Fighting Parkinson’s, and changing our nature

Happy New Year. I hope all of you are rested and ready to Fight Parkinson’s like you have never fought it before! Prior to engaging in this continuing battle toward recovery, there is an issue we need to address because it may be holding some of us back a bit…our nature.

In coaching calls this week, there has been a recurring theme — people were inspired by the end-of-year posts with the affirmations. In particular, the one we need to look at carefully is number 5:

5. “I have the power to heal myself. I am leaving in 2011 any and all things that have been holding back my recovery. As I enter 2012, I am doing it with firm and unwavering fortitude. I know I am on my path to recovery, and I am staying on my path until I fully recover! Parkinson’s, get out of the way. I will go around you, climb over you, knock you down, and throw you off of my path. You are all that stands between me and my full recovery, and I do not want you, I do not need you, and I am going to get rid of you and achieve full recovery. Why? Because in my heart and soul I now know that the answer to Howard’s question, ‘Aren’t you worth it?’ is ‘YES!!! I AM WORTH IT!!!’”

For most of us, me included when I was fighting Parkinson’s, Number 5 poses a threat to our nature. To clarify, ask yourself this question: “When faced with a fight or flight situation, what do I do?” For me (my old self me), and for every person I discussed this with this week, the answer was quite easy…flee. Why do we flee? It is not our nature to be involved in conflict. We avoid conflict, and our Parkinson’s knows it. Oh, I almost forgot…we are also filled with fear. Fear of failure.

Fear of failure, so we flee. And while we are fleeing, our mind is racing faster than our legs. Our mind is engaged in this type of dialogue: How do I avoid this conflict (the fight)? What are all of the possible options? If I go with option 1, then what are all of the possible consequences? If I go with option 2, then what are all of the possible consequences?If I go with option 3, then what are all of the possible consequences? If I go with option 4, then what are all of the possible consequences? You see where this is going — we are intelligent people, so the list of options is never ending and the list of possible consequences is never ending and our brains do not get a break and our bodies are worn to a frazzle and our spirit is all but given up on us because all we can do is flee and flee and flee.

You see, if we stay and fight, there are only 2 possible outcomes: success and failure, and most certainly, we do not want to fail, so we flee and look for another solution where we can justify our actions and not have the possibility of a dreaded failure. That is our nature. We avoid conflict and we make other people happy, even if on occasion it means we are not happy. However, when others are happy, they like us and life is easier, and we avoid conflict. So, Parkinson’s is standing on our path to recovery. Are we going to stay and fight?

Parkinson’s has bet the farm that we will flee. Why? Because it knows that’s our nature. It knows that our nature is part of what brought our symptoms to the surface in the first place. And, it knows that to recover, we have to change our nature. We have to fight. We have to fight our fear. We have to fight our Parkinson’s.

So, when our Parkinson’s sees in our conviction that we are digging in for the fight, it decides to force us to flee. It gives us some extra tremors, and it gives us some extra pain, and it gives us some extra stiffness, and it gives us some extra fear. It expects us to flee.

But we don’t. Why, because we are willing to change our nature and fight! We are willing to look Parkinson’s in the eye and say, “I am more than this body.” And we are willing to look Parkinson’s in the eye and say, “I am more than this mind.” And we are willing to look Parkinson’s in the eye and say, “I am this soul. This is me. I am strong in spirit and you cannot touch this!” And we fight.

The thing about our nature that we keep in this fight is that once we set our minds to something, we stay at it until we win. Failure is not an option. It is deep within all of us to win this fight and recover.

So, please take a careful look at yourself and know that you are worth fighting for. If it is your nature to flee, please change that part of your nature and fight. If ever you were going to decide to stay and fight, don’t you think fighting for your life against Parkinson’s is worth changing the part of your nature that makes you flee.

The Recipe for Recovery provides you with a battle blueprint and strategy. It gives you the map, lays out the path, provides the weapons and the armor for protection. However, neither I, nor the Recipe, can change your nature and make you decide to fight. You have to decide that for yourself. But you are not alone. There is a whole community of us on the battlefield fighting against Parkinson’s, and our numbers are getting stronger every day.

“I have the power to heal myself.” And I did.
“You have the power to heal yourself.” Marie did and you are.
“Together we have the power to heal the world.” Strap up, grab your weapons, and let’s fight Parkinson’s together!

Aren’t you worth it?

All my best,

Howard