Life is a Journey. Enjoy the process.
I vaguely remember a computer game called "The King's Quest" that I played in the early 1990's where I made my way through various scenes by finding clues under toadstools, receiving spells from witches, and buying keys from elves, all to advance to the next level and eventually save the kingdom. My brother and I would spend hours making our way through the worlds, happily exploring and delighting when a key or bag of fairy dust was found. I don't ever remember completing the game and saving the kingdom, but it was still fun and engaging. If there was only one step to solving the game, no one would play it.
I refresh my memory of the "King's Quest" game on Wikipedia:
“The primary way in which characters solve puzzles and advance through the game is by using items found earlier in the game and stored in their inventory. Other puzzles include the mapping of labyrinths, deserts, or other inhospitable places; solving riddles; and tasks involving the use of logic or lateral thinking skills. It is important to use all one’s character’s senses to gather all the information available: look, listen, smell, taste, or touch whenever possible.”
I like to think of my life as being like that game- I will call my game: "The Hero's Journey". That way, I can think of all the doctor's appointments, treatments, practitioners, and practices, courses, retreats, books, e courses, etc.... that I have tried to heal my body and mind of chronic pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and neurological disease not as failures, but as part of the journey.
And what a journey it has been! I am quite the explorer! I have looked under many toadstools and talked to many healers and elves. I have taken many paths and had many different experiences. I always wanted to have an adventurous life- I had envisioned exotic travel, and volunteering in other countries. I got the adventure, just not the one I had envisioned.
Each experience has and added to my inventory and has advanced me on my journey. I think I am lucky that I didn't have a clear diagnosis for so long. My chronic pain began at the age of 15 and I wasn't correctly diagnosed with Juvenile Parkinson's Disease until the age of 36. If I had had a clear diagnosis that many years ago, I wouldn't have been on such a journey and would not have accumulated such rich (and some not so rich) experiences. Isn't that the purpose of life: to have adventures, amass experiences, meet people, learn new things?
Now that I have a clear diagnosis, I have been able to find more peace. That wasn't immediate. My diagnosis was in 2012, I started working on acceptance in 2015, and I feel like I just got there in early 2018.
Reflecting on my quest for healing as journey has helped me think of my experiences positively. I hope it can do the same for you. I can see how I have persevered. I have gone through labyrinths and other inhospitable places; I have solved riddles and done many odd tasks; I have gathered information with all of my senses. I am a woman of courage: a hero on a journey.
My journey now will be accepting myself as I am and taking care of myself, not because I am broken and need to be fixed, but because I am wonderful and I am worth it.
About Me
I have been living with chronic illness and exploring the healing journey for over 20 years. I have been very blessed to learn from many great teachers and have the opportunity to explore many healing paths. I offer what I have learned from that journey to you in the form of aslowerkindoflife.com. I love pondering the mysteries of life and how it all weaves together into a beautiful journey.
contact me:
aslowerkindoflife@gmail.com