Page 40 - Tracy Anderson Magazine – Summer 2020

involved changed based on how their purpose for com- vineyard where he felt useful and needed that sparked
peting changed. healing in his body.

I believe having a purpose that’s emotionally significant Purpose in Relationships
and benefits others as well as yourself is the secret to all
great achievements. No matter what we’re doing, if it Having the right kind of purpose in a relationship can
holds deep meaning for us and others will benefit from our make the good times better and the challenges easier to
action in some way, we’ll always do it better than someone navigate. The primary purpose of any relationship isn’t
who’s operating from the perspective of personal gain. Not to love or receive pleasure from it but to learn about
only that, we’ll be happier in our lives, and healthier for ourselves and hopefully grow from those realizations.
it. Studies regularly show that people who retire early and Assigning this deeper purpose to our intimate relationships
fill their time with vacations and golf don’t live as long as helps prevent us from being triggered and rushing to
people who choose to keep working or contributing to so- judgment. It keeps us from getting distracted by superficial
ciety in some way, like volunteering. On a subconscious details so we can remain aware of what’s really happening
[1]
level, health and longevity are deeply connected to how between us and our partners on an emotional level. That
meaningful we feel our lives to be. way we can discover how we need to change for things to
get better.
Meaning in Healing
Without understanding that learning is the purpose of
Continuing to live requires having a reason for living. As relationships, even small problems will remain insurmount-
a physician who works with chronically ill patients, many able. If, however, we can understand that each person in a
with cancer, I’ve seen how having the right kind of pur- relationship teaches the other about themselves to help them
pose for healing has helped carry many of them through grow, then our lives together with our partners take on a
overwhelming challenges and into dramatic recoveries. deeper meaning and get better, even during the tough times.
Everyone wants to heal, but healing so that you can be
here to help raise your newborn grandchild or become a Finding Your Purpose
healing advocate for others adds deeper meaning to the
experience and energizes the “will to live” in a way that There’s an old saying that goes “How you do something
resonates in the body. In addition to physical treatment, I is how you do everything.” Why do you do what you do?
work regularly with my patients on an emotional and spir- By that I mean everything—work where you work, remain
itual level in this way, and I have seen cancers disappear. married, sing in church choir, work out, etc. If you can’t
The medical model calls it remission, but I call it healing. answer that question with a deeper purpose regarding
the major parts of your life, then you’re likely not doing
We achieve great things, including healing, when the body, everything nearly as well as you could be. If having the
mind, and spirit are united in a deeper purpose like this. right kind of purpose can lead to winning an Olympic
I’m not suggesting that people who don’t heal haven’t gold medal, healing from disease, and saving relationships
made the same kind of commitment, but experience with against all odds, then it’s time to add more meaning to
hundreds of patients has shown me that without such a your life if you want to take it to the next level. It’s time to
motivation, healing simply cannot occur. start living on purpose.

Years ago I read the story of Stamatis Moraitis, which is the So the question now becomes: What’s your purpose?
perfect example of how purpose can spark healing in the
body. After being diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer,
Stamatis and his wife decided to move from the U.S. back [1] Tasi, Shan et al. (2005). Age at retirement and long-term survival of an in-
to his hometown on the Greek island of Ikaria. Because he dustrial population: prospective cohort study. British Medical Journal, 331(995),
had an aggressive form of cancer and just nine months to published online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.38586.448704.E0.
live, he refused chemotherapy and radiation. He chose in-
stead to spend his final months among family and friends. Dr. Habib Sadeghi is founder of Be Hive of Healing Integrative
Medical Center in Agoura Hills, CA. He specializes in a multi-
Back home, Stamatis immersed himself in family life, disciplinary approach to chronic illnesses such as cancer and
auto-immune disease with comprehensive treatment protocols
working in the vineyards, helping in the gardens, and that incorporate a wide range of interventions. Dr. Sadeghi is also
spending the evenings enjoying time with loved ones, the co-founder of the Love Button Global Movement, a nonprofit
neighbors, and old friends late into the night. Remark- organization that promotes loving action and philanthropy within
ably, Stamatis lived for 40 more years. After his death, his communities to improve social cohesion. He is the author of two
body showed no signs of cancer. Knowing what I know books, The Clarity Cleanse: 12 Steps to Finding Renewed Energy, Spiritual
about purpose and healing, I would bet that it was his re- Fulfillment, and Emotional Healing, and Within: A Spiritual Awakening to
Love & Weight Loss. For more teachings from Dr. Sadeghi, please visit
turning to Greece and creating a new life on the family’s beingclarity.com.

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