MSI Press Blog

  Dennis Ortman, author of several award-winning books, offers the following reflection for MSI Press blog readers -  FULL LIFE “I came that they might have life and have it to the full.” --John 10: 10   We have two natural desires: to live forever and to be happy. Modern medical science promises the first, but cannot guarantee the second. However, a recent bestselling book suggests that we can have both, now. Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles wrote  Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life  (New York: Penguin Books, 2016) in which they described the natural steps to a long, fulfilled life. They journeyed to Ogimi, Japan, where a large portion of the population lives into their hundreds. They interviewed dozens of the elderly residents to discover their secret. What they learned was a natural way to live longer with joy. Here are some of their recommendations: ·           Live an active life doing what you enjoy, and don’t retire. ·           Eat a moderate, balanced diet

  Excerpt from Seeking Balance in an Unbalanced Time : I love and salute [my wonderful] dedicated friends [who do many things of value for others]. However, the truth of it is, I don’t hold the same cards they do. I’m seventy-two, with a heart condition (I’ve had triple bypass surgery) and have just come off my third (successful!) battle with cancer. I don’t have a lot of energy right now. On top of that, I have arthritis in both my hands that severely limits what I can do. As an example, my driving is limited, and while I used to help out at the food bank, that’s off the table as well. But what I truly want to stress is that what is important is not what I can’t do, but what I can. I love my friends. I admire my friends, and all my brothers and sisters in my home city, as well as my state, as well as my country, as well as my planet, who are able to do so many things that I can’t and are doing them ! Still, I have no interest in spending time regretting what I can’t do. The question i