What cigarette do you smoke, Doctor?

I have this theory that in order to get answers, we need to keep asking questions. We never have all the answers. We only know what we know at the time.

For example, we used to think it was healthy to smoke. So much so, that this PSA from 1949 shows a doctor asking “What cigarette do you smoke, Doctor?” as he lights up his cigarette.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxUZI0vE0FM

Seriously??

I’ve interviewed a lot of people over the years — from award winning authors, scientists and journalists, to medical intuitives. I am a firm believer of gathering information from a variety of belief systems. Then I share that information and tell people to decide for themselves whether they embrace those theories.

So after all these conversations, what do I believe? In the spirit of the holidays, I thought I’d share some of those now. Not because I want to scare off my co-workers, but because even if one of my beliefs seems odd to you, that doesn’t mean it’s “wrong.” (There was a time when nuclear bomb watching was a spectator sport in Nevada, OK?!)

So here we go:

I believe that we all have intuition, especially when we are children. Our radar and negative thoughts turn that skill off over time, but it can be rebuilt and strengthened, just like a muscle.

I believe people can die and live to tell about it. When I interviewed Dr. Mary Neal (an orthopedic surgeon who died in a kayak accident and wrote the best selling book “To Heaven and Back”) she told me, “I was without oxygen for almost 30 minutes. I’m a woman of science. I know I shouldn’t be alive, let alone talking to you right now. It’s a miracle.”

I believe Jesus tried to spread love to all who would listen, and he wasn’t interested in ratings or resumes. He loved all people for all reasons. (We seem to forget this when we kill over race or religion.)

I believe there are other dimensions. According to some who study metaphysics, there were at least 11 that have been proven to exist. That means there could be 10 other versions of you out there somewhere. (Woah!)

I believe our thoughts can make us physically ill. When you’re miserable in the head, you are miserable in the body.

I believe in energy healing and acupuncture. I’ve studied reiki and seen how it stops babies from crying and relieves back pain. Cultures have embraced these practices for thousands of years, yet here in the West, they still aren’t fully accepted. I think that’s a shame.

I believe in angels and saints, because it’s more fun than NOT believing in angels and saints. (If you’ve never prayed, “Dear Saint Anthony, please come around, something’s lost and can’t be found” when you lose your wallet, give it a try and get back to me. It works every time.)

I believe that we have to send love — even to those we hate — because in the end, love is the only thing that will stop the hate. Deepak Chopra told me that when people stage a loud protest, even for peace, they are often sending hate-filled energy out to the world. You can demand justice through love. (Think of Martin Luther King and Gandhi. They created change without throwing chairs through glass windows.)

So remember this as you go through your holidays — while there may be times when the world seems to be going to hell and a handbasket, you can still make a difference in your immediate surroundings. You can spread love and not hate in your home and your office and at the grocery store. You can open your mind to the possibility that you really don’t have all the answers. You can stop judging people who may believe in things you don’t completely understand.

When I was a kid, nobody wore a seatbelt because someone in charge told us we didn’t need to wear a seatbelt.

We need to keep asking questions so we can evolve as a species.

And thankfully, “What cigarette do you smoke, doctor?” isn’t a question that anyone will be asking these days.