Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is released by rhythmical activity and that feeds the prefrontal cortex and goal-directed behavior. Dopamine is associated with our will to live, some certain and powerful, yet invisible and intangible, quality of us. When we harness our will can do just about anything, and when we lose it, it seems to lead to some inevitable defeat. Our free will is perhaps known best by the soul, we treasure and protect free will, knowing it is an essence to our vitality.
My dad used to say, “When there’s a will, there’s a way,” continuing with, “and you’ll always have will because your name is Williams.” And so it is, as if by English Magic, the quality built into the surname would always stick with you. It should not have surprised me that when my dad died, he used the word Williams to signal me and as a sign of his continual existence.
Will may be described as an intention, desire, request, or wish. The proverb, “When there’s a will there’s a way,” suggests that determination will overcome any obstacles. We are resolved when we engage our will. We are focused and deliberate.
For healing to occur, the will must be engaged. Do you have the will to heal, to live, to care for yourself, to try something? In therapy we ask, are you willing to try it? For the tool must first be acceptable.
We value free will when it comes to our own lives, although sometimes with others we lose this generosity or awareness. When the movie, “Free Willy,” came out, it raised our consciousness to the utter cruelty of capturing and containing our fellow sentient beings, the Orca whales. Indeed, we have ample scientific proof of the intelligence of animals, with examples including the large and complex limbic brains of whales and dolphins, and the photographic memory of chimpanzees.
In truly holistic and integrative medicine, free will will not be overlooked. Practically speaking, aspects of our healthcare system require examination. Once admitted into the ER, hospital, assisted living, or psych ward, free will may take a back seat. There is most certainly good intentionality, but it is authoritarian approach.We may harm others when we impose our will onto theirs.
Is there a remedy? I think so. But it is a radically different choice to give patients choices, to ask for their voice, and allow their free will. If we do indeed include this soul quality, however, then we have struck closer to home in providing actual medical care.
Some look to discern a “personal will,” with a “divine will,” distinguishing the ego self from the spiritual self, collective, or God. This may lead to the practices of "not my will but yours,” or to "surrender your will."
My opinion is that personal will is a part of the Divine will. I believe that you are a part of God and God is a part of you. What you desire is what God desires for you. When you follow what you are attracted to and interested in, your bliss, you are following Divine will.