Recently, I (Susan) have had a number of friends and family facing health challenges. Some very serious life-threatening issues, and some chronic issues, which do not make life easy.
I’m fortunate in many ways, because, overall, I’m quite healthy. Yes, I have a shoulder issue that is beginning to wear me down. But it isn’t life-threatening, just frustrating, and at times, quite painful.
However, it’s hard being on the sidelines for friends and family, and doing my best to deal with my own symptoms. Mostly, I get caught up in my desire to be ‘fixed’. This explosion of health and well-being issues is an individual problem, but it is also revealed out in the world.
The Desire to be Fixed
It isn’t easy facing a health crisis. When it’s acute, or at the onset, there’s a lot of attention (for some, too much) and support. However, as time moves forward, and the day-to-day of dealing with recovery, a treatment plan, or worse, coming to terms with this, is a new normal and can lead you to feeling quite lonely. It’s not easy to stay positive and on track.
I bet you can relate to the desire to be fixed – to get back to where you were living fully. It’s normal and yet that desire to be cured or fixed often takes us outside of the moment and away from ourselves. This puts you into conflict with your body and dampens your mojo – or whole-ness.
Take my shoulder for example. I want my range of motion back. I want to be able to hook my bra, on my own or without pain. I really don’t even know what I did to my shoulder. Even months into working with a chiropractor, doing exercises and massage – I am still struggling.
Sure it isn’t life-threatening, but I do find that I get super focused on fixing the damn thing, rather than listening to it.
Many of my clients do this with their colds, injuries, aches and pains. Their bodies wrestle through these issues, while they override, ignore, or worse, press on even harder. (It’s a miracle our bodies do as well as they do.)
This is what I call a transactional relationship with your body. You say to yourself, “I’ll work out, eat better and rest, and you body: keep quiet, look good, and perform well.”
In other words, you aren’t addressing this inner conflict - you’re just avoiding or even worse, just burying it!
What would it take to become more conscious in your relationship to your body?
Crisis as Wake-Up Call
Sadly, too often it takes a health crisis – either your own or someone close to you – to wake you up to the precious nature of your relationship to your body, spirit, and emotions. That’s often when I get a call to coach someone.
Suddenly, you’re acutely aware of the importance of living life more in alignment with your values, your heart, and creating quality connections. This rises to the top of your priorities rather than the day-to-day grind of making money, being successful, or being the best.
Cancer is a Communication Issue
It’s painful how cancer has become the new norm. The statistics are staggering. One in three people will have some form of cancer. 1 in 3! UGH!
The world, or at least our western culture, is uber focused on ‘curing’ cancer. The treatments are extreme, and yes, some are quite helpful in extending life. But I wonder if there isn’t something much larger, and more significant going on that we might be missing.
Cancer is a communication issue. Cancer cells are not alien enemies like a virus. No, they are your own cells that have gone rouge – like a rebellion or conflict inside. It’s your own cells growing out of control, and out of connection with the rest of your system – like they have a different mission.
Isn’t that interesting? It’s a disconnection. It’s the separation between cells and the larger us that seems irreconcilable.
I know having gone through four unique types of cancer in my lifetime. It was as if each type of cancer was trying to communicate something different to me that my conscious brain was missing.
World Cancer
I also find it interesting that today we have a global issue of polarization and disconnection. If the globe was a body – well, let’s just say it would be riddled with ‘cancer’ and lots of effort to get rid of the ‘bad’ cells.
Currently the way we’re handling our politics is much like how we treat cancer. We try to get rid of the “other guys.” Can we get rid of the terrorist? Racist? Sexist? No. These are much like cancer cells. Killing them off isn’t really the answer. The current treatment is not working!
Maybe it is time to stop focusing on killing cancer cells. Instead, I propose we do the work of developing better relationships. Creating relationships where we really listen to the other – no matter how repugnant we may think their position is.
The key to creating a resilient and healthy world is if we stop making the people of the world ‘wrong.’ If we take the time to dialogue, be present to, and develop some acceptance of differences. This is how we transform the world cancer.
There is so much we could learn about how we separate and create dis-ease both globally and individually.
Your Relationship to Your Body
I’m not a political person. I can, however, help you, and others, create a healthy relationship to your body. I can help you find more compassionate and relational ways of dealing with your health challenges and inner conflict. I can help you re-ignite your mojo!
If I can help you be more curious and interested in what’s happening within you, maybe it will help you (and me) bring that same presence to the people who think differently in your life. This then can translate to a broader impact.
Waking up means recognizing that life isn’t about being perfect – in terms of health, in terms of wealth - it’s about being present. No. This won’t take away the pain or cure the disease – but it can and will make life more livable, relatable, and will create much more resilience and possibility.
Who knows what is possible from that type of consciousness.
You Living Healthy
If you are:
facing a health crisis – chronic or acute
feeling betrayed by your body
struggling with a loss of connection and trust in your body
you may want to check out my new Get Unstuck: Live Healthy.
I’ve specially designed this next Get Unstuck starting next month for people struggling with their body, facing chronic health issues, cancer, or other difficult body issues.
Also, if you challenged with the big ‘C’ (cancer) and want support consider joining me live for three days in October in Arizona. I will be leading a three day two night workshop at Apache Springs for When The Body Fails: Rebuilding Trust During or After Cancer.
We’d love to hear from and how you best relate to your body! How you handle your inner conflicts.
Living Healthy,
Susan