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This is a bit of a generalisation, I know, but in the UK, we do tend to be notoriously bad at seeing the good in ourselves, and tend to deflect any praise that comes our way, modestly minimising our achievements instead. We make New Year’s resolutions, beating ourselves up for the things we haven’t yet achieved, strictly promising ourselves that in 2008 we will be nice to our mother-in-law, stick to our healthy eating plan, ditch that no-good partner, quit smoking, or cut up that credit card, but perhaps it might also be good to look at our recent successes at this time of year.

A successful week in the clinic
In this spirit, I’m delighted to tell you that we had a really excellent week in the clinic last week: several patients were discharged feeling much better. It really makes my day when, as happened last week, patients who have not been helped by conventional medicines report dramatic improvements after taking a homeopathic remedy, particularly when they become pain-free for the first time in years. In the case I am thinking of, the patient is looking forward to telling his sceptical GP how much better he feels after his homeopathy – now, that should be an interesting conversation!

News from past patients
Over time, I get to know most of the patients I am working with pretty well, so it’s always great to hear how past patients are getting on. Out of the blue last week, I had a call from a patient I worked with several years ago and who now lives some distance from Brighton: he was calling to update me on his progress post-homeopathy, and I was delighted to hear that he’s still doing really well, and his life has stayed on track. Despite the fact that he was incredibly grateful for the help we’d been able to give all those years ago, I tried to remind him that he should be thanking himself.

Remember to praise yourself
Don’t get me wrong: I really do appreciate it when patients thank us for the work we do at Phoenix (and I get some wonderfully touching gifts at Christmas, especially the home-made ones), but I encourage patients to take the credit for themselves – because they’ve done the self-healing (we often send a course of the Australian Bush flower essence Philotheca to those that find it difficult to acknowledge their achievements, because this essence seems to help with accepting praise and self-recognition).

Take stock of achievements
In my student days, my wise college principal told me to keep every thank-you card, note and email from patients, and keep them in a big file. At the time, I thought that would be a bit smug, but now I understand why she said this, and I tell my supervisees to do the same. With any job, no matter how much we love it, there can be days when enthusiasm wanes, and we start to doubt our abilities: a few moments spent flicking through that bulging file of thank-yous reminds me why I do the job I do, and sends me back to work on that tricky case with renewed vigour.

So whatever this year brings you, remember to take note of your achievements (whether big or small), and remember that your actions or kindnesses in 2008 may still resonate in a positive way, even many years on from now.

For more information about natural healthcare and homeopathy, and to read comments from past patients about their treatment, visit www.phoenixhomeopathy.com/testimonials.php