Okay everybody, here we go! For the last two weeks, you have been fighting your mind regarding your symptoms and many people’s minds have fought them back vigorously. Thank you all for your continued persistence in fighting against your own minds. Please know this: Your symptoms are not the problem.
I am taking the opportunity today to draw back into a discussion from years ago about your attitude about your symptoms. Since you now are fighting back against your mind with, “I am getting better,” “This is just side effects and withdrawal symptoms,” and “I am already better,” it is critically important that your attitude about your symptoms remains resolute.
For today’s discussion, here is a quote from Jack Sparrow, that is, Captain Jack Sparrow from the Disney movie series Pirates of the Caribbean: “The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem. Do you understand?”
I would imagine that Johnny Depp (Captain Jack Sparrow) had no idea he was talking about Parkinson’s recovery. I will paraphrase so you will understand my point better:
“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 temporarily cause me to tremor more while they are opening blockages in my system.
Event: An increase in stiffness while doing the Recipe.
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 temporarily are 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 Recipe.
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 temporarily are 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 symptoms as “progress in recovery, everything is progress in recovery.” The heart follows the Recipe’s 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. 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 your mind:
“No you are wrong. I am getting better.”
“No you are wrong. I am already better.”
“No you are wrong. This is side effects and withdrawal symptoms.”
Lose you mind…find your heart…have your full recovery.
You are worth it!
All my best,
Howard
Thank you Howard, today was one of those days. I really needed your encouraging words. I even got upset with my husband when he said, I was doing better…you two are right. Hoala!!
Dear Howard,
Thank you for all your help, I am so looking forward to Fridays to read your blog.
It gives me a push and I try harder. It is a tough fight!
I wish you a great weekend with your family, stay well in good health.
Ivy
So true, what a great post! I have been doing a progressive workshop online with Dr. Joe Dispenza and it has helped a lot with “fear”! False evidence appearing real.
Thank you Howard for your consistent encouragement! You are a blessing to many.
Encouraging blog. We’re so used to “symptoms are bad, we must get rid of it.”
How would it be to look at the symptoms and say, “I don’t mind what is happening.”
Thank you Howard. I am continuing to be grateful and have a positive attitude about symptoms and improvements.
I must be really getting better! Thx for bringing the right message at the right time!
A simple path I am on.
If I ask myself, “How am I doing?” There’s always just one easy answer.
– Great!
What should I be grateful for?”
– Everything!
What should I worry about?
– Nothing!
Should I be smiling?
– Yes!
No hard thinking involved, just great, everything, nothing and yes yes yes!
Confusing to the mind but refreshing to the soul.
Blessings to all,
Chris
How about suppressing feelings, if you feel yourself a bit pity about whatever it is, you can’t deny it and suppress it? Not everything is joy, though.
I’m tackling old triggers with Howard’s coaching. It’s outstanding how it works. So if I feel an old trigger I have to look at it and then I can get rid of the old tension. And for now, my partner and I are in a difficult situation, it’s not always laughing and smiling and feeling great when I’m honest. So then the OKAY is needed to calm down!
Dear Howard, it’s so important for us to read your blogs to keep on going all the way in sometimes dark woods. You’re a light to follow.
Petra, I agree, Howard certainly is a ‘light to follow.’ Glad you’re making progress.
Good luck and blessings,
Chris
Respected Howard sir,
The constant battle between mind and heart goes on. Your timely given pearls of advice keep me going. Thanks for being there. Regards, Mona
Ty Howard for everything
I love the last 3 weeks posts and I am finding the process really does work and is very practical as long as we do the steps.
I’m feeling better and stronger and excited, which is such a contrast to the path frequently travelled.
I cannot believe the last 3 posts have been right on point about how I was feeling. It’s as if you were by my side watching.
Ty again Howard
Thank you Howard for your intuitive encouragement and wise counsel. I am getting better all the time at thinking from the heart. However, negative ego still tries to doubt my recovery, especially when the symptoms are temporarily exaggerated. Your positive words are a light illuminating those dark thoughts for what they are = FEAR. Thank you for the faith I am filled with.
Dear Howard,
This has been very helpful: “No you are wrong. This is side effects and withdrawal symptoms.” Your encouragement is so appreciated!
Sharon in North Carolina
Right on Howard, your blogs are so informative and always seem to be at exactly the right time for me! I will work on this because it makes perfect sense.
Thanks for all you do for all of us Howard, you are the best!
Howard: This “heart and mind continuous fighting struggle” over symptoms and when to stop taking currently only one med, Levodopa, so the heart can eventually win, is a painful paradox for me.
After five years with PD void of any meds, very strong symptoms arose this last week compelling me to begin the Levodopa three- a – day regime.
This decision was based mostly on me being around in better health to help take care of my 96 year old Mother during a pandemic. It is still a gamble either way because I am assuming the drug will improve my symptoms enough to get me through the pandemic period. “I need to be there for her”.
Thanks, Michael Allen
Thank you Howard! just seeing a new blog from you gives me a dopamine rush – You are AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s so nice to read all my fellow warriors comments too, we’re all in this together helping each other out – love to everyone xo
All this emotion is really getting my tremor going lol -I’m getting better!!!!
Reading your words
“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.”
Fills me with faith, hope, love and the energy to continue this fight to recovery!
Have a wonderful week everyone xo
Just a BIG THANK, dear Howard for your blog, as ever, fantastic!!!
Thank you, Howard, for your faithfulness and encouragement!
Right on Howard! This old Beatles song’s been in carrying me all week. It’s so appropriate and so true.
It’s getting better all the time, better, better, better.
It’s getting better all the time, better, better, better.
Getting so much better all the time!
It’s getting better all the time, better, better, better.
It’s getting better all the time, better, better, better…
Love and betterment to all.
LOL, thanks Bob for getting this helpful tune stuck in my head too!
Blessings,
Chris
Thanks for the blog, Howard.
As we discussed this the other day and I agree with you is that the problem is not my Parkinson’s symptoms but my attitude about the Parkinson’s symptoms.
Therefore, I have to view my symptoms with a positive attitude from my heart instead of a negative attitude from my mind, then I have the greatest opportunity to move forward in my Parkinson’s recovery.
Blessing and best wishes to all.
BRILLIANT!!! The Devine works in the most mysterious ways!
Just a minute ago, I sat down to relax and my mind instantly focused on my symptoms! I immediately told my mind ‘no you are wrong, I am better already’ …. then got up and open my iPad to read this week’s blog!
Thank you Howard for your relentless positive support and loving heart 💗
Much love to all,
Ola
Thank you Howard for reminding us we do indeed have the power to overide our stinking thinking and get on with the journey of RECOVERY!
I pray that each of you will get confirmation that you are improving this very Day!
Blessings to ALL,
Marie in SC
Thank you Howard,
Every word feels like healing. It really resonates with me.
Bless all of you.
Love, Sylvia
For the last week or so, I have been struggling with severe.”recovery” symptoms ——-
—neck and shoulder pain and stiffness, poor balance, headache and queasiness. When I take a little time and sit with my symptoms, I find that they are a “rebound” to a two-week period of diminishing symptoms that occurred prior to the “downswing.” I fell into an attitude of evaluation, judging whether I am worthy of healing and my mind answered back that I had to deal with the current symptoms before I could get on with the joyous work of healing. This attitude of waiting until I’m ready, until I’m worthy, not the current symptoms is the “problem” need to address— and let go of the symptoms that are plaguing me.