Faith and fear go hand in hand. If you are doing the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery™, you are not getting worse, only better…there is nothing to fear about your Parkinson’s…however, in light of what we all are told is the conventional wisdom’s view of the disease, it takes a lot of faith to stare down your doctors and relatives and friends while telling them, “I only look worse on the outside, but I know I am getting better.” I noticed that the Will Smith’s movie “After Earth” is coming out this weekend, so I thought it would be appropriate to re-post my faith over fear previous post that included a trailer to that movie. Remember to listen very carefully when he defines fear and from where it comes.
From Fighting Parkinson’s, and choosing faith over fear:
“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!
All my best,
Howard
Thank you, Howard,
I needed this encouragement today! So exhausted after doing the past few days what I need to do to keep an income coming in and doing the everyday necessities. Discouraged, sad, fearful, after feeling so tired, but also so grateful I am able to do what is necessary, and that I could and can keep doing the protocol, even if I do it imperfectly and not as often as I would like. I keep saying the prayer you gave us about turning over the fear and anxiety to our Higher Power so we are free to focus on keeping a positive attitude and doing the “recipe.” To quote you: “Dear God, I have this fear and I do not have time for it to bring me down. I need too stay focused on positive thoughts. You are in a much better position than me to deal with negative thoughts and fears, so I am giving you this negative thought and fear and thank you for taking care of it for me.”
Thanks, Kay and Howard,
I have been dealing with imperfection, and keep reminding myself that what our body allows us to do Howard says is good enough. Here’s to our recovery with Howard by our side each step of the way and having each other, along with our faith!
Good reminder! Thanks Howard.
Howard It is always a better day as soon as I see a post from you in my inbox. You are so right on about the over-adrenalined Parkinson’s mind-set creating a fear based reality. We all go through the Hell with this fearful dis-ease. It is how we act in the face of these false terrors. FEAR is a self-fulfilling prophesy!! We can choose to slide into the pit of self-pity and give up on our faith OR we can hang our hats on the progress we have made (I loved your Titanic iceberg metaphor) and be positive about the fact that with your help and the strength of our Divine Wills we will cure ourselves. I know that I am healing and curing myself!
You are a Beacon in the darkness, thank you for your continued generosity, your courage, your inspirational insights and your Love
i guess i do have a problem with faith…..after all, all i have is a group of people online that i don’t know, haven’t even met…..i ‘ve made so many bad decisions in my life, why should i now believe that this decision (to do the recipe) is the right one?….true, i have nothing to lose….most of the people close to me don’t even know i’m doing this…..i’m hesitant (afraid?) to tell them because i know what their reaction would be….
maybe i have a self-image problem: “why should i be cured when so many aren’t?”….i feel weak right now, both in spirit and in body……how against the grain it goes to say, “i’m getting better”, when it appears that i’m getting worse….i want to persist, i want to believe…what do i have to lose?….i really would like some light at the end of the tunnel right about now…..
Hang in there Judy, you are on the right track . I find that writing down my improvements , however small ( i.e.; constipation slightly improved) helps me to keep going when I feel overwhelmed. We are a totally supportive group following Howard’s recipe and we will RECOVER, hugs, Marilyn
Hi Judy,
When I first encountered Howard and his Recipe for Recovery online, in spite of my tremendous excitement, doubt would creep in. One of the important realizations for me as I moved towards making my commitment to follow the Recipe was just what you state here, “I have nothing to lose”. I ran through the objections I could think of rather quickly. fortunately for me, I could recognize myself in what Howard said. Through my life, I never wanted to try and fail at anything. there were worthwhile things I never attempted because I thought I would look stupid ( even if only to myself) if I tried and did not succeed. That was a big thing for me in my perfectionism.
I remember considering the possibilities about Howard. With my own perceptions I could see he was sincere as he explained how to do the Recipe. That gave me two choices
A) what he was saying was true
B) he was sincere but deluded. (Sorry, Howard! but I did consider it!)
Like you, I really had so little to lose….and so much to gain. You ask why should you believe this decision is the right one. Maybe it is more important to ask yourself, why should you not believe it? What,really, do you risk by following the Recipe for Recovery?
I am one of the people here online who you have not met. What am I doing here? And why? You can believe me or not believe me when I tell you that my life was completely changed by doing the Recipe. I have been symptom free since November 2011. And the reason I am writing to you is that I am so grateful, and really, still so amazed, that from the darkest deepest place of fear and discouragement that I ever experienced in my life, I emerged whole and healed by following the Recipe for Recovery.
Howard does so much to illuminate the way. But I think it may be true that each of us has to find a way…. through our own faith, through our own surrender and our own willingness…… to turn on that light at the end of tunnel.
Best wishes to you, Judy.
Marie
Howard
I’ve been fighting this monster for 9 years and doing the recipe for 9 months. Fear rears its ugly head often but I keep doing the recipe because you are proof that it works and I have faith in you. Thankyou for always buoying us up. You were the pioneer with no one to follow. What great faith that must have taken.
I was doing the recipe very consistently for about 5 months
As a result of some of the feelings that Judy has described I stopped for 8-10 weeks.
I did not realize the benefits that the recipe had offered me until I stopped.
I was more depressed, sleeping poorly and just plain miserable.
For me the recipe keeps me unclogged .
I, like all of you want to be healed.
But I have proven to myself ( more times than I care to admit ), that just having the intention to heal is not enough
Howard….My eternal gratitude to you for the steadfast and loving support you offer us all week after week…the consistency and the content of your reminders is so very helpful. I’m grateful, too, to our group for the wisdom, strength and authenticity with which you share …together we contribute to the whole and faith evolves a little easier, methinks ….
With gratitude and love to all
Penny in Canada
I would like to join Joseph and Penny as i share their sentiments completely – especially regarding Howard and the difference he is making in my life. He always seem to know what to say – what I need to hear and so I have another AHA moment. Marilyn