I my previous post, I talked about connecting to nature through gratitude for breathing — service to the greenery and gratitude for the gift of life’s breath of oxygen. Today, we take the concept of renewal to a higher level.
Some people have expressed to me that they are having a difficult time with the concept of renewal in the context of gratitude because of their body’s constant reminder of symptoms. This is an unnecessary way of thinking. You are healing. Feel renewed each day. And, be grateful…for everything!
In the middle of Parkinson’s symptoms’ discomforts, people may struggle with their ability to express gratitude and they see nothing for which to be grateful. Let’s talk about that.
Gratitude for everything. It is there for the giving. Let’s see where we can take this.
If you are reading this post, please give gratitude to your eyes and for your eyesight.
If somebody else is reading this post to you, please give gratitude to the person, to your ears, and for your hearing.
If you are doing any of Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery®, please give gratitude to your liver, gallbladder, kidneys, bladder, stomach, spleen, small intestine, large intestine, heart, lungs, and brain.
If your hands are struggling to do your buttons, please give gratitude to your hands for trying, have compassion for their weakened state, and offer them this healing: Put hot water, not too hot, in your sink. Submerge your hands for 2 minutes. While your hands are submerged, for 1 minute alternate making fists and stretching your fingers. Leave your hands submerged for 2 more minutes (total time 5 minutes).
If your feet are struggling with numbness or cramping, please give gratitude to your feet for doing their best with your walking, have compassion for their weakened state, and offer them this healing: Put hot water, not too hot, in a bucket or tub. Submerge your feet for 2 minutes. While your feet are submerged, for 1 minute alternate clenching your toes and stretching your toes. Leave your feet submerged for 2 more minutes (total time 5 minutes). Also, massage your coccyx, your tailbone, for one minute.
If you are breathing deeply (click here for instructions on how to breathe deeply), please give gratitude to the Mother Nature for filling your lungs with fresh oxygen to feed your cells and help you recover, and please give gratitude to you lungs for participating in the process.
If you are sitting zazen or doing other meditation, practicing acceptance, getting rid of negative emotions, refraining from self-judgment, self-criticism, not having guilt and regret, and working to get rid of fear and anxiety, please give gratitude to your mind.
If you are feeling love, joy, compassion, forgiveness, gratitude, happiness, and contentment, and if you are smiling more, please give gratitude to your soul for opening your heart and uplifting your spirits.
Are you getting the picture? Every one of your organs and every one of your limbs is doing its best to help you in your life and in your recovery, and your mind is getting quiet while your soul is shining brightly. If you are doing the Recipe, you are supplying your soul, your mind, and your body all of the tools they need to bring you to your full recovery, your cure.
Gratitude is your way of saying to them: “Your best is good enough. I am compassionate to your situation, and I am grateful that you are working so hard on this journey to my cure.”
When you are consumed with your symptoms, it is like being ungrateful to your soul, your mind, and your body. You are sending a message that says, “Your best is not good enough and I am disappointed in you.”
I think all of you know how that feels, when somebody indicates to you that your best is not good enough and that they are disappointed in you. It is debilitating, and so is your Parkinson’s if you are not grateful for how hard your soul, mind and body are working to cure you.
Instead, find a place of true compassion and gratitude. Gratitude is your way of saying:
“I am grateful for being alive, even in a Parkinson’s body. My best is good enough. I am bringing my life back into balance. I am recovery. I am worth it!”
Every day, I begin my day giving gratitude for being alive and for me, spirit-being me, being in a human being. I began doing this gratitude when I had Parkinson’s. I was healing my body and calming my mind, and it was gratitude that helped open my heart and soul. I became so truly grateful for my life, even in a Parkinson’s body, that I became overwhelmed with joy.
The joy was powerful. I completely stopped caring about the Parkinson’s. I knew my full recovery would come one day, so I just accepted it as true and continued doing the Recipe every day. But I was different and I knew it…I was experiencing joy from the inside, and it was overwhelming.
Your symptoms are nothing more than a notification system to let you know that you have Parkinson’s. That is all. Why be ungrateful or bitter because you have symptoms? You have the Recipe, so be grateful that you have in your hands the one thing so far that has been proven to slow, halt, reverse, and even cure Parkinson’s Disease.
Don’t look back with guilt and regret…don’t look forward with fear and worry and stress…adjust your thinking…see your recovery in in everything you do. See your full recovery in your future, and be grateful for where you are going. You are on the path to your recovery. See it. Be it. You are your own cure…be grateful for that!
Oh, yes. Every morning I give gratitude for all of you. I give compassion to all of you and gratitude to all of you for your hard work and dedication doing the Recipe and working on your recovery. Also, I give gratitude to all of you for allowing me the privilege of serving you. Thank you. I am grateful!
Keep developing your attitude of gratitude. Be grateful for everything. It will change your life and your recovery.
You are worth it!!!
All my best,
Howard
Great message thank you Howard much appreciated ! For two to three days this week I felt I wasn’t getting enough oxygen, this has never happened to me before, someone suggested to see a Doctor which I didn’t !The body is amazing how it can heal itself if you take action, so I started doing 2 to 3 minutes of deep breathing exercises after my recipe and I now l don’t have that issue anymore ( gone and feeling grateful! Just finished my Friday 20 minute bush walk and feeling alive . Love and blessings to everyone from sunny Brisbane 😊😊😊😊
A very well written message indeed Mr Howard. I am grateful for everything. I always wake up with a grateful heart and thank the lord for his mercy and keep on doing the recipe for recovery with a positive attitude. Happy Friday and have a wonderful weekend all fellow warriors. God bless.
Thank you Howard for your encouragement.
Another sound advice dear Howard.
I don’t feel so overwhelmed by symptoms getting worse now that I have absorbed your
Teaching: “I shall do my best to practice feeling gratitude in every cell of my body.”
Thank you for being a kind caring and compassionate coach.
Love and blessings to all,
Maree
Thanks so much Howard. This message is always needed! I am grateful for you!
Many Blessings,
Maureen
I am so grateful for this very difficult yet very hard opening experience. I’m grateful to you Howard for being a shining light at the end of tunnel. You’re a wonderful human being
Howard , Thank You very much!. I am very grateful that I found your blog and be able to practice the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery and follow the advice in every blog. It has been a tremendous support to me in dealing with the illness.
Dear Howard
Thank you for your wonderful blog, we are very grateful to be alive and even the difficulties are still here, your advice is supporting us very much and helps to look forward with a smile and a feeling of gratitude. Thanks!!
Hi Howard and fellow warriors, great post as it is so easy to forget( which we all know I am fluent in lol) the many blessings that we take for granted. Gratitude I feel, is of the soul. When I feel gratitude for my life and all the blessings I have in my life, I feel empowered. I have started many gratitude journals but found that I just kept repeating the same thing as I am really thankful and blessed for my life, my family, my friends, my home, my security, my carer, the amount of love I receive and more than anything, the greatest gift God has given me and that is my son. ❤️🥰. AND God’s son , Jesus , who is my guide and my strength and my rock. He is with me every minute of every day.
I find I get more gratitude said, if I say thank you as the blessings unfold each day. Every night though as I am getting ready for bed, I kiss my hands as they work so hard and I talk to the rest of my body thanking them for another good days work. I try and moisturise my entire body each night (the parts I can reach lol) but I am usually too tired so I will say to whatever part that didn’t get creamed “ your turn tomorrow night “ lol. I am 5ft 11” so there is a lot of me to cream lol. Medication dries the hell out of the body.
I am also blessed by you Howard and the community of brave warriors that I get to know each week on your blog. Some are more chatty than others, but I feel the love that is here, even from the silent warriors who are not able to post, I know we are all together in spirit and support of each other’s challenges with old man Parky, who has well overstayed his welcome 😉. Lol. I am not quite there yet on gratitude for him showing up and ransacking my mind and body. 😁
Big Love to one and all
Karen xx 💕
ps. I know Val, Rick and I chat a lot but every one is welcome to join in our banter. I never liked “ clicks” in my life, as I am a very inclusive person and know how it feels to be left on the peripheral. So please say hi and don’t be shy. 😊xx
Gulp. Awesome comment, Karen.
Val x
Hi Karen and everyone else
Hi Uwe, I actually sent you a comment last week but Howard didn’t receive it. I was saying that I totally agree with you when you wrote “We are all connected and we are already cured. Our ego-mind just does not know yet.” 😊xx
Thank you Karen.
Thank you for the excellent article! I need reminding of this for I have been weak with my gratitude. I will read this more than once.
Pam
I am currently reading your book, Howard and learning the Recipe and I look forward to seeing my neurologist at the next visit, so she can be blown away by my progress… in spite of ignoring her instructions to increase my medication! And greetings to all my new positive and optimistic friends! Happy Healing!
Thank you Howard. I am so grateful for your support and constant encouragement, you are amazing. I am grateful for this life. Gratitude for all the people who open their hearts and share on this blog. I am truly grateful for the Divine accompanying me in this life. Thank you also to me. Love Helen
Thank you Howard for the reminder of being grateful. I pray every morning and randomly through the day expressing my appreciation. I am grateful I have PD and not something worse that is incurable. I see myself healing more and more as I lower my dosage along the way. It takes a lot of time and patience, but I am worth it. Thanks for all your great coaching Howard.
I am grateful for you and your book.
Thank you Howard for the commitment you make each week to help each us in our quest toward healing. I am grateful for being led to your blog over a year ago now and for all the wonderful truths and wisdom you have imparted so freely. Your steadfast understanding of how it is possible to be cured of Parkinson’s is not only inspirational but also acts as a practical roadmap for each of us to follow. Thank you also to my fellow warriors who share their stories and wisdom on this blog!!
Thank you Howard. Still keeping the faith and staying strong and grateful despite ever increasing stiffness, pain and tremors. Every day is a good day at the moment. Blessings to all. No pasaran!
Hi Karen,
Your comments are always great. I am grateful that you share.
‘Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona duit!
Hi Kevin, thank you for your kind words, I really appreciate your message. I didn’t realise that this weeks offering was so long until I hit “post comment “ and I thought “ nooooooooo it’s too long, *hit!. (Something a little stronger actually 😁) So your comment was fab, bless you and thank you Kevin xx
ps. Thank you for your message for St Patrick’s Day, impressive in Irish! Lol
Thank you Howard for the excellent write up on gratitude.
Every morning before getting out of bed, I say “Thank you to God for the life put into this Soul Body and for the recovery that is taking place.”
I am also grateful to my supportive wife and children.
I am also grateful to the PD warriors for their weekly comments in your blog, Howard.
Thank you for the support and encouragement every week.
Gratitude is one of the most important ingredients of my recovery! With a grateful heart I have NO room for negativity!! It is not possible to hold on to gratitude and negativity at the same time!! Thank you Howard!
Warmly,
Ola
Thank you Howard for the encouraging words, and for showing the way to a fearless, uncompromising gratitude for being alive. I’ve been doing the Recipe and reading the blog since last summer, and just want to chime in today with others, to connect with and add to our mutual support. Thanks to all.
Hi Russell, I like your line “just want to chime in today with others” very poetic. I am glad that you chose to chime. Welcome warrior. 😊xx
Thank you Karen.
When I received my Parkinson’s diagnosis, I told myself I will find the cause with my analytical mind. I was proud of this analytical mind all my life because it was partly responsible for my professional success. Howard made me think about what the downside was. I thought and judged too much and judged myself for it. I now realize that it is about healing my heart. This is what calms my mind and gives me peace and tames my monkey mind. Thank you howard for your wisdom and your efforts to help many people and give them hope and convey the truth.
Thank you Howard for passing on all that wisdom. I have always been grateful for many things and now I am learning to be grateful for Parkinson’s because it makes me examine myself at a much deeper level. I am finding out why I have certain fears and can now let go of them. It is definitely a journey. I am not healing at MY speed nonetheless I am healing. I tried to reduce my medication by half a pill but my body is not ready yet so I must wait, be patient with ME. Thank you Howard for your compassion, kindness, support and constant encouragement.
Sending you and Sally many blessings. Love, Colette