“You have Parkinson’s Disease.” (Now, let’s change it up a bit). Suppose your neurologist followed those words with this, “Parkinson’s is a symptom of your life out of balance, and you can repair the imbalances and recover! There is a protocol called the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery™, and if you do it every day, you will recover!” Do you have hope? Do you have faith? Do you work on your recovery? And what if your neurologist added this, “Oh, yes, I need to let you know that along the way toward your recovery, there will be times when it will appear that you are getting worse because your symptoms will be appearing worse, but please do not worry, it is part of the recovery process, and you have nothing to fear.” Do you choose fear when you face what appears to be a worsening condition, or do you have faith in your recovery?
The reason I give you this example is to show you that the fear you have in your mind about what is going on with your Parkinson’s is a self-created fear…it is the FEAR (False Evidence Appearing Real), I have spoken about in the past. In the opening paragraph to this post, all I have done is taken what I have been telling you for the last 2 and 1/2 years since my recovery and hypothetically put those words in your neurologist’s mouth. Suddenly, you have no fear. Why? Because you chose to have no fear.
Currently, you are doing the Recipe, but instead of listening when I explain in great detail why you need not have fear when symptoms appear worse, https://www.fightingparkinsonsdrugfree.com/2012/05/16/fighting-parkinsons-and-trusting-in-your-recovery/, you look to the gloom and doom you received at the neurologist’s office and choose to have fear. Yes, choose to have fear. If you are doing the Recipe every day, then you are recovering every day no matter what your symptoms look like and you need not be afraid.
If you are choosing fear each time a symptom appears worse, then you are still engaged in the type of of Adrenaline-Mode-fear-based-mind-chatter that helped you get Parkinson’s symptoms to the surface in the first place. Living in this fear prevents recovery. Realize that fear in a creation of your mind, and you are choosing fear.
Here is what Will Smith tells his son Jaden about fear:
Yes, I know, Will Smith is an actor as is his son in this movie, but his words are spot on: Fear is not real. It is a product of thoughts you create. Fear is a choice.
So, there is me saying to not choose fear. And there is Will Smith. And there those who have posted comments on this blog showing they are defeating fear or have completely defeated fear already: Ainsley, Alan, Andy and Regina, Angel, Angela, Anita, Anne D., Anne G. Anni, Bailey, Barry, Bethany, Bev, Beverly, Bhavna, Bill B., Bill M., Bill R., Bob, Candy, Christine, Christine N., David, Debra, Della, Denise and Charles, Dipti, Elin, Elisa, Florence, Gautam, Gerry, Gita, Helen, Hillary, Jack, Jackie, James, Jason, Jay, Jayne, Jeff, Jim, Joe, John G., John H., John O., Joseph, Julian, Julie, Karen, Karsten, Kathy, Kumar, Laurie, Leo, Lexi, Linda, Lindsey, Lynn, Lynn E., Lynn M., Malcolm, Mamed, Margaret, Margriet, Marianne, Marie, Marilyn, Martin, Mary, Melanie, Meredith, Monica, Nancy S., Nancy T., Nita, Pat in FL, Pat L., Patricia, Paul B., Paul C., Paul T., Peewah, Penny, Pete, Pieter, Prabhakar, Pratima, Regie, Sally, Sherry, Teri, Theresa, Thomas, Tom H., Tom R., Tony, Vickie and Walt.
Fear is the only Parkinson’s symptom that is a choice. That is why I talk about it so much. It is a choice in how we decide to look at our Parkinson’s, our other symptoms, and our lives. It is so powerful of a symptom of this disease, that in the midst of improving from a disease the experts say there is no chance of improvement, one bad day, one extra pain, one extra stiffness, one increase in tremors…one unfavorable change in any other symptom causes people to stop their improvement dead in its tracks and say, “I guess I am getting worse just like the doctors said I would.”
That interpretation is a choice, and the choice is fear. And it leads to FEAR (False Evidence Appearing Real). And that leads you down the path that causes your own fears and FEARs to come true.
IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY. MAKE A DIFFERENT CHOICE……….
CHOOSE FAITH!
How about if you choose to interpret the events like this: “I trust myself in knowing what I am doing is the correct thing. I trust myself that I correctly have interpreted all of my improvements. I am willing to surrender control of having to fully understand every nuance or every energetic change taking place inside my body, and I am empowering myself to look at everything I am doing as long-term progress in my recovery from Parkinson’s without being fearful of the day-to-day changes that I do not fully understand. I have faith, and my faith defeats my fear.”
That interpretation is a choice, and the choice is faith. And it leads to staying with the Recipe for Recovery on your path toward recovery. And that leads you down the path that causes your faith in your recovery to come true.
Choose faith over fear and visualize your future recovery.
Say this affirmation with me: “Parkinson’s is a symptom of my life out of balance, and I can repair the imbalances and recover. I refuse to allow appearances in my physical symptoms to make me fearful. Fear is a choice. Faith is a choice. I choose Faith. I am recovery. I am worth it!”
You are worth it!
Have a happy and joyous holiday season.
All my best,
Howard
Howard, the movie trailer for “After Earth” is powerful and so are your words this morning. Thank you for your unending support. I look forward to After Earth.
Brilliant, Howard. Your posts this month have been profound, culminating in this one.
Your Qigong exercises will not make me recover, I will. Your exercises will help, and so will letting go of my victim stance and taking responsibility for myself, recognizing that nobody can “fix” me; taking my power back from the fear to which I’ve habitually given it; forgiving myself for judging myself as imperfect and lapsing into rumination and anxiety now and again; validating my essential perfection exactly as I am right now; allowing myself to feel and express all my emotions in a healthy way instead of bottling them up; letting go of judging progress by the minute, the hour, the day, the week, or even at all; welcoming symptoms as messages from my body that it’s time to heal myself; letting go of a matrix of complex strategies and artificial dependencies; engaging in life instead of hiding; and taking life one step at time, not fighting the flow of life, but riding it, heart open, on a carpet of trust in myself and the divine within me.
Thank you for your inspiration and a happy holiday season backatcha to you and yours.
Jon
Howard
You continually reinforce the truism that faith is the lynchpin we all need to recover.Your postings are proving a great asset to me on this intrigueing and challenging journey with it’s many twists and turns.I am learning all the time and have come to beleive the more potent the symptom the greater the benefit when it is overcome.As you rightly assertmost think we are all in denial little realizing it is they who are in denial.Fear had raised it’s head but is subsiding as this negativity is being replaced by realistic faith based affirmation and prayer and listening to the guidance of my higher self.
I sincerely hope these words help some of you on your journey.Paul
Howard, Jon, Monica and Paul
Your collective words provide inspiration, support, companionship….and empowerment as we work together to remind each other that, yes we do have choice…we are choosing Life!
Warmest wishes of the season to all….I am so very grateful….
Very inspiring and as always you send these with excellent timing. Just when one is feeling all tired out and low, along comes your blog to give us that extra boost. Thank you.
To all,
You are welcome. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and inspirational insights with all of us. Penny is correct — we are choosing Life! When we let go of fear, it is a big step in choosing to live our lives instead of living our Parkinson’s.
With gratitude, blessings, and love,
Howard
Thank You:
I felt as if I had lost my vision, stumbling about in the darktime, I am healing, though. Daily, I feel improvement. Confidence in the journey, no matter what fears are thrown in my path, is how I will excel! Nothing great comes easy, It requires work and faith.
Howard your posts boost my spirit when I am low, Thanks again..
Hi Joseph,
You are welcome. And, you are correct…work and faith…and staying on the path…that is where you find confidence in the journey and renewed confidence in yourself. The journey can be quite glorious, if you allow it to be.
Blessings,
Howard
Thank you for the great inspirations! Fear is my main problem.