Carrying Forth the Wisdom of David Simon, M.D.

This month I wanted to honor the wisdom of David Simon, M.D. who transitioned on January 31. 2012. I took numerous courses with David Simon at The Chopra Center. I was always touched by his ability to connect at the soul level and awaken the heart. He was a masterful storyteller and he will be missed.

David Simon, M.D. co-founded The Chopra Center with Deepak Chopra, M.D. Together they created the programs of The Chopra Center that have touched thousands of lives. In the words of Deepak “he was my friend, partner, teacher, trusted colleague and younger brother for more than 20 years. His wisdom, courage and love will continue to inspire all of us for decades to come.”

Early on in his diagnosis David Simon said “If I could convey a single message it would be to tell people in your life that you love them right now. I’ve shared the final days with patients moving through their transition and time and again they say to me “it’s all about love. It always has been about love. Love is the only thing that’s real.”

From David’s book “Free to Love, Free to Heal he said: “I often ask my patients struggling with a life issue, ‘Do you deserve to be happy?’ More often than not, I receive a tenuous answer. ‘I’d like to say I do, but I’m not so sure’ is a fairly typical response. Or I may hear, ‘I can’t remember anyone in my life ever telling me it’s my right to be happy.” Well, if you haven’t heard it before, hear it now: YOU DESERVE TO BE HAPPY!”

He went on to say “how, then, do we move from a state of constriction to a state of ever greater freedom and happiness? The first step towards genuine awakening is setting the intention . . . deciding to live a life that reflects your right to happiness.”