I talk about acceptance a lot. Acceptance is necessary for Parkinson’s recovery — acceptance that you have Parkinson’s Disease; acceptance that you can fully recover; acceptance you may feel worse along the way, but that it means you are getting better; acceptance that the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery™ works; and acceptance that you have the fortitude to see your recovery through to full recovery. Today, I want to discuss taking acceptance to a deeper level.
When things do not go the way we want them to, people tend to become angry, frustrated, worried, anxious, stressed, and fearful. This happens to people when something occurs in their recovery that they do not like: a new pain; a new stiffness; freezing; slowness; fatigue; tremors. An increase in any of these can cause a person who was heading down a great recovery path to become consumed with mental chatter filled with negative emotions. How do you defeat this?
Acceptance. However, this is not your garden variety acceptance or your “okay” attitude. This is acceptance at its deepest level for Parkinson’s recovery. It is the acceptance that looks at something you do not like happening in your physical being and says, “Apparently, this is necessary for my Parkinson’s recovery.” That’s right, whatever it is, it is necessary for your Parkinson’s recovery, and this deeper level of acceptance puts faith in full throttle and throws fear out the window.
If you are doing the Recipe, then everything you are doing puts you in a perpetual state of recovery. Hence, “I AM RECOVERY!” Just because you do not understand why something physically unpleasant is occurring, does not mean something bad is happening. It merely means you do not understand why it is happening. Surrender your need to know every nuance of what is occurring inside your body as you are recovering and have faith in what you are doing in furtherance of your recovery…then this deeper level of acceptance flows…”I do not know exactly why I am a little stiffer today, but apparently it is necessary for my Parkinson’s recovery.”
When the cancer patient is going through radiation and chemotherapy with all of the misery those procedures dole out on a person, at some point, I would imagine that the person says, “I know I am feeling terrible today, but this is necessary for my cancer recovery.”
Look inside yourself and have faith in the Recipe and in your recovery. Then, no matter what you face, let go of the usual negative emotions and fear that come to the surface. They only feed the Parkinson’s. Instead, look at the situation and say, “Apparently, this is necessary for my Parkinson’s recovery.” And smile.
You are worth it!
All my best,
Howard
that is truly the essence of healing, Howard. this message sure came at the right time for me – it speaks volumes. So I will smile. Marilyn
Smiling too…. thanks once again, Howard….. so very grateful for this wisdom and support… the consistency helps me so much to stay focused and on track…
I’ve been embracing more and more the belief that God is in my heart, and my healing comes from there. I awoke this morning after a few challenging days thinking, “There’s more to it, though. To move forward I have to accept myself exactly as I am in every moment, regardless of how I think I feel.”
I totally resonate with your message Howard and the messages of Marilyn, Penny and Jon. In my case, this is so timely. Through events of yesterday I awakened thinking “I totally accept myself!” What a feeling of freedom. I swear there are days you sit with a crystal ball; this was one of them. Thanks, Howard.
Perfectly timed and much needed words of encouragement. Thank you, Howard and PD fighters!
YAY for us!!! Last night (and most nights) I had trouble sleeping because my toes were clenching so badly, but I remembered the Howard mantra “This has to happen for my recovery” and got through it. This morning I walked faster and better than I have in ages and to tell the truth, that’s happened before after an unusually rough night. So, I say, bring it on – it’s all necessary for my recovery and my life! Thank you Howard and everyone in this recovery community!
Granted, this is not the “Garden Variety Acceptance.” But neither are we Garden Variety People! Apparently, this is a lesson necessary for our recovery! 🙂 Bring it!
I, too, needed these words of wisdom today and everyday. Howard, your timing and encouragement are exactly what I desparately need to hear, every single time. Your insight is incredible. Thank you for always being there for each of us on our paths to Recovery!
Melanie
Hello Howard:
I too have had a couple of lousy moments (read Hours) in the last few days. Yesterday I felt worse than I’ve felt in a long time. However, afterward, I felt better than I’ve felt in what seems like forever. Decreased Brain fog, my body softened up, I have increased energy, also, I slept through the night for the 1st time in years. Just my BodyMind letting me know that Parkinsons came on slowly, (I was diagnosed with PD 9 years ago) so it will take a while to evict it.
However, I am totally commited to my recovery and I am extremely grateful to Howard, what a good, generous and inspiring guy you are. Thank you from the bottom of my Heart and Soul!
I am the master of this Parkinsons Disease, and I will define it as curable! It is a fact that it is not a chronic, degenerative certainty that you will dry up and shrivel away. I am now a much better person today than I ever was.
Words fail to describe how miraculous this recipe for recovery is. Just to have a sliver of hope, nevermind Total Faith in my recovery, is fantastic.
Thank you my Dear Friend…
JOEY
I am pausing midstream of “jumper cabling” while reading this post and all the wonderful responses. I usually read and silently agree, but this time I decided I would jump in and add my thoughts. Howard, you addressed this topic of acceptance in way that really helped me today. And all the others, on this same path to recovery from Parkinson’s, each gave me a nudge of encouragement and affirmation. I, too, have been challenged with increasing symptoms, sleep issues, stiffness, imbalance…and more…
This post has helped me choose to view this all as what needs to happen as I recover. And that energizes me! Thank you to everyone who takes time to share a little of your life and remind me that it is okay, whatever I am dealing with. God, in His sovereignty, works it all together for good.
I refuse to let negative thoughts and emotions feed the Parkinson’s.
There is so much more to the Recipe, Howard, than I ever imagined! Thank you for continuing to find ways to communicate the concepts!
In the “medicineless hospital” in China (as reported by Luke and Frank Chan) people doing Qigong for self-healing considered those side effects “Chi effects.” When chi is strong it blasts through the blockages and barriers. That process (of healing) can cause strange pains, cramps, blisters, boils, even various bleeding. Which is good because the imbalances are coming OUT. I asked a Qigong teacher “those seem like serious things that here in the west we would run to the emergency room for! How do you know if it is a Chi effect or if it is a turn for the worse?” I was told that a “Chi effect” is bearable. It may feel and look bad, but where there is enough Chi, there is buoyancy underneath it all, a feeling of “I can ride this out and come out the other side.”
This is wonderful to read, Karen! Thanks so much for posting this. I have had occasional worsening of symptoms, but underneath it I still feel a sense of buoyancy indeed. I love the idea that it is a “chi effect!”
Here, here!! I add my voice to the choir of the inspired! What a beautiful post and responses! Wonderful…thrilling to read.
I resonate with so much that is said in these posts…and was nodding along as I read them all……
Most of all perhaps with Pat’s saying that there is so much more to the Recipe for Recovery than I ever imagined. Lessons from the Recipe for Recovery continue to guide me. Beyond symptoms, Beyond disease, there are still so many opportunities to apply what I have learned and go on learning. My life is changed for the better and continues to unfold…better and better….
Who would have ever dreamed it?
I am so grateful, to you Howard, for showing me the way. And
Grateful to be part of such a soulful Recovery Community!
Wow! You are welcome! And, thank you to all of you. I got to the bottom of these comments and felt compelled to go back to the top and read them again. Each one of you has shared a new insight, a new feeling, your own story…how inspirational you are…to me, and to everybody who is reading this blog. Thank you.
With gratitude and love,
Howard
Howard, this came at a perfect time! You are most definitely attuned to what’s going on in our healing community!
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Well I have been busy moving house and having fun and socialising and living daily with Parkinson’s. I really understand and appreciate all that has been said here. Acceptance of the worst is a key as well as acceptance of recovery. It’s been a gift z in some ways to be stopped in my tracks by Pk and have to look at what got me here and what changes internally and externally I needed to change. I am still recovering in many ways every day. I love and appreciate you all my Pk community and Howard our guide in heart and recovery thank you Helen
Thanks, Howard. For showing all us pd’ers that recovery is possible. When i catch myself with negative thinking, I immediately think acceptance, hope and joy. And not just the token variety, but heartfelt. THANKS HOWARD FOR DEMONSTRATING IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE HAPPY THOUGHTS! (My tremor causes me to hit the Caps-Lock key easily, but i like it.)