OTC REMEDIES
Have you noticed that some medications which used to be prescription drugs are now available over-the-counter? There are several for allergies and stomach problems.
I wonder why they no longer require a doctor’s supervision to dispense. Could it be that as a race we’re smarter now about diagnosing our own health issues? Maybe at one time these issues seemed critical, but we’ve since learned to deal effectively with them without a doctor’s intervention.
I suppose that’s the same reasoning behind having nurse practitioners who essentially do the same work doctors did years ago. Less serious, almost routine, health issues can be taken care of with fewer resources than required before.
That’s really no different than how we individually deal with our own personal issues. When we were younger, we’d expend much more time and energy on problems that we now handle easily. For example, without a driver’s license it was a complicated undertaking to get to the mall. It may have involved cross-town buses requiring transfers. But then “driver’s ed” came along and, if there was a car available, we simply started driving directly there.
Transportation is pretty much a physical event, but the same holds true with intangible issues, too. Like we may have had our hearts broken as adolescents by our first love. It was traumatic. It may have involved days or weeks of moping around with our heads hanging low, thinking the sun would never shine again. But it did.
We learned that after a while, the pain lessened. We started smiling and even dated again. Then the next time it happened, being a bit wiser, we handled it with less pain. It still hurt, but we knew it was only a temporary condition we were passing through. With a little experience, what once was a major issue became manageable.
It’s the scope of that concept I wish to explore further. At one time we had such limited vision that every dilemma threatened our peace of mind. We thought if we don’t go to that party, then we’d just die. Now, we understand that feeling. It’s called “disappointment.” It doesn’t feel good, but it poses no imminent threat to our survival. It hurts right now, but we know there will come a tomorrow — a new day in which we can seize opportunities we were unaware of yesterday.
From working through disappointment, we actually develop hope. From parlaying setbacks into successes, we gain access to optimism. From living through tragedy to find hope. We learn that patience fosters a new beginning.
It hurts now, but now always transforms into a “new now.” How we define that “new now” totally depends on the lessons we’ve learned along the way. Are we stuck in the misery of our disappointment? Or are we experienced enough to leave it behind as we continue to move forward?
The choice is ours. And make no mistake, it is simply that — a choice. Which choice will you make?
So, if your nose is stuffy or your stomach hurts, you have some simple remedies available now to relieve them. If you’re heart is heavy, then you also have a simple choice to shed whatever’s weighing it down.
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