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In these times of great change, deep stirrings and rumblings are bringing positive opportunities for transforming how we celebrate life here on Planet Earth.

As highly skilled professionals, our collective spans a broad range of modalities. Depending on how long we’ve been doing this work, some of us have lived through times when many of the holistic therapies were not acknowledged, times where we were continually called to expand our knowledge, and to justify the validity of our work. Finally, in today’s world, a great number of these modalities count themselves among the treatment recommendations from mainstream western medical field. How about that? This status has crept up on us over time through our persistence and conviction to living our truths and focusing on holistically bettering the lives of those we serve.

This article is a prompt for all of us, individually and as community to reflect on how far our professions have progressed within the past 75 years. We are seeing a surge in new and emerging fields such as integrative medicine, the melding of ancient traditions into the mainstream, circadian medicine, and nutritional programs that steer us toward respectful acknowledgement that we are innately connected to the earth.

Also, this is a further call to recognize that we have built strength over time and that we have so many opportunities to bring our ideals and convictions about holism and living sustainably to a new level. At this moment in time, when the world is crying for health care reforms,we can count ourselves among a group of influencers with the ability to share powerful, potentially life-changing resources with our clients.

One of the ways of achieving this is by acknowledging our potential to influence, as we are those with the vision and we contribute on a day-to-day basis to desired systematic changes that may influence reform. Taking on this role is natural for many of us and has great impact on the growing public who are curious, want to dig deeper, and who are reclaiming the responsibility for their health and well-being. This past year, devastating as it has been, a breath of fresh air has been growing in scope – a public of people who are interested in participating in shaping the future of a thriving people-centered healthcare system.Circumstances have provided the opportunity to begin forging new paths as a resolution to a more sustainable and healthier world.Like-minded communities are in motion all over the world.

At the same time as we witness this movement within the general public, forces that may stand hard to maintain control are still hard at work. It appears as if governmental and health authorities are solely focused on halting the progression of a virus. And we would hope and expect these protective measures in such unprecedented times.At the same time,it is reasonable to think that much is happening below the surface as large systems are collaborating to protect their people in the best way they know how.

We do not have concrete answers to how this will play itself out, yet the continual dichotomy of political versus people centered approaches to handling public health remains an underlying factor below the surface.

I would invite us all to observe this with neutrality, recognizing that good intentions are driving this journey. Some of us will wish to watch as changes unfold, some will embrace this as an opportunity to participate in shaping the future of the healthcare system. There is no right or wrong answer to where we place ourselves vis a vis this question.

If you are among those who wish to participate in shaping future, how best to present yourself and your views? As mentioned above, we are well-placed to model and demonstrate our interest in a thriving world, where people centered health systems would be appropriate, where community action is key to change, with so many issues to resolve, the list is long…

Let’s look now at how to align your convictions with your current practice.Here are a few examples of appropriate action to expose clients to positive ways of thinking and of responding to circumstances in their lives.

In closing, holistic healthcare has come a long way within the last 75 years; this may seem like a long while ago, yet as things move so quickly in these times, seeds sown today may begin to sprout tomorrow. As professionals within the field, each of us are recognized for our skills and well appreciated by our clients. In these times of enormous change, we are well placed to model a desirable and sustainable future in healthcare.

Exposing our clients and spheres of influence to our level of engagement influences their level of curiosity and oftentimes leads to positive change. The longer-term vision of creative action aligns with the purpose of collectively responding to the need for a healthier world. As this group reaches a critical mass, there is great opportunity for peaceful and sustainable change. Are you one of those who will be participating?