sambear has good news, but it’s his to tell first 🙂
I don’t really understand the attraction of things like the wish meme. It seems to simply run through a script based on what you enter. Lots of people seem quite tickled by it, though.
Yet another book I want: The Art of Getting Well by David Spero.
From his site:
Five Steps to Getting Better with Chronic Conditions
1. Slow down. Save some energy for our bodies and lives, instead of giving every last ounce to work, worry, other demands, or entertainment.
2. Make a change. Change something in our lives that damages us. No matter how small, any successful change builds our self-confidence and makes the next change easier.
3. Get help. We can’t do it alone; life is a cooperative effort. Learn to find and ask for help.
4. Value our bodies and our lives. Listen to our bodies and treat them with respect. Fill our lives with more pleasure, love, and reasons to live.
5. Grow up. Educate ourselves, take responsibility, be assertive. Accept ourselves the way we are, but don’t give up on getting better.
Yes, this is a lot, especially considering Step 4 is really two steps. But you don’t have to do it all. Anything you do for yourself will help, and every step along the way will feel good. The whole idea, supported by scientific studies, is that improving our quality of life will improve our health. This site will give you a steady source of tips and support in carrying out the five-step program. You can get better.
Another bit:
Darlene Cohen healed herself from rheumatoid arthritis, which had virtually paralyzed her. She has written two books on the subject. When I interviewed her, she told me the key was “living from the body’s point of view.”
That is, do what your body wants and needs, not what social demands or your own expectations tell you to do. “That means living a simple life,” she says, “because the body is mainly interested in being fed and relaxed, moving comfortably, being happy.” It really doesn’t care much about your pending job promotion or your belief that you let your mother down by dropping out of school.
I often repeat this advice to clients and friends. Our bodies are the most precious assets we have, the greatest gift we are given. They are marvelous and intelligent, the basis of everything we do in life. It cant be right to abuse them and ignore them.
The amazing thing is that when we act according to the body’s needs, when we put our bodies first, we tend to make decisions that are better for us and for our loved ones. We tend to behave in more appropriate, effective, and socially positive ways, and our lives often tend to improve. I recently saw two examples of this dynamic.
