Hanging over the doorway of my office is a beautifully carved, gilt wooden sign that reads, "No one can see the Wizard. Not nobody, not no-how!! This quote, from L. Frank Baum's classic tale The Wizard of Oz, subtly reminds members of the college community that wizardry is not a route to solving problems. You cannot see the Wizard to get your problems and issues fixed, simply because there is no Wizard.
The sign has prompted powerful conversations on how to get things done, how to improve communication and collaboration, and how to get individual and group problems solved. It has been especially helpful for students who believe that their academic problems are solely a function of external factors like the teacher, the course, or the assignments. It has been equally helpful for faculty and staff who long for that utopian environment that only the Dean can create. It is becoming very clear to everyone, including me, that wizardry is out and self-responsibility is in!!
Why is it that we often take better care of our cars than our bodies? For example, would you leave your car sitting idle for a week or two even though the battery might die? Do you ignore the prescribed schedule for oil changes, lubrications, and tire checks? Do you fill up the tank with the wrong kind of fuel? And what about the brakes that fray over time? Is you car more ready to pass inspection than your body and mind?
You can tap into many simple, cost-effective holistic options and modalities for managing your mental and physical health, including nutritional options, relaxation and mindfulness techniques, anger management and assertiveness training, and regular physical activity. Even if you experience a chronic illness, combining necessary medical therapies with holistic approaches can produce powerful results in the quest for a healthier life. Caregivers need to take stock of their own states of health. We owe it to our patients and communities to be healthier role models. Six of the last 7 years nurses received the highest Gallup poll ratings for honesty and ethics among people in different professions.1 It is sobering to speculate how we might be rated on personal health.
Taking charge of our health and taking responsibility for change and self-management have long been tenets of the holistic health movement and lifestyle. The stance of self-responsibility, however, is difficult for those who have been lulled into passivity and the belief in magic bullets. Even though 40% of disease burden is thought to be genetically determined, there is enough flexibility in the human repertoire for self-induced positive health outcomes. So forget about the Wizard and click your ruby shoes instead. There is no place like home to begin your recommitment to health and happiness.
Gloria F. Donnelly, PhD, RN, FAAN
Editor-in-Chief
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