Did you know each cell has only enough oxygen stored for only four seconds? After that, it will begin to die. Yet, they continue their tasks, never giving a single thought, a single worried moment to the idea that the next delivery of oxygen might not be coming in time. Cells don’t worry about the future. They are too engaged in the present moment.

The cell is a single organism yet lives in an interdependent community of cells, tissues, and organs. The intuitive wisdom of the cell, to heal, to grow and adapt, and balance is a more complex system of mechanics than we could ever in our conscious mind handle ourselves for a single moment: managing and responding to invading germs, changing temperatures, balancing acidity levels, producing energy, ingesting and digesting, absorbing and utilizing oxygen, reproducing, eliminating waste, healing and growing. The list continues. The single cell is incredibly efficient, quick thinking, and resourceful, a true spark of genius.

We are exactly like each single cell, capable of so much on our own, but part of a bigger system, critical to our ability to thrive. We are built to love and be loved, to exist in an interdependent social system, to adapt to life’s changes. And we are equipped with an incredible, intuitive wisdom to heal.

Our bodies are made up of trillions of cells, each performing its function and living in harmony and collaboration. What a miracle of nature! And yet, the only time we pay attention to this body is when something fails to work correctly. 

Can you imagine being an employee at a company in which the administration only notices you when you fail at something? How demoralizing. Feeling so demoralized, work becomes more exhausting, unfulfilling, and unrewarding. 

We know that workers who are appreciated and valued tend to produce more efficiently and are happier. As feedback becomes more positive, we strive to improve further. 

There was a journalist who was writing a story about psychics. He had been having some issues with his lower back lately. He would complain to colleagues and friends about his ‘bad back.’ When he arrived to interview the psychic, she glared at him. “Have you been calling your back ‘bad’? Your back feels horrible and it is trying so hard to comply with your expectations of being bad!”

What have you been saying about your lungs? Have you been angry at your lungs? Do you have bad lungs? What are your expectations for your lungs? How often did you take time to appreciate the work they do day in and day out?

If we appreciate our lungs for the work that they do, however they are affected, they will strive to be better… doing the best job that they can to meet your approval and your expectations.  

When we focus on the positive, on the best, we attract more of that into our lives. Each breath gives us a moment.

How are we using that moment?