" I will not rescue you. For you are not powerless. I will not fix you. For you are not broken. I will not heal you. For I see you, in your wholeness. I will walk with you through the darkness as you remember your light." I do not know to whom I aught to give honor to for writing this prayer, but it resonates deeply with me and I have made it my own. I came across this prayer several month ago and I kept feeling compelled to share it and say a few words about it. I frequently say to my patients, "you are the healer and I am the facilitator."
As a practitioner of Oriental Medicine I often work with patients who have had long standing chronic issues and in many cases throughout the years I have been the last resort. Whether its been a few days or years, sickness can be draining and exhausting on top of any other symptoms being experienced. Sometimes symptoms or disease labels can become an identity. Whether your experience is everyday aches and pains or a terminal diagnosis I want to remind you that you are powerful and you are more than a set of symptoms or a disease label. You are more than what has happened to you.
You are not broken. I know sometimes it can feel that way. Not to long ago I had someone tell be that their life was a "dumpster fire." When things aren't working the way we want or the way they should, we can often feel very broken. I've always been interested in how the body worked and long before I was on a path to becoming a practitioner I remember reading that everything the body does is the most adaptive thing it can do given the circumstances. That thought was radical to me at the time. I remember thinking, " you mean that cancer is adaptive?" I have found out that indeed this is true---everything our bodies do is the most adaptive thing it can do given the circumstances. Whether you call it treatment, care, intervention or another name, the goal of all medicine is to change the circumstances with the hope of creating a more adaptive response in the body. You are not broken, your body is full of healing wisdom. What we experience as a symptom is an expression of that healing wisdom.
You are whole. No matter what, if you are here reading this, there is wholeness in you. Over the last several years I've found an interest in "Internal Family Systems Therapy" (IFS) also called " Self Therapy." In the paradigm of IFS the purest most authentic part of who we are is known as "Self." Self is seen to be always whole, no matter what has happened to us. Self is characterized as compassionate, calm, curious, connected, confident, courageous, creative, and clear. You are whole, which means you lack nothing. A big part of my job as a practitioner is to remind the body of its innate wholeness and wisdom. To remind the body of its healing power.
I will walk with you through the darkness as you remember your light. I always sign my e-mails with the parting phrase "with you every step of the way." Healing is a journey. Journey's take many forms, and it is important to know, you don't have to walk your healing path on your own.
I love practical application. Its nice to have a nice sounding prayer, but I like results, and I'm guessing you do to. So, here are some proactive questions to ask yourself.
*In what ways am I giving my power away?
*What does power even mean to me anyway?
*When was the last time I felt powerful? What kind of experience was that for me?
*What does living in my power look like for me?
*When was the last time I felt really whole?
*What does it mean for me to live my life with the identity of being whole?
*What does it mean for me to "shine my light"?
*What is one excuse I'm willing to give up?
*What is one thing I know I need and want to do in order to propel me forward in my journey?
You are awesome. You are awesome for taking the time to make an investment in asking yourself some deep questions and sitting with some uncomfortableness as the authentic wholeness of who you really are shines through and the excuses and powerlessness fade away.
Here are some affirmations to help you move forward:
I choose life
I choose to connect with the healing wisdom inside of my body
I can
I'm open to the next step
With You Every Step of the Way!