In life, we have many things we feel we have to do. This past week, a theme from the past arose a few times, so today we will talk about again: “I know that I have to do the Recipe in order to have my recovery, but I am having trouble finding the time.” I asked each person to shift his or her thinking to “get to” do the Recipe instead of “have to” do the Recipe.
The Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery® is available to all of you. Whether you feel you “have to” do the Recipe or “get to” do the Recipe is a small shift in attitude that can make a world of difference in how you approach your life and your recovery.
Take a look at the things in life that you feel you “have to” do. On careful examination, most if not all of those things feel like burdens or obligations, duties or responsibilities. You do not look at them with enthusiasm or excitement.
Now, take a look at the things in life that you “get to” do. On careful examination, all of those things feel like gifts that have been bestowed upon you and you look at them with enthusiasm and excitement.
Let’s look at the Recipe. For me, the Recipe was a gift. In a world that said Parkinson’s was a life sentence of misery from a progressively degenerative neurological disease that they could not even slow or halt, let alone reverse or cure, simply put, having the Recipe and working on slowing, halting, reversing, and curing my Parkinson’s was seen by me as a gift.
If you look at the Recipe as a “have to,” then you probably see it as an obligation or burden in your day, and you approach it with no excitement. I would imagine that your soul, mind, and body response to your lack of excitement is lack of excitement as well.
If you look at the Recipe as a “get to,” then you probably see it as a gift, a grand opportunity to bring yourself back into balance, soul, mind, and body. And, while you are “getting to” do the Recipe, it occurs to you that you are a precious gift and that the Recipe is allowing you to treat yourself with love, kindness, and compassion.
Over time, you will realize that if you look at everything happening in your life as something you “get to” do for the simple reason that you are alive with your soul in a human being, then you will begin to see that this life is the most precious gift of all. With this life, you “get to” do what you want, including “getting to” cure yourself from Parkinson’s.
Shift your thinking and add this into your day: every time you do something, think, I “get to” do whatever it is you just did…I “get to” eat breakfast, I “get to” tremor, I “get to” walk slowly, I “get to” smile, laugh, feel love, joy, compassion, forgiveness, and gratitude….
As a result of having my recovery, I “get to” share with you my recovery and my thoughts about your recovery. I am grateful for each and every one of you.
Okay. Grab the Recipe with a new attitude, and let me hear all of you:
“I ‘get to’ do the Recipe, which provides me the opportunity to slow, halt, reverse, and ultimately cure myself from Parkinson’s. I am alive, so I ‘get to’ do everything in my life.”
You are worth it!!!
All my best,
Howard
Howard, thank you! What a wonderful viewpoint to have.
Having excitement and enthusiasm doing the Recipe is outstanding.
Sharon in North Carolina
From sunny Argentina hola
I love this shift in focus it’s a wonderful blessing and I’m very grateful for this.
Beautiful perspective, I do find myself getting caught up in the “have to dos” from time to time, but during enlightened moments I am aware of how fortunate we are and instead of discouraging doom and gloom we get to work on our recovery. I am forever grateful for this it puts a spring in my step I just need to keep it front and center!
Thank you Howard
Hello All!
I get it!
the old me…vs…the new me, I owe my new shift to Howard’s Coaching
the old me “Have too”… the new me “Get To”…
I have to Go to Work… I get to go to work 🙂
I have to Mow Grass… I Get (Love) to mow grass
I hate walking slow… I get to walk Slow
I don’t like washing dishes… I’m grateful I can wash dishes
Crap…I had a flat tire last week… Grateful I had a flat tire, it slowed me down
etc….
I’m so thankful for so much.
Peace to all…..
P.S. I’m recovering from P.D., are you ?
My mother has been following the Recipe to the best of her abilities since mid-July 2019. I think she is at minimum, not getting worse. I believe she is slightly improved. I have heard from other family members that she is worsening. But healing is not linear! So I am positive and no longer worry about her declining like I used to. The Recipe is a gift! I am hoping in the next year, or 2, or 3 years, I will be able to say she is fully recovered!
Hi All,
This concept of realizing that Parkinson’s gives us a chance to readdress our position on life is spot on. Very difficult at first and a battle all in it’s own right. Thank you Howard for pointing this out so nicely.
Larry
Hello everyone! I have been doing the Recipe for one month and I feel the medical qigong has a tremendous power to help healing myself. I realize I need time, probably many months or whatever it will take, and I am okay with that- Thanks to you Howard!
This is indeed excellent – a most important paradigm shift from ‘have to’ to ‘get to’. Most of my stress, depression and feeling of being overwhelmed come from a ‘have to’ attitude! I know this contributes greatly to my PD.
I’ll start by ‘getting to’ do the recipe in my beautiful back yard with this wonderful late summer weather (almost like cheating!).
Then I’ll expand the practice to other parts of my life: work, paying bills, household chores…
Thanks, Howard. Most relevant.
With greetings and best wishes to everyone on the blog,
Chris in Wisconsin.
Yes, yes yes. It’s so wonderful to hear this direction. I realize now that I lived my life as a string of obligations and have tos. Life was a heavy weight filled with trying to please others. It was entirely unconscious. Now at least I can see when it happens and decide to shift to I get to instead.
Anne, Portland, Oregon, USA
What a beautiful post, Howard! Thank you!
I am really grateful that I got to read this today!
I was fortunate to receive the gift of the Recipe for Recovery™.
Because there was path to follow, I got to move from despair to hope.
I got to move from being profoundly fearful about what my life was going to become
To feeling confident that I would recover.
I got to follow the Recipe for Recovery™ to my own full recovery.
I got to practice Qigong for the first time in my life, and recognize the benefits.
I got to learn that seemingly miraculous results came from changing my own driven-to-perfection attitude.
I got to learn acceptance of my limitations.
Now, I get to live with no symptoms of Parkinson’s.
I get to be grateful for that everyday.
I get to do dishes, tend my garden, do the laundry,
Go for long walks, get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet,
Practice qigong everyday.
sometimes, though, I forget that EVERYTHING I do, I get to do,
which is why I love this post so much. So yes,
I get to change the flat tire on my car, I get to trap the mice and rats
Who are taking over indoor spaces, I get to take loppers to the invasive trees that
I cut down and cut down and cut down, and I get to do
All the other things that I have allowed
To feel like a burden.
I get to do these things because I am alive.
I get to be part of this community, which keeps me on my toes about
Ways that I sometimes slip back into old habits that have never served me well.
Thank you, Howard, for this great reminder!
With love to you and to everyone who is on the site.
Marie
Thank you Marie!
It is always so encouraging reading your comments, they shine light in our darkest moments. God bless you and your giving nature!
Margaret
I “got to” do the recipe this morning and I “get to” do the hoovering this afternoon!
Thank you Howard for reminding me that I have a wonderful life that I get to live only once! Love to all, Jan UK
Thank you for this reminder. It is a gift wrapped in love!
Warm fall greetings from Wisconsin
Karen