Life is happening. Parkinson’s is happening. How you deal with your Parkinson’s symptoms has much to do with your recovery. If you are in your mind, you are living your symptoms. If you are in your heart, you are living your life. Your attitude decides if you are in your mind or your heart, and it is a major factor in your recovery. Attitude, attitude, attitude!
I have spoken about Captain Jack Sparrow from the Disney movie series Pirates of the Caribbean in the past, and this quote from him needs to be revisited: “The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem. Do you understand?”
When he spoke these lines, I would imagine that Johnny Depp (Captain Jack Sparrow) had no idea he was talking about Parkinson’s recovery. I will paraphrase this quote so you will better understand my point:
“The problem is not your Parkinson’s symptoms. The problem is your attitude about your Parkinson’s symptoms. Do you understand?”
Your symptoms are happening. Your attitude about what they mean can dramatically change your recovery. If you can view your symptoms with a positive attitude from your heart instead of a negative attitude from your mind, then you have the greatest opportunity to move forward in your Parkinson’s recovery.
Here are some examples of how a shift in attitude changes your recovery.
Event: An increase in tremors while doing the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery®.
Mind: Oh no, I am getting worse. Better stop the Recipe and look for something else.
Heart: Excellent, I am getting better. I am generating more internal electrical impulses and they are temporarily causing me to tremor more while they are opening blockages in my system.
Event: An increase in stiffness while doing the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery®.
Mind: Oh no, I am getting worse. Better stop the Recipe and look for something else.
Heart: Excellent, I am getting better. I am generating more internal electrical impulses and they are temporarily shocking the muscles more as they look to open new energy passageways, causing me a little more stiffness in my system.
Event: An increase in slowness while doing the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery®.
Mind: Oh no, I am getting worse. Better stop the Recipe and look for something else.
Heart: Excellent, I am getting better. I am generating more internal electrical impulses and they are temporarily shocking the muscles more as they look to open new energy passageways, causing me a little more stiffness in my system, and this stiffness is making me move slower.
Attitude, attitude, attitude.
The mind views an increase in a symptom as “getting worse, only getting worse.” The mind follows the current medical model for Parkinson’s, you will be “getting worse, only getting worse.” With your mind’s attitude following the “only getting worse” medical model, your Parkinson’s symptoms get worse because your mind is filled with fear, anxiety, worry, anger, frustration, and stress…all of the things that helped bring your Parkinson’s symptoms to the surface in the first place. If you stay in your mind, you defeat your own recovery because an attitude filled with this outlook and these emotions feeds the Parkinson’s symptoms and ultimately makes you stop doing the Recipe and quit your recovery.
The heart views an increase in a symptom as “progress in recovery, everything is progress in recovery.” The heart follows the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery® model for Parkinson’s, if you are doing the Recipe you are making “progress in recovery, everything is progress in recovery.” With your heart’s attitude following the “everything is progress in recovery” Recipe model, your Parkinson’s symptoms eventually get better because your heart is filled with faith, hope, love, joy, happiness, gratitude, contentment, vulnerability, and forgiveness…all of the things that get your dopamine flowing and rid you of your Parkinson’s symptoms. If you stay in your heart, you enhance your recovery because an attitude filled with this outlook and these emotions keeps you doing the Recipe and ultimately defeats the Parkinson’s and leads to your full recovery.
Attitude, attitude, attitude.
I will finish with another quote, one I have mentioned before as well. This time from Socrates in Dan Millman’s Way of the Peaceful Warrior: “Sometimes you have to lose your mind before you come to your senses.”
Lose you mind…find your heart…have your recovery.
Attitude, attitude, attitude.
You are worth it!!!
All my best,
Howard
Great reminder!
Thank you Howard
The following sentence you wrote Howard is extremely important!!!
“With your heart’s attitude following the “everything is progress in recovery” Recipe model, your Parkinson’s symptoms eventually get better because your heart is filled with faith, hope, love, joy, happiness, gratitude, contentment, vulnerability, and forgiveness…all of the things that get your dopamine flowing and rid you of your Parkinson’s symptoms.”
Thank you.
PROFOUND!!!!!!! Howard, you have so much WISDOM……so beautifully written, from your huge heart…..and using your intelligence in a WISE way~ FROM YOUR HEART TO OURS. WOW……you are making a HUGE difference in people’s lives. You are so right that when we are anxious and upset, the symptoms become exacerbated. Your techniques work…and have never been taught by any Neurologist I have ever seen. You use a spiritual approach, a WISE approach. Thank you so much for taking your time to think of your subscribers/FANS! I am so appreciative and thank your family for sharing YOU with US!
Good stuff, Howard, thank you!
As always, right on time. Thanx, Howard.
Connecting with my heart instead of my head is a major challenge, er opportunity. The key for me is to be constantly asking myself ” What am I feeling” over and over again. My happiness and self-love reside in my heart. That’s where all the progress towards curing myself resides. In my mind is where all the self-doubt, not-OKness, pessimism, cynicism, self-hatred, and a whole slew of nasties reside. I choose to be happy!
As my Guru once said: ” Enjoy your life and be happy. Being happy is of the utmost importance. Success in anything is through happiness. More support of nature comes from being happy. Under all circumstances be happy, even if you have to force it a bit, to change some long standing habits. Just think of any negativity that comes at you as a raindrop falling into the ocean of your bliss. You may not always have an ocean of bliss, but think that way anyway and it will help it to come. Doubting is not blissful and does not create happiness. Be happy, healthy, and let all that love flow through your heart.” Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
On a more mundane matter, we’re all so appreciative of Howard’s efforts to move us along towards perfect health and we might wonder what can we give back to him. Well, I discovered that he has a link at the top of this page entitled “Donate”. I’m sure Howard has a lot of expenses involved in producing this blessed blog, and a donation to that cause would be a good way of showing our appreciation and gratitude.
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” thanks Frank Herbert…
But a greater gratitude to Howard who is there for me in my deepest fearful self. I know that every prayer, intention, thought, word action and deed must lead to health,
thank you Howard for now and for always …
I do not know who said this quote, but I love it and repeat it often. It helps me remember the importance of Howard’s post today. I hope it will help someone else along their way. Thanks Howard for being so faithful in continuing with this blog!
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company … a church … a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past … we cannot change the fact that people will act a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude … I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you … we are in charge of our attitudes.”
Bless you Howard. Perfect. I don’t know about the rest of the gang but I am guilty of not doing The Recipe for a few days here and there when my body is weary of pain and slowness. Today ( way ahead of you guys in Ireland- time wise ;-), I had written out an agreement to myself, which I signed, committing to The Recipe no matter how tough, with no days off. Today’s post is the icing on the cake.
Get out of my head Howard! Lol. I am teasing. You always seem to know exactly where I am at. Great words of wisdom above from so many today. Cheers guys.
With Love and Gratitude.
Karen xx
Today’s post and many of the comments address just the area I am working on. Thank you so much, Howard and those who have added helpful ideas.
I am learning to take captive thoughts produced by my mind, based on circumstances, facts, fears, the past, self doubts, negativity etc., and to use spiritual truths which dwell in my heart to reshape them into healthy, positive, dopamine-producing ideas.
Sometimes I start to slip into the habit of letting a “small” frustration escalate into a major meltdown. What a joy and victory when I can lovingly talk myself out of it using Howard’s methods.
I also like the visual of viewing negativity as a drop of rain falling into a sea of bliss.
“The problem is not your Parkinson’s symptoms. The problem is your attitude about your Parkinson’s symptoms. Do you understand?”
Your counsel, Howard, is surely bringing us closer to the goal.
God bless us all!
Thank you to all of you who have posted responses, sent me emails, and sent me text messages about this post. I am grateful for all of you.
You are opening your hearts to yourselves and to the world. We are connected to each other…from our hearts. Through our shared vulnerability, we have strength. Through our shared stories, we have a community. Through our shared lives, we enrich our own, and each others, lives. And in this moment of strength, community, and enriched lives, there is no fear from our minds, only love from our hearts. Stay in your hearts, stay in the love…love melts all blockages.
With gratitude, blessings, and love,
Howard
Wow! What wonderful affirmative and loving comments from all. I am so grateful to be in touch with everyone through this website!
Blessings, Lohren
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Respected Howard Sir,
What a timely pearl of advice…It is actually when my negative, logical, “educated” mind starts overpowering and tells, leave this recipe for recovery, you are not getting better any more Sir, your concept of attitude works as a white wash of all those negative thoughts and recharge me for recovery. I am so grateful to Almighty for looking after me in such a mysterious way. 🙏🙏🙏🙏