12/02/2023
Since I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 8 years ago, I’ve been developing a list of principles to help guide me to whatever healing/resolution is possible. Then it dawned on me: these principles speak to all of life and its diversity of challenges–not just physical illness. Here’s what I have learned so far…
Healing is the application of principles first, then solutions, remedies, resources etc.
Don’t look for people who might help you, look for ideas and wisdom that can help you…
Find a Way. Two of my heroes, Alex Honnold and Reinhold Messner did just that and accomplished feats previously thought to be impossible for humans to achieve. Alex was the first person to free solo climb (no ropes) a 2900’ route on El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. Reinhold made the first solo ascent of Mt. Everest and with a partner, made the first Everest ascent without supplemental oxygen. For me, both persevered and lived the mantra: “anything is possible.”
If something is broken, be it your body or otherwise, voluntarily travel to the depths of the problem and symptoms before it’s absolutely necessary. You’ll gain a better understanding of what drives it and what its foundation and origin is.
Above all else: gain control of your thinking and consciousness.
Harmony, not control, will solve most problems. Let each challenge speak to you and be the guide–it will show you the correct path…
True healing/resolution occurs from the inside out and requires lots of personal resources along with a “whatever it takes” attitude/commitment. You may have to rearrange your priorities to give yourself the required time and space.
Illness and other life challenges should never be approached as inconveniences. They are some of the primary reasons you came into this world. Resolving them should be given all the life resources you can possibly muster…
To successfully navigate life’s biggest challenges including Parkinson’s, you must have a spirit that never gives up no matter how dire things appear.
Reacting with fear will always have limits and sometimes unwanted consequences. On the other hand, the power of being relaxed during a life challenge is infinite.
Symptoms are what we see/experience on the surface. Find out what’s underneath. There’s a whole new world of truths and answers waiting to be discovered.
Be wary of one-size-fits-all healing protocols. Real healing/resolution often requires the application of multiple guiding principles.
Take advantage of your dire moments, you are most receptive to deep and lasting change as a result of them. The best opportunities for healing life issues is when you feel your worst, not your best.
You are the creator of your life circumstances which places you in the strongest position to make necessary changes when things go wrong. Don’t underestimate your power to affect change in your own life.
Parkinson’s and many other life challenges have a super long life cycle–sometimes beginning at or before birth. So don’t expect a 24 hour flu-type fix but rather an equal amount of time/effort to resolve/heal. It may be years before recovery begins and only IF you invest enough in the process.
The two best solutions to any difficulty in my life have always been mindfulness and mindfulness…
Know your family story/history. Go back several generations and figure out how that history ties to your life in the here and now.
Many of life’s challenges can be attributed to a reaction loop. A reaction loop is when we respond negatively to some kind of external stimulus or trigger that produces fear. We react again and again to the same triggers producing a “loop” effect where the reactions become too automatic to stop without lots of mental/emotional reprogramming. So instead of stopping the bad reactions, we loop back through the cycle over and over again. This is always what I look at first when assessing a problem…
Whatever difficulties arise, always seek the deeper truths and causes first, then move on to temporary solutions that will ease the deeper and longer healing process.
Learn to recognize moments when there’s nothing left to lose. Then, when all else fails, don’t be afraid to throw the “Hail Mary.” Sometimes it works…
John Rogers
