This month of May, for me, could be characterized as either a write-it-off or a wrap-it-up. The beauty is, it is whatever I choose it to be. The month began with a mild backache which, within no time at all, became a full-fledged show-stopper, reducing me to a writhing and screaming in pain, flat-on-my back woman.
Thankfully I have not experienced a great deal of pain in my lifetime. This was an eye-opening experience. While I do not recall a specific situation or movement which may have triggered this, I am left wondering if this event has anything to do with our collective balance being challenged on a daily basis.
Louise Hay suggests the hips carry the body in perfect balance and serve as a major thrust in moving forward. Did the challenge to my mental balance create a perfect storm which affected my physical balance? The body is clever in that regard.
Louise’s recommended “New Thought Pattern” (affirmation) as it relates to hips, is “Hip Hip Hooray – there is joy in every day. I am balanced and free.” Affirmations are powerful. The energy behind them is capable of shifting perspectives.
I am very familiar with the affirmation; “Fake it ‘til you make it”, whose core idea implies that acting as if you have a desired quality can help you actually develop that quality over time. It is not about faking, or being untruthful, it is about pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone. (Acting as if worked beautifully for me during my early days of sobriety – it is one of the beliefs I clung to.)
However, physical pain sometimes requires some additional help, such as a chiropractic and physical therapy. Sitting still helps too. If you are not on your feet, you cannot be knocked down.
Around the same time I was feet-up, my desk-top computer crashed. And I mean crashed. Kaput. It, too, had apparently had its fill. Fortunately I was able to have the new system I had purchased last November (which I hadn’t yet set up because I did not want to let go of my “trusty old friend”) installed just the other day. The files are being transferred as I write, and that process, much like my recovery, is taking its own, sweet time.
Why is she sharing all this with me?, you may be asking yourself. Why? Because I am feeling much better and because I believe there are valuable lessons that are worth sharing. For instance:
- When faced with situations that are completely out of your control, you can attempt to buck the system (and trust me, some situations call for a good bucking) take a stand and fight back (situations that call you into battle) or you may simply surrender, let go and let God, trust in the process. While I was less than thrilled over the thought of removing myself from the equation, I was reminded of a post-it note I had stuck on my bathroom mirror during my early days of sobriety, on which I had written “Thank you Diane, I do not need your help today. Love, God.” It was a good reminder of the value of letting go and letting God. (An excellent reminder, given I have been sober for 33 years and counting.)
- While “letting go”, be open to learning the lesson. (There is always a lesson to be learned.) You may not learn it while you are in the throes of any given situation, but if you remain open – you will receive it and the aftermath may quite enlightening. Aftermaths can have positive consequences.
- Accept that whatever the situation brings your way, you will always have the choice to write-it-off, “Oh my aching head, I lost an entire month of time”, or wrap-it-up, “What a gift, a powerful lesson delivered with a bow.”
I have decided to wrap-it-up. Through all the excruciating pain and inability to walk at times, this past month has proven to be a gift. I have been safe. I have been well cared for and loved. I have been reminded of the importance of letting go and letting God. And as I continue to heal, I am more mindful of how to best remain balanced throughout these challenging days.
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