this story, not to encourage you to let your anger get the best of you, but rather to provide you with an opening to forgive yourself for your own humanity. Because, even in our darkest moments, there is a light that shines within us that has potential to be of service to ourselves and others in ways we may never fully comprehend.
One would understand as disciplinary codes of conduct mostly adopted by the respective professionals governing bodies and institutions. This can be even enacted by Human Resources Department that attributes the disciplinary practices applicable to employees within that company. Whereas, the professionals governing bodies or institutions will have published a document mostly with a title “Code of Ethics”.
Ethical Code is generally documented in detail based on the ethics required to adhere to for that specific corporation, institution or governing bodies of the professional organizations. Such document will have a common disciplinary code to adhere when dealing with their clients for professional services.
Ethics are normally taught at universities as part of their higher education, based on the professional discipline they are majoring in. After Graduation these professionals are trained to follow the “Code of Ethics” for their respective profession. These professionals can be best mentioned as Engineers, Physicians, Lawyers etc…
Though, the question remains:
How do a Physician apply Ethical Codes amongst Friends and Relatives? Where do you study such Code of Ethics related to Friends and Relatives? Friend and Relatives are not Institutions or some Governing Bodies for Professionals.
IT IS ALL ABOUT LIFETIME RELATIONSHIPS WITH FRIENDS & RELATIVES YOU WISH TO MANAGE.
Family physicians have the awesome responsibility of providing comprehensive medical care to each member of the family regardless of age, sex, or type of health problem. But does this responsibility include providing health care to your own family and friends?
Many of us have been asked at one time or another by a relative, coworker, or friend for medical advice or treatment, but often we are uncertain about how to handle this type of request. It can be a difficult situation when your sibling asks you to take care of his health condition or a friend asks you to prescribe medication over the weekend when she is unable to reach her physician. Although you may sincerely want to care for them, is it “ethical” to do so?
Relationship with the Friends are not the same as relationships with the Relatives. Each type of relationships implies unique dynamics in its own ways based on the number of factors. These may vary from the beliefs of one individual to another and the nature of acquaintances.
Ethics statements by the Medical Association, or the College of Physicians, and others warn that the patient-physician relationship can be complicated by pre-existing social and emotional relationships. They recommend that physicians first consider alternative sources of care or referrals to other physicians and take care of friends or relatives only if there are no other options. Additionally, physicians should treat patients with whom they have a prior nonprofessional relationship only if they have a short-term, minor problem or an emergent medical condition. In these cases, it is important to set expectations with relatives or friends and make every effort to treat them with the same professional judgment you would use for other patients.
Physicians should also be aware of the pros and cons of caring for Friends and Family. The physician-friend or physician-relative relationship might benefit patients, for example, by giving them easy access to their physician who may devote extra attention to their health concern. It may also be personally rewarding to the physician to help a friend or family member. On the other hand, the familiar relationship may come with risks, such as failure to take an adequate history, perform a thorough physical examination, provide counseling on sensitive issues, or keep appropriate medical records.
The physician-friend or physician-relative relationship is complex. State medical boards or insurance plans may have guidelines governing these relationships. But where there are no concrete rules, physicians must decide for themselves on appropriate boundaries. The key issue is whether you can maintain sound professional judgment, confidentiality, and objectivity. If not, it may be best for you, your loved one, and your relationship if you gently steer the person to another source of care.
The following summarized guidelines may help you make ethical decisions to maintain the integrity of the Friends and Family relationships while complying to Professional Codes Of Ethical Standards. It is crucial to balance the need to care for loved ones adhering to ethical responsibilities of maintaining professional boundaries.
Each type of relationship is unique based on many factors.
The most important attribute of maintaining healthy relationships with all Friends and Relatives that you are surrounded with is treating them with total RESPECT for what they are worth.
As a practicing Physician, you should provide full autonomy to your Friends and Relatives and give them ultimate authority to make decisions on their own.
Do not be forceful or so convincing to your Friends and Relatives, until all factors of their behavioral patterns or symptoms are carefully diagnosed by a medical specialist.
Always consider your Friends and Relatives with their respective rights and their needs, before you indulge into detailed medical analysis.
For new graduates coming out of the Medical School, you will need to TRANSFORM yourself into a Professional Physician when considering your Friends and Relatives as you patients, strictly complying to Medical Associations Code of Ethics guidelines.
Be aware of indulging into casual conversations about medical needs for Friends and Relatives, to avoid any traps and surprises the next day.
Do not be shy to share with Friends and Relatives, as a friendly reminder, as a Professional Medical Practitioner, “I have to comply to STRICT guidelines of my practice and services I offer. Failing that my Physicians License will be in jeopardy.”
Always maintain your Friend or Family Members confidentiality and their rights of consent without any influence or pressure.
Professional standards and guidelines: treating self, family members, and those with whom you have a non-professional relationship. College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia website. https://www.cpsbc.ca/files/pdf/PSG-Treating-Self-and-Family-Members.pdf. Accessed June 2, 2017.
Snyder L; ACP Ethics, Professionalism, and Human Rights Committee; ACP Ethics Manual. Ann Intern Med. 2012;156:73-104.
The opinions expressed here are strictly of the author of this Post, not of the Academy of Family Physicians within North America including Canada and USA.
It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it.
Life is long enough, and a sufficiently generous amount has been given to us for the highest achievements if the time was all well invested.
But when it is wasted in luxury and carelessness, when it is not devoted to good ends, finally forced by ultimate necessity, we realize that it passed before we knew it was passing.
The following is the list of third-party websites which might allow you to check out the insiders trading data. It might help the investors inquiring minds to make better decisions of your individual investment strategies.
What is the catch to access these website services?
Most will allow you to navigate through some of the more basic features and views for no-fees. However, as you dig deeper into stocks, these third-party websites will entice you to sign-in with monthly/annual membership fees to be able to dig deeper into investment news. They will ask for your Credit Card/PayPal details for auto-billing. Try and avoid to fall into this trap unless you are absolutely sure of its benefits that might help you, based on your investment knowledge and strategies.
If you decide to subscribe to their subscription fees, it may be wise to set AUTO-RENEW to OFF state. This way they cannot access your Credit Card/PayPal accounts to withdraw funds automatically,
Now, on a positive note, if you have floater money to engage into these subscription types, do feel free to do additional research on these sites to your hearts content.
For decades Canada and U.S. trade relationship was built on mutual benefit. This has now turned into a high-stakes economic and political standoff.
This renewed relationships has stunned economist and political analysts. Lately, President Trump has been imposing tariffs ranging from 25%, 30%, and 50% on all Canadian Imports that are non-CUSMA. President Trump keeps harping on the reason for tariffs is because of Border Security concerns, and ongoing Fentanyl crisis. Secondly he wants Canada to relax Supply Management for Canadian Dairy and Lumber.
This trade war between U.S. and Canada is currently in a much volatile phase.
President Trump wants to secure Canada’s borders and doing more to combat the flow of fentanyl into the United States. Canada has already taken steps to curb illicit drug trafficking. However, U.S. officials keep claiming Canada hasn’t gone far enough to curb these serious issues. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick adds, “We’re done waiting. If Canada wants access to the U.S. market, they need to show real action on border security.”
Canadian Prime Minister Marc Carney and his administration will be meeting during the week of July 14, 2025 and later followed by all Premiers meeting to better respond to President Trump’s claims and how to best retaliate without causing more animosity with our neighboring country. President Trump has set the deadline for renewed deal for August 1st, 2025 moved from originally schedule for July 21, 2025
Gratitude, which is derived from the Latin word “gratia”, means thankfulness or gratefulness.
Being grateful is a nourishing emotional state that allows you to feel true contentment in life.
It’s a way of being that enables you to focus on what you do have, rather than what you don’t have.
Allow your daily gratitude practice to be a sanctuary for reflecting on what you’re grateful for. Use your diary to write down each moment you’re thankful for in your life. From the ordinary day-to-day experiences to the more special moments, each requires the same level of presence to be acknowledged and appreciated.
We couldn’t recommend a more balanced, easeful and calm way to show up in the world.
“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realise they were the big things.”— Robert Brault
New research shows mind blanking is a unique brain state where conscious thought vanishes. Occurring about 20% of the time, mind blanking can interrupt conversations, derail focus, and hinder memory, often leading to frustration or anxiety.
It’s especially disruptive for individuals with ADHD or anxiety disorders, who already struggle with attention and task management.
Unlike mind wandering, which involves drifting thoughts, mind blanking involves a total mental pause leaving people momentarily unable to think, recall, or react.
Brain scans reveal that during these episodes, the brain shows slow, sleep-like electrical activity, reduced sensory engagement, and lower heart rates and pupil dilation signs of reduced alertness.
Researchers found that these episodes can be triggered by prolonged concentration, sleep deprivation, or intense exertion. Importantly, mind blanking may be a distinct and understudied state of consciousness, with its own neurological patterns.
Understanding it better could lead to new strategies for improving attention, mental health, and productivity in daily life.
NOTE: Bisoprolol 5 mg is a medication primarily used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). It belongs to a class of drugs known as beta-blockers, which work by decreasing the workload on the heart and slowing down the heart rate. This helps to lower blood pressure and improve heart function. Bisoprolol may also be prescribed for other conditions as determined by your healthcare provider. Common side effects can include fatigue, dizziness, and cold extremities, among others. Always consult with a healthcare professional for personalized advice and information regarding this medication.
The Vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the body. It originates in the brain and travels all the way down to the lower internal organs. It is a fundamental regulator of the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls all the involuntary processes such as digestion, heartbeat, respiration, etc. and is responsible for restoring relaxation after a response to stress or danger (the sympathetic nervous system’s activation).
The strength of the vagus response is called “vagal tone” and it is determined by the variations in the heart-rate that can be measured between inhalation and exhalation. During the inhalation, the heart speeds up and during the exhalation, it slows down. The bigger the difference between these two phases, the higher the vagal tone. A high vagal tone is what we need in order to maintain a state of good health. The relevance of the vagus nerve in sound-based therapies.
The ear and hearing have a substantial effect on the rest of the body because of their proximity to the vagus nerve.
The vagus nerve, or tenth cranial nerve does not play an active part in the process of hearing, therefore it is not normally taken into big consideration in things that relate to music, hearing and the like outside of the medical field.
However, this incredibly important nerve is connected with the posterior wall of the external auditory canal, the lower part of the eardrum’s membrane and in the middle ear: the stapedius (stirrup) muscle. From these parts of the ear, it makes its way all the way down to the lower internal organs and is responsible for a high number of regulatory functions in pharynx, larynx, thorax and abdomen.
Basically, stimulating the ear means stimulating all the vital vegetative internal organs.
This makes the ear a parasympathetic regulatory organ that uses innervation of the vagus nerve to affect the whole body.
The vibrations of sound tend to have a very significant impact on all the areas of the body reached by this important nerve by resonating very close to it in the eardrums. In addition to that, the majority of cranial nerves are either directly or indirectly connected with the ear.
This is one of the reasons why the use of Sound Therapy instruments such as tuning forks and Tibetan singing bowls can be so instantly calming and relaxing, helping the body to come back to the nourishing state that is the opposite of the “fight or flight” mode triggered by stress. In fact, long and sustained sounds tend to be soothing and relaxing (parasympathetic response) whereas sharp and abrupt sounds tend to trigger alertness and alarm (sympathetic response).
Another interesting factor is that auditory stimulation of the vagus nerve can lead to reduced activity of the limbic system. The limbic system, located on both sides of the thalamus, includes the hypothalamus, the hippocampus, the amygdala, and a number of other nearby areas. It is considered to be primarily responsible for our emotional life and has a lot to do with the formation of memories.
A simple practice of toning (producing long vocal sounds, usually vowels, or humming) can have tangible calming effects by virtue of its auditory stimulation of the vagus nerve, which in turn causes limbic deactivation.
This is very similar to certain therapies that employ electrical devices to stimulate the vagus nerve artificially. With your own voice, you can do the same in a completely organic way!
Listening to life. The auditory system and its nerves become completely functional while still in utero. The acoustic nerve is said to start myelinise during the sixth month, whereas the neocortex only completes myelination around adolescence. Myeline is an essential component of the nerve fibers. It is a coating substance that isolates the nerves and enhances the transmission of electrical signals.
Also, the area in the temporal lobe of the brain where sound signals are received is functional before birth. And the inner ear reaches its full adult size. That makes sense because while we are still in utero, we cannot rely on our sense of sight, but we can start receiving vitalising signals from the environment via the ideal medium of water in which sound travels very effectively.
Other important nerves to consider as relevant when working with sound in a therapeutic way are:
The trigeminal nerve (fifth cranial), branching out to the muscles in the middle ear, impacting the eyes, nose, sinus, jaw, teeth, lips, cheeks, hard palate, tongue and it is responsible for sensations in the head.
The facial nerve (seventh cranial), connected to the ear canal and responsible for facial expression and the opening of the mouth. The glossopharyngeal nerve (ninth cranial) connected to the eustachian tube and the tympanic cavity and also responsible for sensations in the pharynx, soft palate, tongue, tonsils and the control of the reflexes of respiration and blood pressure and heart rate.
On Tuesday, April 22, 2025 terrorists, allegedly 4 from Pakistan and 3 from locals, open fired on domestic tourists vacationing at Baisaran near Pahalgam. It is believed that Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to the local officials, the number of people massacred and injured could rise. The exact number of casualties and the identity of tourists is yet to be officially confirmed.
It is known that one of those killed was a Haryana resident Indian Navy Officer, Lieutenant Vinay Narwal posted in Kochi, who just got married a week ago and was on a holiday trip with his wife to Kashmir.
Health Minister, Sakina Ittoo mentioned that 13 people were injured, currently undergoing various treatments in different hospitals.
