How Rockefeller Almost Died.

It is no secret that the US economy is still struggling.  Being able to practice acupuncture is a wonderful gift, but it does not insulate me from the same anxieties that most people are feeling. I won't reiterate the grim statistics here, as they are available everywhere else and it is all too easy to spend time mired in despair and worry.  Instead, I thought I would share a small item I came across which was valuable to me.  This is not the first time our nation has faced a financial challenge and it will probably not be the last.  History is a great teacher, and one thing we can do is rediscover what people did in the past when faced with similar challenges.  After the Depression, there were many books published in which people revealed their experiences and how they survived.  I recently acquired an old copy of Dale Carnegie's book titled "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living."  To me, it is always thrilling to find these old books and wonder how many people have been impacted by them.  Amid the many stories of people surviving grinding poverty, a different tale stood out. It was the story of John D. Rockefeller.
By the age of 43, John had built up the largest corporation in the world, the Standard Oil Company.  He had not only become the richest person in the world, but possibly the richest person in history!  His wealth in 1897 was around $1 billion, which in today's currency would be over $400 billion.  Yet his wealth was not a source of happiness to him.  He was afflicted by a series of maladies brought on by stress, worry, and overwork.  His digestive system performed so poorly that he could only eat crackers and milk.  He lost all the hair on his head... as well as his eyebrows and eyelashes!  Except when he was bedridden by sickness, he never took time for rest or recreation.  Greed and fear consumed him.
Nor did he care for the well-being of his partners or employees.  They hated and feared him.  His motto was "You may kick me and abuse me provided you will let me have my own way."  So disliked was he that he had to hire bodyguards to protect his life.
No bodyguard could protect his life from the assault from within.  His health crumbling, Rockefeller finally was forced to give up some of his precious wealth and seek medical help.  The doctors were able to save his life with 3 simple rules, which I will reveal next week!