In my previous blog post, I wrote about choosing happiness. This has sparked many conversations over the last week. Some of what I have realized is that many people are uncomfortable experiencing positive emotions — they come with a feeling of selfishness or guilt. We need to explore this concept together.
In the past, I have written about happiness as part of your new rights. Today, I will present a reminder of this because it needs further discussion.
As we go through life, we learn that we have the right to be angry if something happens we do not like. We also are told that we have the right to be frustrated, resentful, worrisome, fearful, stressful, anxious, unforgiving, critical, and self-critical. Today, I ask you to give up these old rights.
The reason I call all of these negative emotions “rights” is because that is how they are treated in our lives. Here is an example:
You are driving on the highway and somebody cuts you off. You slam on your brakes barely avoiding an accident, and the person who cut you off speeds away. You are angry…angry that you got cut off, angry and frustrated that he sped away, angry and frustrated and resentful that nothing bad will happen to this person to punish him for having cut you off and almost causing a serious accident.
And, when you tell your family and friends about it, with the anger spilling out of you, what does everybody say, “You have every right to be angry. I would be angry, too!” I understand this because this is how I was, pre-Parkinson’s.
Now, using the same scenario post-Parkinson’s, I would slam on the brakes avoiding the accident, catch my breath, and then I would give gratitude (lots of gratitude) for being safe and sound with no damage to the car or any of the occupants. And then, I would let it go.
However, if I was to mention the situation, a response might be something to the effect of, “I am happy there was not an accident and nobody got hurt, but I do not know how you can be so calm about it. The other guy got away with it and you have every right to be angry; I know I would be angry if I was in your shoes.”
We are taught that these negative emotions are our rights, and we are rewarded by inclusion when we exercise them. Often, we are questioned like there is something wrong with us when we choose to not exercise our negative “rights.” I do not know about the rest of you, but nobody ever sat me down and said, “You have the right to be joyful, happy, fearless, compassionate, content, loving, accepting, forgiving, and grateful.”
So, if you are like me, and nobody ever told you these things, let me be the first to introduce you to your set of new rights:
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE JOYFUL, HAPPY, FEARLESS, COMPASSIONATE, CONTENT, LOVING, ACCEPTING, FORGIVING, AND GRATEFUL!!!
The negative emotions are in your mind, and your mind runs rampant with negative ideas of what life is like with Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s symptoms. Your new rights come from your heart!
It is time to make the transformations that will change your life. As the negative emotions surface, transform them into the positive emotions. The negative emotions are habitual…simply put, they are so strongly built into you throughout your life that they just surface in response to the events of life.
This is actually a gift of Parkinson’s symptoms. The Parkinson’s symptoms get worse when you experience any of the negative emotions. These symptoms provide a built-in notification system that says, “My reaction to what was just said or done is an exacerbation of symptoms.” When you get the notification and have this kind of awareness, you are ready to exercise your new rights.
Using my car example above, transform anger over the situation into gratitude over the outcome. The mind is very tricky. The mind wants to pull out its parade of horribles and say, “If the other car would have hit you, think about all of the terrible things that would have occurred.” The mind pulls you out of the moment and it runs to all of the terrible outcomes that could have occurred even though the event is over and none of the terrible outcomes occurred.
The heart keeps you in the moment and says with heart-felt gratitude, “Look at what really happened here. You avoided an accident, there is no car damage, and nobody in the car got hurt. Feel gratitude.”
Bottom line if this:
Keeping your old rights is a choice.
Giving up your old rights and transforming them into your new rights also is a choice.
As all of you know, when you choose your mind over your heart, you choose anger, frustration, resentment, stress, anxiety, worry, and fear.
Likewise, all of you know, when you choose your heart over your mind, you choose joy, happiness, fearlessness, compassion, contentment, love, acceptance, forgiveness, and gratitude.
You can give up your old rights by transforming them into your new rights. You will be able to view the world and participate in life from your heart. This is not an easy transformation to make, but I know this will change your life, and each and every one of you is worth it.
Keeping your old rights is a choice.
Giving up your old rights and transforming them into your new rights also is a choice.
The choice is yours.
Let’s choose our new rights together all the way to each and every one of your full recoveries!
Please post a comment below by copying and pasting these words:
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
Yes you are! Each and every one of you is winning and you are worth it!!
All my best,
Howard
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
The right to happiness was exactly what I needed to hear! Thank you Howard, greetings to all of you!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
Thank you, Howard!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
Hi Howard,
Thank you for today’s blog. It was very powerful and so, so true.
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cellls are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my reovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND I AM WORTH IT!!!
Thank you Howard! We are grateful to you for all your help….
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!! 💜🌟
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
Thank you!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!! Yes!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
Thank you, Howard!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
Meine Gehirnzellen sind heil.
Mein Dopaminspeicher ist voll.
Ich praktiziere das Recipe for Recovery, und meine Genesung von der Parkinsonschen Krankheit ist auf dem bestem Wege.
Ich entscheide mich für Glücklichsein und meine neuen Rechte auf positive Empfindungen.
Ich bin meine eigene Heilung von Parkinson.
Ich bin außergewöhnlich.
Ich bin Genesung.
Ich gewinne! Ich bin es wert zu genesen! Ich bin es absolut wert zu genesen!!!
Thank you, Howard!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
❤️
I will do the Recipe until the day the doctors says, “Scott, it is a miracle, you don’t have a trace or sign of Parkinson’s disease.”
Miracles do happen!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
A most important transformation. I am fueling it with a constant flow of smiles at anything and everything.
Thank you Howard!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
Thanks Howard
Love to everyone
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
As I read these words over and over, scrolling down the page, they root in that much more deeply. Thank you Howard. Thank you fellow travelers.
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!!!
Wow!…Yet another incredible and beautiful post, Howard! Your awareness of the existence and power of choice absolutely saturates this article. I am particularly drawn to your words “when you choose your heart over your mind, you choose joy, happiness, fearlessness, compassion, contentment, love, acceptance, forgiveness, and gratitude”. Such a clear list of vital human needs provides direction for us all! Thank you, dear soul.
My brain cells are alive. My dopamine reservoir is full. I am doing the Recipe, and my recovery from Parkinson’s is happening. I am choosing happiness and my new positive-emotion rights. I am my own Parkinson’s cure. I am extraordinary. I am recovery. I AM WINNING! AND, I AM WORTH IT!
[Print this instead of my previous message please]
I know my brain cells are alive because I can create something new instead of just copying what others have done before me. I can generate sufficient dopamine [necessary to eliminate Parkinsons] with the correct behavior and thoughts. I do the “recipe” [This is Howard Shifke’s routine at https://www.fightingparkinsonsdrugfree.com/ as best I can, but don’t get hung up if for some reason I get distracted from it, or get too busy from other necessary activities.
Am I worth it? What is “it”?- define: “It” for me is a life worth living. If I play music and contribute to the well being of my family and friends, then “it” is worth it. My Parkinson’s numbers have in fact gone down- from 37 down to 24 a month ago- along with symptoms that are slowly letting up, my leg and mouth tremor has for the most part vanished, although my left hand tremor and speaking voice are not yet completely normal. I’ll get there provided I take care of myself. I expect to be completely free of Parkinson’s at some point. Still having symptoms (first diagnosed in December of 2019) is an indication that I still have “work” to do on myself, and changes to be made.
My back surgery in January was major, but my surgeon said I had exceeded his best expectations. It takes at least a full year to recover from that (fusion of L5/L4/S1) . Although as I type this, I have no tremor in my left hand, which is my main Parkinson’s symptom. I walk a mile at day in the morning, and ride my bike and do Qigong afterwards. It’s time consuming, but must be done. I walked three miles one day, and can ride my bike 8 miles– but this is too much, and causes pain afterwards- so I’ve pulled back on the walking and riding for now, and don’t go as far, although I am pretty consistant in this.
I really should have done more exercise and watched my diet better and took my physical health for granted, but that’s water under the bridge.
Amygdala tickling has saved my life in many ways- no doubt about it. I’ve outlived most of my artistic gurus, brain teacher Lingo, my grandparents, and father. So I am doing better than well. Many do not even reach my current age of 69, and I’m that, and still creating new original music and short films for Youtube.
The most difficult thing is to remain calm, in a household where my wife and I are my 99 year old mother’s caretaker- and let me tell you, that’s a gigantic job, she can be a handful. None the less, it’s my view that life is a challenge- deliberately so, and caries a lot of resistance like weight training for the soul. Our “mission” in life is to replicate unconditional love- “god mind”, in whatever form that is necessary. Our soul, ultimately, to blossom like beautiful flowers.
Neil