Q & A with Dr. B. – Can self-care confer meaning and purpose to my life?

Dr. Larry Berkelhammer

The purpose of this website, my book, and the Community Education course I teach at the College of Marin, is to teach people how to live a vibrant, meaningful life through the cultivation of self-empowerment and self-efficacy. In this weekly Q&A column, I post questions from students and from people who attend my presentations along with my answers.

Here is this week’s question:

QUESTION: Can self-care confer meaning and purpose to my life?

ANSWER: In choosing to give the body what it needs, we are better able to maintain both a healthy body and a healthy mind. The brain is the home of the mind, so, by making the choice to care for the body, the brain is able to nourish a happier, healthier mind. In addition, by providing for the needs of the body, the mind is able to live with a sense of mastery that comes from the knowledge that it is making hard choices in deciding to do the right thing. In other words, mindfully and courageously living this way is very satisfying and provides a sense of meaning and purpose.