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Self-Help & Healing |
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| During my lifetime, I've had a number of health challenges: chronic health issues and unusual symptoms/conditions. Twice I almost died of acute illnesses that had unusual presentations, which made diagnoses difficult and the 'causes' not ascertainable. Yet in the air of uncertainty, there was a voice inside that said either, "You are going to be ok" or "You have the ability to heal yourself". In the most recent challenge, the voice said "You know what you need to do". |
| The trick for me seems to have been to truly hear that voice: to listen to it and take it to heart. |
| Through all of this, something that came to me is illness first begins in the mind—the body simply follows. Healing comes through integration, balance, and harmony of all aspects of self—and in being with others. Wholeness can be a challenge during life, because we are self-conscious and intelligent, yet we also need to be cognisant of our egos, which are masters of self-deception. |
| Illness comes from believing in and embodying dichotomy—separateness. |
| The evidence is in our thoughts, our words, our actions, our reactions; our responses. Think about the beliefs you have or the judgements you make—about anything. We think of ourselves as individuals. We believe illness is caused by something outside of ourselves. My opinion is right and someone else's, wrong. I am at threat—our 'environment' (or something) is a threat to us. It's their fault.... |
| But it's not 'them'. It's 'us'....It's 'me'. |
| The answer doesn't lie out there—it's in here—out there is only a trigger, a reflection of what is going on in here. But the issue is that we 'think' anyone or anything is at fault. |
| Our way of being in our world (i.e., the human condition) exhibits that we believe in dichotomy, that there is something stronger than us, that it's in our genes, that this is simply the way we are, that we can't change.... |
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Live, love, laugh, learn....
Compassion and understanding for all. |
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| We are conditioned beings, patterned and programmed, and these programs and patterns repeat themselves over-and-over again within us, as well as outside of us, because this is what we believe— as individuals, as societies, as cultures. We give more weight to the physical/visible world, and less attention to the invisible/spiritual world. Our world is the way we perceive it because that is what we think we see. Our minds are limiting our potential. Yet through changing our minds and our beliefs, we can change our life situations and our lives. And we can change our perception of life by changing our focus. |
| We can help the world, but we can do so much more only when we are able to help ourselves. We need to balance our focus on the inner world and the world outside. |
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| So, from a place of objectivity, I needed to ask myself some questions. What part have I played in making things as they are/the situation as it is? What can I do to make things/the situation better? I needed to pay attention to my fears and my successes, to what turns me off and what turns me on, and I needed to challenge both of these. |
| Steps that have helped me to help myself are: |
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Have an open mind—be open to other possibilities than what I 'believe' or 'think' (or 'am told') is 'reality' or 'truth'.
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Be clear about myself. (What is my intention? What is it that I truly want?)
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Good food—regular activity/exercise. [I've heard these two before, yet it was also important to find a way to do these that worked for me.]
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Don't give up!
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Give to myself as I give to others. In other words, rather than focus only on others, focus on myself as well. For me, stopping and focusing on my self is sometimes the only way for me to begin shifting my way of being, then gradually add-in activities with others again. This is what illness does for us in life—it gives us time-out, a place in which to start focusing inwardly again.
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Make appointments with myself (as well as my partner)—plan for down-time. Have lots of 'quiet-time' as well as time for being with friends, doing coursework/studying/exercising/reading, enjoying entertainment. Over and above employment and spiritual work, limit the number of outside activities with others, for example, to 1 or perhaps 2 per week.
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Have compassion for myself as well as for others. Though I have the ability to heal myself, I need to continue to work on this. I need to be aware of yet not get carried away with thinking how 'bad', 'good', or 'virtuous' I am.
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Share my gifts with others—yet allow others to follow their own process as well. Here again, balance is important—honouring others while honouring the self. We all need to trust in ourselves, to follow our own path, to make our own choices, and to have faith in all that we are and do in our lives.
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Meditate as often as possible.
Begin to meditate while doing things and work towards life being a meditation.
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| If I'd like my life to be different, I need to change my way of being in the world. I need to be the change I wish to see. If I want to be valued and accepted, I need to value and accept myself, and others. I am not ahead of or better than another. Rather than see our differences, we need to focus on our similarities. Our needs for food, clothing, warmth, safety, comfort, love, and compassion are the same. We all are equal. |
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I am great-full for all of you who have come along my path and are or have been a part of my life and all its experiences. Many thanks to each and everyone of you.
with heart and light,
Joanie |
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