EPILOGUE: CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

I was fortunate to have been taught by some great teachers and thinkers at Westminster Schools in Atlanta and Wesleyan University in Connecticut. In many classes I debated the issue of whether genetics or environment was the primary influence on human behavior and evolution. While I have always acknowledged the opportunity of an individual to make choices, the paradigm of my educational experience (1960s) predicted that genetics and DNA were the primary determinant in behavior. Human evolution, according to many thinkers in the 60s, was creating a rift between mind and body. Genetically, brains could do amazing things, producing a separation from the primitive instincts of the body. The trend seemed to be clear: If we had the right genetics, our mind would be capable of navigating us through life, while the frailties of the body could divert us from our potential. So the concept was that of a hierarchical structure of the brain dictating what the body should do. Then came volumes of research showing that this was not the case.

My experience in my career has shown me that those who seemingly had no physical ability and led sedentary and unfulfilled lives for years have turned their lives around by setting an endurance goal using running and walking. For more than 35 years, I’ve heard thousands of success stories, and I’ve come to believe that most of us can gain control over our attitude and can find inside ourselves the motivation we need to stay on track, to overcome challenges, and to break through barriers.

During the past 10 years, my wife Barbara has introduced me to the work of others who have come to similar conclusions and explained the biological reasons behind these changes. In several sections of this book I have referred to the work of John Ratey, MD, Bruce Lipton, PhD, Candace Pert, PhD, and John Sarno, MD. Each has made major contributions in scientifically documenting how the mind and body are embedded and how individuals can change behavior patterns. Since we are, to a great extent, what we do and what we think about, the choices we make each day determine who we are and what we will become.

Dr. John Ratey, in his book Spark, details how exercise improves brain function—immediately and long term.

Dr. Brue Lipton is a cellular biologist who has conducted landmark research on how genes are controlled by an individual’s perception of the environment. When mind, body, and spirit are focused on change, a process of evolution can bring it about.

Dr. Candace Pert conducted breakthrough research while at National Institutes of Health, Georgetown University Medical Center, and other institutions. She discovered the cellular receptors for endorphins and explained the information network of hormones throughout the body responds to our beliefs and thoughts.

Dr. John Sarno has spent a career helping people overcome orthopedic problems through understanding tension myositis syndrome (TMS). His vast clinical experience with a very high cure rate has shown that a significant percentage of individuals with chronic pain are suffering from the effects of stress, which triggers an unconscious reduction of blood flow to damaged areas.

I endorse the following books and highly recommend them:

Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton (Hay House, Inc, 2005)

Molecules of Emotions by Candace B. Pert (Scribner, 1997)

The Mindbody Connection by John E. Sarno (Wellness Central, 1998)

Spark by John Ratey (Little, Brown and Company, 2007)