November 17, 2023
Dear Hossein,
First, let me say I am reading your latest book manuscript and am finding it of great interest and value. What you have done with The Construction of the Body and Mind is add another building block in your contributions on how to live a healthy and meaningful life. The book stands as something of a bible on mindful (as opposed to mindless) and strategic (purposeful) eating as part in balance with oneself and the world. In terms of recovery, you offer another dimension of self-reconstruction once we have eliminated the toxic relationship with drugs that once dominated our lives. It helps answer the resulting question, “Now what do I do?” Your writings show how drugs corrupt everything in our lives, and you have shown through Congress 60 that recovery involves far more than just stopping drug use. The myriad of activities within Congress 60 offers a map to transform one’s physical, mental, emotional, relational and spiritual life. The elimination of the toxic-person-drug relationship is just the foundation upon which all other transformations are constructed. Other lifestyle changes you are guiding support that change and offer a pathway towards a flourishing life in recovery. For me, reading the book is well-timed. I think I mentioned to you that I had lost considerable weight during my Covid infection. While this weight loss concerned my wife, I noticed after the Covid symptoms subsided that I felt much better than I had before Covid, which I attributed to the weight I had lost. This sparked a more conscious effort on my part to eat more thoughtfully and to quickly return to the daily exercise plan that preceded the Covid infection. Reading your latest book has inspired me to continue these efforts. It seems we are continuing our practice of turning our escape from affliction into something of great personal value to ourselves and others. Thank you for sending the latest information for the bibliography. I have attached a second draft of the now revised bibliography. You will see two places that are highlighted in yellow. Can you provide me with that information? I am continuing searches of the literature and expect we can complete this small project in the very near future.
Each week I eagerly await the latest updates on the research projects that are underway. These collaborative efforts are quite promising and a testament to the vibrancy of Congress 60’s efforts to extend its body of experiential knowledge into expanding scientific knowledge on the treatment of addiction and other medical conditions. As I mentioned some time ago, I am currently involved in renewed efforts to alter attitudes and practices related to smoking within addiction treatment and recovery mutual aid organizations in the United States. While the example of Congress 60 has increased interest in this, it continues to arouse great resistance, but I plan to continue these efforts. As in Congress 60, once changes begin in this area and people experience the benefits from them the change process spreads through the stories of those who incorporated smoking cessation into their overall recovery from addiction. In this way, the members of William White legions in Congress 60 are serving as the vanguards in this transformation of belief and behavior. Knowledge of what they are doing continues to inspire my efforts here in my own country. The world will owe considerable gratitude to these pioneers.
Please extend my warm greetings to your family and to all members of Congress 60.
Friends and Brothers Forever