Top Reason to Think Outside the Box

Many things these days require guts and determination. “Grit” is a similar, currently fashionable, word. You can use any synonym you want; the meaning remains the same.

 Our lives are complex. We’re dealing with many challenges unfamiliar to previous generations.  That’s why it’s tempting to stick with what’s comfortable, even though it may not be fulfilling our needs. After all, letting go of the “known” and plowing into the “unknown” is always problematic.

There’s a saying that the devil we know is better than the devil we don’t know. That’s why many of us settle for mediocrity; it doesn’t require much effort or mental stress. The problem is that long-lasting breakthroughs aren’t found through leading an ordinary or indolent life. 

Dr. Forrest C. Shaklee

This founder of the Shaklee Corporation was no ordinary person. He wasn’t willing to stay in the box society made for him.

Dr. Shaklee was an accredited chiropractor. However, he started his company by moving beyond traditional views. His business offers a wide variety of natural health and home-care products. He especially wanted the public to have access to vitamins without a prescription. Dr. Shaklee also didn’t like the fact that the health products of the time were expected to have a shelf life of five years. That went against nature.

An article at whyiridehorses  gives some fascinating background on him. He believed that drugs mask the symptoms without curing the disease. He believed that a more comprehensive health system was needed, too.

Shaklee distributors today follow his philosophy that the body can heal itself given the right tools. This belief comes out of his experiences. In 1921, he discovered infected burns on his left hip and shoulder.  It was diagnosed as cancer at the famous Mayo Clinic. An amputation would probably be required to stop the progress of the cancer.

Dr. Shaklee refused to accept that conventional diagnosis. He embarked on a journey of eating only fresh foods, taking plenty of food supplements, fasting, and keeping a positive mental attitude. By 1922, he had completely cured himself.

The legacy lives on. My friend, Carol Graham, cured herself of cancer forty years ago. She tells me that the products have cured many others of cancer, too. I believe her, because these miracle products are helping me to get rid of a severe blockage in my intestines that would have undoubtedly ended in surgery and/or death.

My Conclusion

The apostle Peter went beyond tradition when he started preaching to Gentiles in Acts 10.   In verse 35, he writes: “but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.” (NIV)

In modern times, Dr. Forrest C. Shaklee certainly thought outside the box when he promoted healing through natural remedies. He was decades ahead of his time. This quote shows how he pushed through public opinion and expectation: “Your future will be exactly what you decide to make it.”

What future are you forging against expectation?