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The “perfect heart” for a life well lived

Joerg Kuehn · Jun 23, 2021 · 2 Comments

A good friend of mine (Thanks a lot Emma!) recently shared a wonderful story with me, which I immediately felt compelled to “steal” and share it with you:

“One day, a young man walked into the village square and declared he had the most perfect heart in the whole valley. A crowd gathered around him and all admired his heart, because it was, indeed, perfect. No stains, no defects. Yes, they agreed, it was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was proud and boasted even more about his beautiful heart.

Suddenly, an old man appeared from the crowd and said, ‘Listen, your heart is half as beautiful as mine.’

The surprising modern insights of an old tradition!

Joerg Kuehn · Dec 22, 2020 · Leave a Comment

The word “Heimat” has a special meaning for me and many people in Germany, as it represents the area where we grew up, with all our personal experiences, memories, values, traditions and people. My Heimat is at the foot of the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) in the Eastern part of Germany.

The Erzgebirge is famous for its longstanding mining tradition. In 1168, the first silver ore was found near today’s Freiberg. The mining industry in this area produced silver and iron ore as well as lead, cobalt, nickel, zinc and uranium until the end of the 20th century.

The job of the miners was very hard. Working hours were incredibly long and the work was intensely tough, as they faced life threatening conditions hundreds of metres below the surface.

As winter approached, it got even tougher, as the miners would not see daylight for weeks and months, leaving their homes in darkness in the early morning and returning home after sunset. It is, therefore, understandable that these miners had a natural and strong longing for (day) light as a symbol of life, safety and hope.

The Non-Medical Secret To Avoiding A Heart Attack

Joerg Kuehn · Jun 30, 2020 · 2 Comments

In the early 1960’s, the US government decided to fund a study about Roseto, a remarkable small town of Italian immigrants in Pennsylvania. What made the town stand out was the fact that rate of hearts attacks was less than half the US average.

In their attempt to identify the reasons for the low risk of heart disease, the researchers first studied the field of nutrition. But it turned out that the Rosetans loved meatballs and sausages fried in lard with hard and soft cheeses. That could not have been the reason. Next they looked at smoking, but it turned out the people from Roseto loved their cigars. Also not the reason. After that, they analyzed their drinking habits, but it turned out they drank wine “with seeming abandon.” Finally, they looked into the working conditions, but most of the Rosetans were working in the surrounding slate quarries where they breathed dust-filled air..

So, what reduced the risks of heart attacks in Roseto so dramatically?

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