Gratification

Almost the end of the interminably long month of January - Spring is just around the corner!! I always was a 'half full' as opposed to 'half empty' man. In the Highlands and Islands today we are now back to the seasonable norm - wet and windy. The ice and snow was sooo unusual, we hope that it is the end of that stuff until next year.

When I first started on the road of being a professional therapist, one of the first things that was imprinted on my brain by one of my mentors was that of not worrying about money!! He told me that if my heart was pure and if I treated my patients with honesty and humility then I would never go short. Although there have been times in my life, mostly due to being unable to work because of illness, that finances have been very low, I have never lost sight of the ethos of giving for the sake of giving and not just for reward. Of course we all need to live and to survive, but one should never, ever work in any type of medicine just for monetary gain.

I don't write this blog or answer questions on the 'All Experts' web site for personal gain. I certainly do not write books and articles for personal gain - unless you are a J.K. Rowling there is no money in being an author. I am pleased to do it. I gain satisfaction and gratification from colleagues writing and telephoning to thank me for the pleasure they have had in reading my replies to their questions or by reading my books. This is worth more to me than any financial reward. Similarly it has always given me a buzz to see practitioners express their innate gifts during workshops that I run.

On the subject of books - I am now writing the Light Touch Reflextherapy book and well into the second chapter. It is to be a short and user friendly tome to augment the workshop and to help the thousands of therapists who work with foot reflexes in seeing their art in a different way. My first workshop of the calendar year is near Glasgow on 19-20 March on this topic.
All the best - JRC

New Year Grumpy

As it is very early in the new year, I thought I would get off my chest a few 'grumps' and pet hates, mostly linked to television viewing- let me know if any of you agree with me. I could be that I am just a grumpy old man and am the only person in the world who thinks like this - I doubt it though.

1. Like most people I like to watch sport on the TV. If I miss it live, I like to watch edited highlights or replays. Why do the TV companies insist in playing mind numbing pop music to accompany the replays - music wasn't played in the original, so why add it afterwards??
2. It seems to me that at the commencement of most drama, travel, documentary or serial the viewer is subject to snatches of what is about to unfold over the following hour or so -WHY? I realise that it is to whet our appetites, but often it is just the best bits that are shown, so it is a waste of time watching the programme as you have already seen it!
3. Similarly, at the end of the show, next week's highlights are shown!! Is there no suspense any more? Why are we treated as morons and having the memory of a goldfish?
4. Humour has gone downhill in amazing leaps and bounds over the last decade. I can just about put up with canned laughter, but humour has descended to the lavatorial to such an extent that it has now become the norm. Nothing is 'subtle' anymore in situation comedy. Having served in the armed forces for several years I became used to the so called 'barrack room' humour, but I don't want it pushed down my throat via the television.
5. Of course we are all supposed to tow the line when it comes to being politically correct (PC), but when did we start to call actresses actors? Aren't they proud of being female? I have the honour of being Chairman of a national committee. I am NOT a Chair PERSON, and I am certainly not a CHAIR - that is for sitting on!! PC gone mad!

Let me know if some of these strike a chord. - Happy New Year - JRC

Happy New Year

Unless you follow the Chinese calendar, I guess you have just celebrated the new year. As you know, I live in Scotland, where New Year (or Hogmanay) is celebrated with much more enthusiasm than Christmas. To me, though, it is just another day. It seems to me that for some, it just an excuse to get drunk, knowing that they have a couple of days off afterwards in which to recover. Some 'hands on' self help advice below for those of you who have embibed more than you should have done.

Two acupoints spring to mind in overcoming some of the symptoms of hangover, namely headache and nausea. These two points should also help with dehydration, although there is NO substitute for drinking at least three litres of pure water during each day for three days.

Liver 3 (LR 3) is to be found in the web between the great toe and 2nd toe and is said to be the Source point of the liver, and, as such affects the organ better than any other point. It will help with headache, stress, liverishness and the general feeling of malaise that whisky often gives. Stomach 36 (ST 36) is found at the lateral aspect of the tibial tubercle within the tibialis anterior muscle. It is the great point for nausea and sickness, as well as helping the body recover its energy equilibrium. It probably represents the best point on the body in enabling recovery from illness (even self inflicted). Do NOT press or massage these points too hard, it will not help any more!

I don't expect that any of my readers will need this advice (perish the thought) but could be good advice to off your clients. Many thanks for looking at my blog over 2010 and look forward to welcoming you in 2011. JRC