Asleep With Pain And Difficulty

While this one may sound strange, Mortimer's issues in life are more than what meets the eye.  If you read the blog post with Mortimer's example, you will see just how asleep he is.

Here is a snippet of how Mortimer isn't present, even though he thinks he is.  It is an insidious struggle that works from the inside out in our mind and body.  It is the ego in control, not consciousness.

Mortimer thinks that life is just about pain and difficulty.  He knows that the doctor knows best and so he doesn't question if there is anything different he needs to do in his life. (see the full example of Mortimer)

For some reason when it comes to our health, we tend to disengage the brain that is inside our head.  I don't know how else to say that, but we all do it.  I've done it.  I've seen many do it.  I see many do it every day.  It is human behavior.

Like Mortimer, it is where we stop.  We don't go beyond it.  We don't go into it.  We often think that this is how things work and so we just accept that as fact.  Many times we are not taught anything different than what everyone practices.

Yes, our society and family units have taught us that anything that hurts or doesn't feel good is something that has to be fixed by someone else.  We're taught that in many ways.  We are often taught it at an early age when Mommy kisses our boo boo to make it better.

There's nothing wrong with going to get help.  In fact, we often need to do that whether it is medical attention or counseling services.  Too many times, we wait until things get really bad before we seek help.

The thing is, we just stop at that step.  We fail to go in and see what is causing our issues and find a way through them.  We fail to see how we need to change things in life.  We often fail to realize the role we play in making ourselves sick.

Yes, I know that not everything is something we did it to ourselves, but there is a vast majority of issues that could be greatly enhanced if we took our own blinders off.   We often put ourselves in moments of illness and distress that we don't need to, while we stay asleep in the process.

Some of us have endured many difficult moments in our past and as a result, we're forced to deal with issues that are so overwhelming.  I get that.  I've been there.  Some days I am still there.  However, there is so much we can do to impact our health and well being that many times we just don't do.

We can choose to stay asleep or we can destroy every paradigm we have about health and healing, to find something that works better for us.  We don't have to wait for a doctor or other health person to tell us to take something to numb us.  We can engage directly and learn more about our own mind and body.

The more you learn and the more you know, the more you can interact with your own health and healing.  Things that I would have claimed were impossible a few years ago are now things that I have seen change, and have healed in my own life and that of others.  I would not have guessed it then.  I would not have believed it then.

I try to keep an open mind to ways I can interact with my own awareness and consciousness.  Learning to recognize that there are other ways to improve my health and make life more than pain and difficulty has been eye opening to me.  It has awakened me from my sleep in life.

Is it easy to do this?  Not really!  Not in my view.  Yes, I can give lip service to it.  Yes, I can talk the talk of healing, but going in and doing it requires much more connection not only to my mind, but to my body.

After the Conversion Disorder paralysis I went through, I was bound and determined to find my way through it.  I didn't accept that this was the way things were or that this is the way they would be.  I pushed aside everything I thought I knew and began to open up to what I did not know.  In the end, it saved me.  In the beginning it was a life full of difficulty and pain.

Make sure you check out the next part in this 11 part series

 Part 7 is "What We Put In Our Body"

 

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Acceptance In Life

One blog I have been following lately has some very good insights.  The name of this blog is Soul Seeds and the writer of it is very talented in sharing insights to life.  The blog entry that I am sharing a link to here is on Acceptance And Change.

In life we encounter many moments where we grow as individuals.  Of course, these are often in the form of difficult times in life also known as change.  However, when we become aware of the change that we need, then we are able to accept it and move forward.  Not being aware of what it is that brings us difficulty in life holds us back from acceptance and change.

I really liked the way he talked about how we view acceptance as the opposite of change, when in reality it is not.  Resistance is the opposite of change.  It is when we go into accepting what is before us, that we empower our life and find our solution.  When we resist what it is before us, it is then that we are drained of the energy we need to live life to the fullest.

Take The First Step

I found the following picture posted to Dr. Wayne Dyer's Facebook page and just had to share this.  The picture depicts this concept so well.  If you look closely, you will notice the words "You don't have to see the whole staircase - just take the first step".  How more perfectly could this thought be stated.

Taking the first step is the key to finding your way through anything in life.  When life gets difficult and it is hard to know where to turn, you just have to take a step.  Sometimes that first step is the hardest because we are not sure if it is the correct one, or what will be the outcome, but if we just take the step we will find out.  It will give us the opportunity to find out if it is the step we need to take or it will teach us something more than we currently know.

Don't worry about identifying everything about the step so that you will be certain if it is the right one or not.  Trust your heart, your intuition and your body to help guide you.  Once you feel it in you, then take the step.  Don't delay!  Don't wait for another moment to come along urging you to take the step.  Just take the first step.

Don't Give Up When There Are No Answers

I continually read accounts and stories of personal struggles each day on the internet of people feeling like there is nothing they can do in life to help their situation.  Whether it is conversion disorder, financial difficulties, relationship problems or other concerns, there is always a way forward.  It may not look that way in the moment, but believe me, I've been through enough in life, to prove what I am saying.

During my days of seizures, lack of energy, and paralysis of the conversion disorder, I was passed from doctor to doctor, claiming they could find nothing wrong with me.  From a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, to anxiety attacks, to tests of every nature, life seemed hopeless.  It was not until one neurologist began to think outside the box in regards to my treatment, that my life began to change and have hope.

There have been other times in my life where I lost everything financially and was facing homelessness in a matter of days.  At the time, I was so depressed that I could barely focus on solutions to keep myself from becoming homeless.  It seemed like there was no way to win and all was hopeless.  Yet, a friend of mine helped me begin seeing the logical side of the events, and I was able to rescue myself from the situation I was in.

Beyond Our Capacity To Endure

In the book "Learning From The Light" by Dr. John Lerma, he writes extensively about one of his patients who's name was Sarah. The insight that she shares with him is beautiful and very enlightening. While some people may or may not agree with what these people are describing and talking about, it cannot be denied that Dr. Lerma has been a witness to these events many times. I have never personally worked in a hospice situation where people are dying but from a few people that I know who have done this, their experiences would tend to validate what Dr. Lerma writes about.

One quote from the chapter about Sarah really made sense to me and fit in with what I know about life. It matches up to what others have shared with me at various times and none of these people are connected or knew that the other shared certain things with me.

From Page 114 (Learning From The Light)

"With regard to the planning of our lives before our birth, Sarah told me that some souls are too overzealous to make a difference and choose extremely demanding and punishing lives. However, God is intimately involved in the architecture of our earthly role, and assures he will never allow a soul to engage in a role that is beyond their capacity to endure."

For Further Reading:
Learning From The Light by Dr. John Lerma


Blog Post & Images (c) 12/8/10 Don Shetterly - use by permission only

Tough Times In Life

Sometimes no matter how you look at a situation, there seems to be no end in sight. It seems like there are no options for resolution. It feels as if this situation will go on forever and ever. No matter what one does or wishes for, the outcome seems to be the same.

Confusion leads its way to tiredness as the struggle takes over. In one's mind, it seems hopeless. In fact, you wonder if things will ever change or improve. After all, you've fought the good fight but no matter what, that does not appear to be enough.

In fact, you begin to wonder if there is ever enough for you to give in life to make things better. You question if there is even a way forward. Your mind fixates on gloom and doom because that is what is familiar. Yet, you long for the winds of change. You long for something out there that is different than what you regularly experience.

Of course, you realize if you look back that you've been up against some very large and thick walls before. They are those tough times in life that you've been through all too often it seems. You know that there has been some deep challenging moments in life that tested you beyond your limits. In these times, it always seemed the darkest before the dawn. It was when you felt hardest hit that somehow and in some way you found a door through the brick wall.

What seemed like a solid wall had a door in it the entire time. Until you ran your fingers over the entire wall did you find it. Looking at the brick wall, the door blended in. So even though it felt impossible at the time to find the passageway through the wall, you managed to do that. It wasn't easy and it was not quick but eventually you did it.

In the end, you had changed and evolved for the better. Of course this was difficult to see in that moment. As time went by, it became a clear, beautiful and detailed portrait. You were able to see that in reality, the brick wall was not as big or as sturdy as you thought it to be in those tough times of life. You just were not at a vantage point where you could see this.

It was only when you allowed your fingers to find the door that your vantage point showed up. You gave yourself the permission to do this and then allowed yourself the option of walking through the door.

No matter how dark, difficult or tough the times in life get, let us never forget the many doors we've already walked through. It was in those tough times that sparks were ignited to produce some of the most spectacular fireworks for our days ahead. It was in those moments that our confusion, our fears and hopelessness were morphed into a new and unfolding path.

So when it appears hopeless or there is no door to be found, let us reach out until we find it. Keep our minds remembering that we have traveled through these times before. In each time, there was a passage way. In each time, we found the door. Let the rest of the moment unfold just as clouds drift along the horizon. All of these things will work out if we allow it to. And soon, we will be rejoicing that the tough times in life yielded some momentous growth for us.


(Above Picture taken by Don Shetterly: Fireworks, New Years - Miami, FL - (c) 01/01/02)




*Read other articles on Mind Body Thoughts Blog

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must -- but don't you quit.


Life is queer with it's twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up, though the pace seems slow -
You might succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
it seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup.
And he learned too late, when the
night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out --
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt --
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit --
It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

-- Author Unknown

Note:
If you are the author, please message me so I can make sure you are credited for this poem.



*For more articles, check out the Mind Body Thoughts Blog

Thankful Abundance In Life

I'm thankful today, for all I've been given.

I'm thankful for all I've been given in life. This includes the pain, the bad stuff and the difficult lessons of life.

I'm thankful for the supportive and caring people around me. I feel the love so strong in this moment.

I'm thankful for those who showed me harm in my life, for they have helped me grow in ways I most likely would not have.

I'm thankful for the beauty that is all around me. This includes those parts of our world who cast shadows in the night and darkness during the day. For it shows that light is all around me.

I'm thankful for the sounds and music around me. I hear the screams and the silence but together they show me the full width of the sound spectrum.

I'm thankful for restful moments in my life. They bring moments of reflection through the confusion of stress.

I'm thankful for my fears in life. For my fears and discomfort give way to showing me, areas of growth in my life and helping to keep my feet on the path.

I'm thankful for everything in my life. I realize all the events that swirl around me like a tornado, will lead to days of sunshine and calm.

I'm thankful today, for all I've been given.

I'm truly blessed.

I breathe it all in.

Prayer Of Self Acceptance

Dear Angels,
It is a difficult time right now and I could use all the support and love I can get at this time. Between the physical pain and the everyday stress, I feel like the weight of the world is upon me. I feel as if the hope of tomorrow is waning. I feel battered and bruised.

Yet, I am thankful for so much in my life. There is so much good that I have and which is around me. I appreciate all of it.

Please help me to accept myself and help me to see myself as you see me. Please help me to not just notice my faults but see all of the good I have in myself. I realize there are many fears that I hold on to but help me find the courage to let them go.

Wrap your arms of love around me and show me once more, just how special I am. Surround me with the courage to face my fears and the hope to see it through. Help me to open myself up and accept all of it in.

Ask Your Angels

While I know there are people who feel angels do exist, I know that there are many who just feel they don't. Frankly, it does not matter to me any longer if people believe what I do on this because I have been shown countless times in countless ways that they do exist in my life. I know deep down what I sense and I know the times that I can without a doubt claim to know they were there for me. Of course, we all see and feel and believe things through our own filters in life. It is up to each of us to search ourselves out and understand what it is that we connect with and where we may be blocked in connecting with the unseen in life.

One such example happened the other day for me. I've had a situation that has gone on for a long time in my life and because of some recent situations, it had really kicked up a lot of turmoil for me. Events had progressed to the point where it was consuming way too much of my time and thoughts and creating a very difficult state within my body.

So finally, during some meditation time that I was having that day, I finally just said - ok, enough! Angels, I really need your help on this because I really need to let go of this situation and be able to move on in my life. No longer, can I continue to think about this situation each day as it is just to much for me. It is consuming me. I need your help to work through this and to somehow move the situation forward. I'm not asking it to be resolved at this moment but to just be able to have something change that allows me to let go of it.

It wasn't but 30 minutes or an hour later, and I got a call from this person. Keep in mind that it had been several weeks since I last had contact from them and they had completely closed off all communication by phone, letter, email and facebook. No matter what I did, they completely ignored me. This had been going on for many weeks. Things of course were not 100% resolved but at least initial contact by phone had been made and they explained some of the recent situations that had happened in their life. I could understand all they had been through recently, had shut down the communication not because they wanted to but because it was just part of their process.

I'm still amazed that this happened so quickly. Time and time again, I've been told to ask my angels for the things I need help with because they are ready to help us. However, I keep forgetting to do this even though this is not the first time, I've seen quick results like I did. It is wonderful to know that we are all connected to so much more than we can see. Unfortunately so many doubt these things because of the people in the public spotlight that cast doubts upon what is possible. May we all open our eyes a little further in what we see and may we all question what is real, what it is that we feel and sense and what we have yet to understand.


*For more articles, check out the Mind Body Thoughts Blog

Piano Meditation Music

Meditation - the moments you spend in solitude and silence with reflection and a listening ear. Yet, these moments sometimes seem to me to be one of the hardest things to embrace in any given day. Between everything that is going on and all that I need to get done, the minutes fly by.

Today as I was sitting there playing my piano, I thought back to all the days that this has been a constant in my life. No matter how difficult the days or the events got in my life, there was always the piano. In fact, between the piano and my pets, I can always find life's center with these things. When nothing else in life gives me a moment of peace or stillness, I always have my piano.

When I was a child, my house was never dull and quiet. There were constant times of screaming, yelling and criticizing. In addition to that, love, touch and companionship, were shown to us in ways that were abusive, harmful and full of evil. It was in those moments, that the only thing I could do was to find a way to escape. For I could not deal with what was taking place at that time and it was not like I could just run away from the situation. There was no place to run to and no place to hide.

During these times, I would turn to my piano and play the songs that I so loved. Most of these were church hymns and choruses because that is all I knew and about all I was ever allowed to work with. Their easy melodies and harmonies along with the gentle and peaceful words found in the verses of the songs, made for some beautiful moments of connectedness for my life.

Today as I was playing some of these songs, I noticed that the pain and turmoil of the past are brought up within the notes. For the pain and turmoil was as much a connection for me to these songs as the peaceful moments were. And while the pain and turmoil is sometimes still overwhelming to me, there is a side of these songs that takes me into a space unlike any other. It is a place of deepness, far removed from this world.

One could say it is a place of meditation or spirituality but to me it goes much deeper than that. It is very hard to describe. I know I have read that Yanni talks about going into a black space when he creates. I'm sure what he is talking about and what I'm talking about are our own similar experiences with this. I'm sure each artist knows first hand what this space is.

It is a beautiful place to be and travel into. It does give me the opportunity to be deep in meditation. To me, meditation is not only about sitting cross legged in silence. It is much more that that. Meditation is a deep connection to what is not readily seen or heard. I'm always amazed at just how much insight, awareness and communication I receive when I'm deep in the meditative moments of playing my piano and creating.

May you find those deep moments within yourself that give you reset, renewal and a different outlook. May your own meditation bring you deeper within yourself.

While I don't record most of what I play in these moments, some of the music has made it on to my CD's of relaxing piano music from the heart. This music often comes out of those times and sound clips can be found on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify.

For More Information on Don Shetterly, Visit his website at http://www.donshetterly.com


*For more articles, check out the Mind Body Thoughts Blog

Never Gave Up

Here is a story of someone who has faced so much in his life, yet he did not let it stop him one bit. I am inspired by seeing this small portion of his story. When we get down or are faced with things in life that just seem to tough to get beyond, all we have to do is look at someone less fortunate to put things in perspective.

Life can be difficult but there is always an option, a window, a way forward. I've been there in some very deep dark moments and when the fears get high, the options look dim, I can tell you unequivocally that there is something better waiting beyond all you are experiencing. There are many cliches that one could state here but they don't mean as much as knowing that you're not alone and there are others who have made it through.

A Process, Not An End Point

At one time, I thought that if I just worked on particular issue A, B and C, that I would be fully healed from baggage of my past. It seemed like, all I had to do was go to counseling, work on it, become aware of it and that's it. I would be healed. While I would love to believe this, along with millions of other folks on this earth, healing really doesn't work this way.

For you see, once you begin to work on things, than you stand before a new world that opens up and unfolds itself. Imagine never being able to see and then all of the sudden you get your eye sight. Everything that before was unknown to you, is now vividly before your eyes. Imagine how that might look. You're still standing in the same world you have always known but now your awareness of what is around you has unfolded many times over.

Healing works much the same way. As we begin to take back those areas of our lives that were damaged or stretched out of proportion, life begins to look differently. We discover new things about all that is around us as well as ourselves. We begin to become more aware of all that there is instead of all that we currently know.

With each new awareness and each new level of awareness, there also comes other parts of our past issues that may not yet be resolved. It does not mean we have not fully healed or that we just need to move on. It means that we are growing, changing and coming up on opportunities to take our lives further. Growing, changing and evolving makes us more human and even though it may offer some rough moments in life, the rewards are full of possibility.

So often, we feel that we just want to move beyond things and not feel all of what may be coming up. Sometimes we may need to do this momentarily to survive but if we continue this way, we are only robbing ourselves of all that can be. Sure, it isn't always easy but we can heal and we can grow if we allow ourselves to. In all reality, the more we keep ourselves from feeling the uncomfortable stuff in our lives, the more we feed energy to these things.

Often, I have had people wonder why I continue to go into all that life has given to me and continue bringing these healing moments out. Part of it is my determination to move beyond these things because I am intimately aware of how they affect all aspects of my life. The other part is that I know there is a higher purpose to all that I've gone through and I am guided by this. While I can not fully see the higher purpose for myself, deep down the prompts in life show me that it does exist and to keep going. It does not make any of this easy nor do I enjoy spending the hard hours working on this. In the end though, I know that I can either rest on my laurels or I can dive head first into the evil side of life that was thrust upon me and reclaim an awareness greater than I can currently comprehend.

I remember the words to the song that Garth Brooks sings, "The Dance". "I could have missed the pain but I'd of had to miss the dance". It is a beautiful concept because while there are rough moments in our lives, it is a dance. The more we allow the bad and the good into our awareness, the more we can grow, prosper and claim all that is ours. There is so much more in life than we are currently and often aware of. However, all too often we just see the pain of it and we try to flee from it. It is when we stop and embrace the pain, that we fully "dance" in life.

As I said in the beginning of this, healing is not an end point. It is a process. If you are experiencing the pains in your life and the connections to past events, than most likely you are being given the opportunity to grow and discover yourself in new ways. Yes, I realize it may be scary and difficult but give it all you have and discover the rewards that await. Life does try to get our attention in one way or another and if we ignore it, we will see that it just tries harder. May you listen to life as it tries to get your attention so that you become all you can be as a human and you continue to evolve and grow in awareness. To do so, makes you truly human.

*For more articles, check out the Mind Body Thoughts Blog

Can I Make It?

A week ago, I was wondering in life if I would ever come to a point in my healing where things really changed in a way that was something I could go "that's it - I've got it!" I was beginning to get frustrated and tired of this process after several years of working intensely on things. The entire ordeal of the rash that started a few months back was almost the last straw that I could take.

Life was not easy for me and these recent developments have pushed my limits to the max and made me question everything that I know as well as all that I have learned. I am a person with great courage and determination to go through all that life has given me, but even some of these recent events challenged me to the point of almost exhaustion. There is a part of me that understands the higher purpose for this but when your body becomes weary and bruised to the bone, the capacity to go on is diminished.

So many people in my situation or other situations often give up or turn to alcohol, drugs, work, or other things to numb themselves from these things. I had my own ways that I numbed myself out. It may appear that it is far easier to just numb one's self than to find the strength and courage to face these things head on. However, if we continue to run from the fear and numb our pain, than we are only inviting a life full of heartache, despair and one that just seems to be too much to deal with.

Trauma changes our biology and it alters who we truly are as a person. Child abuse and trauma take the power away from the victim rendering them as participants in their body but not in control of who they are. No matter what that individual desires, without going into the process of fully discovering, acknowledging and releasing all that has gone on, these things will continue to hold power over the individual. It is like a short circuit in the brain. The effects of trauma are biological, physical and mental.

But just as I was coming to the end of my rope, the question of blog entry, (Are You Ready To Let Go?) came front and center with me. A war was waging that day within me to let go of something that I could not put into words. However, I knew it was there. At the same time, it was difficult to even begin thinking about letting go of it. After all, it was something I had known for many years and it was something that was such a part of me. So as the session continued, I found myself being very sensitive to all that was going on but still feeling like I was coming up against the short circuited part of my brain. The part that said, you'll never get through this - you can't do this - you're not worthy - you just won't make it - you're not good enough! As badly as I wanted to let go of that part of me, I realized just how difficult it was because it had grown so interconnected within me that to pluck it out meant I had to give up something that was so attached. As the session went, Dr. Canali did acupuncture on me and my body was so afraid of it, that it was hunched over trying to protect itself. Literally, my body was shielding itself from the acupuncture.

When I left the office that day, I felt discouraged because I didn't really think we had made any progress. By the time I got home from the 5 hour drive that night, my neck, shoulders, arm and back were in pain. They were stiff, sore and I began to blame it on sitting in the car for that long. Of course by the next morning, the anger was coming through in full force. I felt like I was pissed off the moment I woke up and really didn't understand why. My body ached and I felt horrible. Of course, Dr. Canali reminded me that this was all part of the process and to not go into the fear of it. He encouraged me to work on myself on the table which I did and that helped a lot. But just as he said, by the next day, I would feel much better and I did.

I woke up that next day feeling much lighter, freer and completely different than the day before. In the past, I've had moments where I felt better and more free and more relaxed but somehow, I knew this was different. It was a feeling of being connected to my heart and just not overwhelmed like I normally am. I noticed the anger was not anywhere near the level I normally have to deal with. It was a strange feeling and unusual because I don't think I have ever experienced it before.

Several days later and through a very stressful week, I'm still feeling very light, connected and centered. It is hard to explain but it is a wonderful feeling. This is a week later and it is still with me. I'm noticing that I'm able to talk to people and not feel so shy or nervous or sense the complete terror in my stomach. I'm noticing that I'm seeing people in a different light than I ever have and that feeling is coming from compassion instead of judgment and fear. Anger has been replaced by a willingness to be in the moment, not be bashed around by the moment. The source of anger seems to be dwindling and decreasing unlike any other moment in my life. I've had experiences in the past few days where I've had some deep connections with people I hardly know and felt confident enough to share things that I do understand. I'm experiencing a confidence in myself unlike any I've ever witnessed before. The stress of the weak did not cripple me. In fact, the stress just seemed to flow through and out of me. Yes, I felt the emotions at times and the affects of it but it didn't stay. It didn't last. If I acknowledged it, I noticed that it just sort of went poof!

As I shared this with Dr. Canali today, he reminded me that what I'm expeirencing is normal and it is the way life was intended to be. I'm thinking - wow - I like this! Bring this on some more! Give me more of it! Once again, to bring this point home in a crystal clear way - - this is not something that I get my mind to focus on or wish for or do whatever else that many do. It is something that has come from the inside out at the core level of my being. It is not something I'm doing or creating - it is just happening and it is just coming from the true part of who I am. It's almost boggling to my mind to think about, let alone experience.

I'm sure there will be some more bumps along the way and I may stub my toe on the rocks in the path but for now, this is one heck of an experience. To think a week ago, I was at the end of my rope and to see where I am now is making me want to jump up and down for joy! Sometimes we truly need to get to the end of our rope in order to find out there's a ledge to stand on below us. That takes a lot of courage and faith to let go of the rope but if we don't we'd just tire our self out all the while missing the ledge to stand on below.

And the best part about this, is all of this is real! It isn't someone's idea of what it should be or some result of some method that gives you warm fuzzies. It is a part of the core of my being. It is now a part that shows the real person I am. It comes from deep within and now it is part of me. I am reclaiming my life and for the first time, I'm truly getting a glimpse of what that life is about. It's beautiful and its a joy filled moment that is deeply rooted within me. That's the part that makes it so special because when our experiences and our healing are deeply rooted within the body, they are as real as you can get!

*For more articles, check out the Mind Body Thoughts Blog

How To Release Emotions

Life Learning Lessons: How To Release Emotions

For the past several months, I’ve been dealing with a rash that for the most part has gone away. However, there is still one section of my upper left arm that is hanging on. It changes of course from moment to moment, day to day. Some days, it is almost nonexistent and some days, it bothers me with an intensity that would make a grown person cry.

So the other day I was in a situation where I was working on a client site in close proximity with someone. This person was a touchy, feely person without strong boundaries. While their behavior was not with malicious intent, the touching and slapping they were doing around me was irritating to say the least. My body is very hypersensitive and the area they were touching was the area on my arm that still has a rash. It sort of felt like every time they touched this area, they were pressing the button on the atomic bomb and it was like, my arm kept saying – how lucky do you feel as they touched this part of my arm. The fear that comes up is that I’ll go off, lose control and go back into whatever is behind this rash on this particular spot on my arm. Right now, I cannot consciously describe what that is but I know without a doubt, it is there.

After a couple of times asking the person to not touch me especially not in this area, they continued. Of course I know they weren’t doing it intentionally as it was a subconscious thing within them. Something in them triggers this type of behavior in an autopilot mode where I’m sure they don’t even realize what they are doing. There is a very good chance; the action is mimicking something from long ago in their life that has now become a pattern. I understand that and can recognize it but it still makes it a very tough ordeal to experience.

However, here is where the series of events go into overdrive. After the second time of him hitting me in the arm, I picked up a chair in a joking manner and said, now go ahead and touch me there. I was trying to drive the point home enough so that he would stop. Fortunately he did but by that time, the itching had picked up dramatically and my arm was extremely painful. It was the kind of phantom pain that went deep to my bone and muscle and had nothing to do with the physical touch of being slapped. This was much deeper than that.

So I drove home and probably a good two hours after this happened or more, I all of the sudden found myself in a furry of rage at nothing or at no one. Yet, I was so full of rage. I was cursing, screaming at every little thing that seemed to go wrong on my computer or whatever was around me. At first, I didn’t even realize I was that full of rage until I stopped and took a look at myself. I kind of felt like a dog chasing his tail, who that actually caught his tail and then stopped and looked at what had happened. Yet, even in this moment, I could feel the deep rage bubbling up inside of me but with no explanation or connection to why it was there. From that point, the anger just increased exponentially to the point where it was unbearable. I wanted it to end. This led to me thinking thoughts of how can I end my life from this which of course then led to feeling like I wanted to cry but wasn’t able to cry. This all happened in a matter of moments and switched back and forth as easily as one could step forward or backwards.

It left me feeling like I was such a screw up and like I was just so darn messed up that I would never get through all of this that I am healing from. It felt like there was no tomorrow and no reason to go on. I struggled to keep myself from just wanting to give up. Again, this is in a matter of minutes or less and it switches from one emotion to the next so quickly.

I struggled through the next day of this wondering why all of this had happened and felt very sad for myself that anyone should have to endure this. After talking to Dr. Canali today about it and sharing with him what happened, so much more made sense.

You see, at one time in my life, I had no outlet for many emotions. It was not something that was allowed, condoned or even possible in my family. I was always a hypersensitive kid and that didn’t mix well with my family. We did not show anger in front of my father at all nor was I allowed to show tears without being told to grow up, whipped for it or being called a cry baby and humiliated. My mom was the one that seemed to be allowed to cry but then that was ok in my family because as I was taught, she was a woman or it was her time of the month so it was expected. That was the teaching I received from my Neanderthal father. Plus, the only anger I ever saw being dealt with in my family was my dad going off into a rage. There was no example I had to follow of watching someone release anger in a mature and safe manner.

Now fast forward to later in life when I have absolutely no clue as to how to deal with emotions in a healthy way and treat them as if they are a normal part of life. They were something to be feared, to be loathed and avoided at all costs. Yet, the stuffing of emotions deep within me got me many medical conditions from ulcers and illnesses, to migraines and daily headaches. So now, at my adult age, I am trying to parent myself and teach myself how to release emotions in a normal, healthy and balanced way.

Hearing from Dr. Canali that all of this that was going on, was my body and mind’s attempt to learn how to release emotions and deal with the emotions in a positive way, was like manna from heaven. Here, I had been beating myself up for it and getting lost in the fear of losing control rather than embracing the newness of my awareness for all that I was becoming conscious of. I thought it was a dreadful thing when in reality; this process is a good thing. If I can keep myself from diving deep into the fear of the moment and allow it to unfold and allow myself to learn from it, I know I will be able to transform some more of these deep hurts and lessons missed in my life. The more I get swallowed up by the fear of what is happening in moments like this, the more I am fueling the series of events to loop around in a circle with no exit.

It is a process to learn to heal these things and to fully reclaim one’s life. It is not a quick fix of I’m through this part so that’s it. We as humans are constantly evolving or hopefully we are and through that constant evolution, we are becoming more and more who we really are. To deny this or stop this process is denying the inner truth about our self. It isn’t easy going through this but as I have learned through the many other experiences that have come my way, there is the reward of a life filled with so much more than I could have imagined.

*For more articles, check out the Mind Body Thoughts Blog*

The Will To Survive

There are many people in this world that have been through extraordinary circumstances and some that are almost too difficult to believe that one can endure as much as they can. Yet, even in the midst of many things that people have had to struggle against, most find a way to make it through what they have encountered.

I'm sure most of them would say that the trying times were difficult beyond belief and at the time they didn't feel as if they could make it. However, in some way, manner or fashion, these people made it. They survived. They had the will to survive.

Today, I'm probably writing this for myself as much as for anyone. My life is no stranger to adversity and situations that an average person could fathom let alone experience. Some people cannot even begin comprehending some of the things that I have been through and to be honest, my mind sometimes has as much difficulty understanding all of it as well.

I think back to my early days on this planet where I was subjected to all kinds of conditions that a child should not have to endure. During those times, I learned how to numb out, to escape and not be present. It was my way of surviving events that were just too great for anyone, let alone a child.

Then I'm taken to the point where I became paralyzed and realizing that from one day to the next, we just never know what can happen. I found out then that life can change in a dramatic way giving us challenges which we were not prepared to face. And through those moments, the strength and courage come to help lift us slowly from this time and place. It is not without its trials, tribulations and weariness that one has to find the will to survive.

I'm reminded of the times that the will to survive included the need to not commit suicide. Even though I tried many times, I was never successful and it was in those worst of moments that somehow, something inside of me kept me going. While many may credit it to a religious figure or what not, I learned that whatever it was that kept me going was deep within me. It was that faintest of faint moments where my life said, "no - it is not your time - you must keep going". It was in those moments where the will to survive met the horrible evil secrets my life was holding. That meeting of two opposites, created the spark that ignited enough sustenance to continue.

Even now as I continue my own healing and I go deeper into the process, I find that time and time again, I come up against some of the worst moments of evil I have fought so hard to forget. I could continue to try and play and hide and seek with them but I know that sooner or later they will find me out. It would seem to be the easier way to deal with them and may feel like it but in the end, it comes down to how far I'm willing to allow myself to travel through my own journey. And believe me, there are many days when I say, this is to much - this is more than any person should have to deal with.

Sometimes I have no clue where the will to survive comes from or how I even find the spark to ignite it. Sometimes, it seems like there is absolutely no hope, no way forward, or no idea to begin the way forward into hope. Sometimes, all that seems to appear is a void of blackness with a lifetime sentence of futility.

It is in these times, when I realize that I may need to crawl back into my bunker and plot the next course of action. It is in these times, when maybe all I can do is look down at my feet and see they are still planted on the path of my life's journey. It is in these times, that just making it through the day is accomplishing as much as building the world's tallest mountain range.

I've even witness the will to survive in many animals I cared for on farms that I managed. If the animals still had the fight left in them and I mean the fight of wanting to stand up or just drink water and eat some food, then they had a chance. The animals that did not have this fight seldom made it. The fight was half the battle and the rest of the battle was their body healing and mending itself.

So if you're facing the dark doom filled glare of the void of darkness in your own life, know that this too shall pass and that you can make it through this. Allow yourself to stop and crawl back into your bunker while you plot the next course of action. Or if that is too much to do, allow yourself to look down and see that your feet are firmly planted on the ground below you. Give yourself the moment to be there without any expectations of what to do next. Give yourself, the option to do this.

I'm not here to tell you that all of life will be easy or these difficult moments will be a piece of cake. I'm not here to tell you to pull yourself up by your bootstraps or chin up because I know it is much more difficult than that. Most likely it is a difficult time and the despair is knocking on your door. However, just know that this too shall pass and you can make it through it. Remember, the fight is half the battle and as long as you kick, scream, yell and push or whatever it is that you do - you will find your way through it.

And if you think you can't find your way through it and there seems to be no open doors, just closed ones - than look for a window!
*For more articles, check out the Mind Body Thoughts Blog

Not A Life Sentence

It is part of our journey not a life sentence!

How many times do we go through life struggling and feeling like we're never going to get "there"? Of course, I'm not sure if I have figured out and understood where "there" is at but we all try to aim towards it. Sometimes "there" seems to be like a moving target. When we are in the midst of the struggle, it seems like there is no end.

Yet, I'm reminded again (I think this makes like reminder one million and some)that all the difficulties and struggles I face, they are just part of my journey. As long as I don't stop for good on my journey, I will get through them. It is ok to pause and rest awhile, but as I know, we must keep moving along our journey.

Even when we feel like there is not one single person that is there for us or wants to be around us and we feel so all alone, we can take solace in knowing that this is not a life sentence but it just part of the journey.

I'm not saying it will be easy or quick or magically it will get better at the push of a button but things do improve. Sometimes you have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death to get to the beauty that lies beyond it. Sometimes you have to walk through this without people that fully understand what the valley looks like.

In all things though, realize just like I am that this is part of the journey, not a life sentence.

Rough Patches

Right now, I'm facing some pretty rough moments in life. It is all things that are hitting me physically and are connected to some things that I really am not strong enough to discuss with anyone right now. I thought going through the paralysis was hard in 1991 but what is happening to me at this moment makes that look like child's play.

Please keep me in your positive, healing thoughts and prayers if you can. I can use all the support I can get right now to see me through this and to find the courage to get through this. Wish I could say more about what it is but I'm just not at that point. I am keeping a journal though of all that is going on.

We're headed to Miami on Sunday so I can work intensively with Dr. Canali and hope to push past some of these things.

I know there is hope and I'm clinging to that right now. I know I have a lot of support around me and that helps me greatly to even face this.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

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I Am Stronger Than You

I am stronger than you - I really am.

Maybe right now, you're kicking my butt -

Soon, however,

I hope to reverse the tide.

- - Don Shetterly

Do We Change or Do We Hunker Down?

Many of us from the species called humans come up against big obstacles in our life and in our day. We all know what these things are if we have not completely become numb to them. I'm sure each one of us could think of a zillion obstacles or at least one in our life right at this moment.

These obstacles are put in our path for many reasons. Sometimes they are to get us to stop and look at the direction we are traveling. Other times, they are put there so hopefully we will gain something new from observing the obstacle. They might be put there for many other reasons from bringing new insight to us, a warning for our lives or just to get our attention. I'm sure each of us could come up with many reasons for these obstacles being put in our path.

We as humans are meant to evolve and grow and become more than we were the day before. When in the busy hustle of life, evolving and growth towards things higher than ourselves often get put on the back burner. There are just too many things we tell ourselves that we must do and stopping to look at the obstacles in our life just requires too much time, work and energy. Ok, it may not be that direct that we do this but I'm not telling anyone something new. We all are well aware of what we do, even if we don't own up to it.

So my question is reflective for each person who is reading this to consider. Do we change or do we hunker down? Hunkering down can be a good thing sometimes when the hurricane force winds are bearing down upon us but if we stay hunkered down, we'll never see the sunlight of the new day. Once again, I ask, Do we change or do we hunker down?

It is up to each one of us to not be content with the status quo in our lives and to not just accept our life as the means to an end or this is the way it has been and always will be. It is up to each one of us to go forward in our lives, reaching for that higher purpose within ourselves and becoming all that we are not only meant to be but that we are capable of becoming. There is so much that lies within each one of us and we often forget this. We all must realize just how much we do have in spite of the obstacles we see before us.

So one final time I ask the question again: Do we change or do we hunker down when we come upon obstacles in our lives?

It is an answer only you can give and hopefully you are honest with yourself because no one else will do that for you.