A New Baby is Born (not that kind)
Does any of this sound familiar to you?
I’ve been working on a new venture for quite some time, but it’s just never been quite ready to show anyone. I’ve talked about it, I’ve been known to be very passionate about it, but it just wasn’t quite good enough to show anyone. Well that all changed this month as my “new baby” was born. I have opened up the platform for my Healthy Community, the kimono is wide open, anybody can see it if they choose to look.
But is it good enough? Will people be disappointed when they see it? Will it seem like just another social networking platform? Or will it grow into all that it can be? Will it become a hub for people, patients, practitioners, promoters and partners to connect and help create the subtle shift that is intended?
Well, here’s the rub. It really has seemed like this has been a process much like the birthing of a baby. The decision period of deciding whether I really wanted a baby or not took a few years. I was pretty sure I wanted one, but I wasn’t sure if I could really do it. Then I finally took the plunge and the very first germ of “myHealthyCommunity” was created.
The germination period was much longer than 9 months. There were growth spurts where things really started to come together, then there were times where it just didn’t seem like the baby was doing anything. It didn’t seem to be growing, it seemed stagnant. Eventually I let people see what the baby was going to look like, much like having an ultrasound imaging. It definitely was growing, but it didn’t have a name yet.
The name has been known for quite some time and the birth announcement is being made. Like a proud father, I’m in awe of the fact that she has come alive. But I have no idea what she is going to turn out like. Make no mistake, I have big plans for how to nurture and encourage her to become all that she can be, but there will be many more factors at play than just me. She will get input from lots of friends, groups will form around her, and she will become exactly what she is meant to be. Of that, I have no doubt.
Right now, she really is a newborn baby. Some people will look on and see a beautiful image, others will not see the same beauty right away. But she will grow, she will mature, and she will have a beautiful life of her own. As the father, I still have doubts as to whether I’m good enough for her but what I do know for sure is that I love her like a child and I will be there for her at all times.
What is the intent and inspiration behind “myHealthyCommunity”?
The intent is to bring together People, Patients, Practitioners, Promoters and Partners that are focused on wellness. Our goal is to shift the focus from illness to wellness, the quote we use is from Malcolm X — “When ‘I’ is replaced with ‘WE’, even I-llness becomes WE-llness”.
The inspiration comes from my own health diagnosis of RA. When I asked my doctor what caused the condition, her answer was “we don’t know”. As I’ve been on my own healing journey for several years, my response is now “what would it look like if we did know?” I think we know a lot more about the root cause of dis-ease than we share, and I’d like to change that.
It will take a community, people will need to get educated and become empowered. Our model is based on Education, Outreach and Community Engagement. The real benefits will come from personal connections and interactions, part of the purpose of this site is to help facilitate that. I’d love to see everyone create their own “myHealthyCommunity”.
Now I think it’s time to go feed the baby. Pop on over and join us at www.myhealthycommunity.ca.
Namaste, Ken
Written by Ken
Ken Jaques describes himself as a Health Care Evolutionary, Community Builder, and Speaker. True healing begins when we treat root causes instead of just masking symptoms. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 2008, Ken has experienced many facets of the health care system. As “the only patient who ever lost their hair on this low of a dosage of chemotherapy” – as spoken by his rheumatologist – Ken has been on an amazing journal of self-discovery, a journey of true healing. In his blog, Ken shares stories of how his beliefs have changed over the past few years, and how they are still changing. Is it possible that our bodies can heal themselves? Do we really have to live without hope after we receive a chronic illness diagnosis? These are the types of questions that Ken encourages people to ask themselves as they embark on their own physical or emotional healing journey.
Ken is creating a platform to connect People, Patients, Practitioners, Partners and Promoters, enabling a collaborative effort to help shift the focus on health from I-llness to We-llness. Check out the pilot at www.myHealthyCommunity.ca.
“When ‘I’ is replaced with ‘we’, even I-llness becomes WE-llness” ~ Malcolm X
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