Innerwords Newsletter: Dealing with Dis-ease and Physical Challenges to Live by Intention

Have you ever experienced a physical challenge, a medical diagnosis not to your liking, or an age-related problem? If we are fortunate enough to live to "old age," more than likely we will experience physical challenges. Our culture ignores the fact that life is not permanent on the physical level. Everything new breaks down and needs maintenance, from our houses and cars to our bodies. Living in a culture that is phobic about aging, death, and dying doesn't prepare us to know how to help ourselves when the body has problems. When we have something physically wrong at any age and for whatever reason, it is helpful to learn ways to heal and help our bodies. At the same time, it is equally important to learn ways to accept the reality of our current condition and to make the best of our lives. It is easy to get off track, forgetting what life is about when caught up with the stress of a physical problem. As we deal with challenges it is helpful to keep in mind that each life is a gift from Source to experience, grow, explore, play, create, love, connect, and evolve. As we find gratitude for all we experience it helps us with the ups and downs of our life experiences. Affirm often, "I am grateful."

Dis-ease from all causes can allow us to examine our lives and build awareness through self-inquiry. We will look at the language of our bodies -- feelings -- and the language of the minds -- thoughts and pictures. Then we will discuss the power of setting intentions to consciously direct our lives.

A major issue to acknowledge is the false sense of security felt when playing life safe, not looking too far afield, so that life feels predictable and controllable. It is helpful to explore insecurities and control issues because we all have them and we live with uncertainty, for example not knowing when we will die. Living with uncertainty does not have to keep us in a state of anxiety. It can be a very creative, fertile place in consciousness to live, especially when you trust the wisdom of the non-physical part of you (soul, spiritual essence, Divine Presence) to guide you. And at the same time practice living mindfully focusing on today. It is helpful to remind ourselves to stay out of the future and the past and live NOW.

What comes up for you in reading this introduction? Mild discomfort, fear, or possibly panic, which shows up in degrees of shallow breathing, tightness in parts of the body, freezing normal movement, and thoughts making up a story. Consider this as positive. Why? Because you have stepped outside your comfort zone of believing your little self (ego) is in charge of making you safe and secure from all the "negative feeling" stuff in life. It is therefore understandable that this article could make us uncomfortable.

There are new ways to view our physical maladies and insecurities by exploring outside our usual range of normal, which help to temper fear, isolation, self-absorption, and suffering. When in crisis consider it is an opportunity to open ourselves to new ideas. There are always ways to grow and improve when life takes an unexpected turn. Emotional reactions and fears can be motivators to find relief from pain and suffering and to discover ways to find more peace, love, joy, and acceptance. It is also a time to root out false beliefs and assumptions, unreal expectations, and attachments. Expanding your viewpoints can in the long run help you accept the current reality in your life and prepare ahead of time to more easily surrender when you need to release this life.

Two of the greatest gifts of being human are to experience emotions in our bodies with a multitude of feelings and to experience an imagination to use our minds to create, explore, and experience possibilities. Both can be used to our benefit or detriment. Emotions are neither good nor bad, however most people spin a positive or negative charge. Life teaches us in opposites -- night vs day, up vs down, cold vs hot, giving vs receiving. The same with emotions, happy vs sad, love vs fear, empowerment vs powerlessness. We need both sides of the equation to fully experience life. The more mature we become the more we experience dominion over the extremes in our emotions, working to balance emotional triggers into healthy responses and the runaway mind ruminating with a fixed story, many times with a "poor me" theme.

Our imaginations are magical. It is how we create our day, from the mundane to the spiritual. It is how we move in the direction we want to go from what to eat for breakfast to healing our bodies. Many people create unconsciously without awareness, repeating patterns of thinking and believing without ever examining them to see if their thoughts and beliefs are true and serve their greater good. If you have cancer or heart disease or a body part not fully functioning, you and only you oversee how you go through the experience and how you live your day. Ask yourself, if worry dominates your day might it serve you to trust there are opportunities to learn how to have real security -- connecting with and trusting the Divine Presence within to guide you rather than relying solely on your little self. It works easier when they work together with the higher self being in charge.

You are in charge by your choices to stagnate or grow with an aging body, medical diagnosis, or a turn in the road you never expected. If you give little thought to moving out of fixed patterns of thinking and feeling you are living from a passive position. Here there are no new ideas or choices, and most probably a negative feeling reality is experienced, dominated by fear, worry, and boredom. On the other hand, if you live from a proactive position there is a curiosity and desire to gather new ideas and grow and evolve awareness with choices that have a positive feeling spin to your day no matter what your issues are. If you choose a proactive partnership with your divine essence, ask yourself daily things such as, "What do I need to know or do to heal a negative attitude, fear, or stop worrying? What is one new thing I will put into action today? What affirmations will I repeat over and over to still my mind? What is one trait, attitude, behavior, or emotion I want to temper today? What is one belief that is no longer serving me? What spiritual practice do I want to put in place to help me?" Journal writing is a helpful way to fine tune your intentions and gain clarity.

How do we use our imagination? It works in thoughts and pictures. The imagination helps us look at alternative choices and determine what is right for us. You can use visualization to support the changes you want to make, seeing the end result. You can visualize yourself reading books and articles about improving your condition and getting different expert opinions about how to treat the condition. To explore outside the box see yourself watching YouTube lectures on topics about healing, such as listening to music that improves the immune system. See yourself visiting a naturopath to try complimentary medicine to support medical treatment. Ask for support from friends. Use your mind to think about what you want to explore or experience -- "I want to live each day more aware," or "I want to try alternative healing methods," or "I want to focus on accepting the current reality with an open heart and inner peace." Then visualize yourself experiencing those choices your mind has conceived. Think it, see it, feel it, be it.

Let us use a powerful tool to help you change directions -- living by intention, which is creating consciously what we want to have, do, explore, or experience. It is helpful to write down intention statements. Keep correcting and fine tuning your intention statements as you receive more clarity. Read it to yourself often. See and feel it manifesting in the future. Share your intention(s) with loved ones and friends who support your growth and healing. Ask them what their intention statements might be to support them. There is more power in a group of people supporting your intentions than working alone. More information is found in the book, The Power of Eight, by Lynne McTaggart. Intentions can be very short as in the first example or very detailed as in the third example.

I intend to set boundaries with toxic people in my life. No matter how uncomfortable, I choose my needs over the control of others.

I intend to spend more quality time with my children. I take time to stop my activities, make eye contact, and listen more to what they have to say. I limit too much internet or cell phone time to create connection time.

My intention is to live my highest spiritual purpose and truth. I intend to live my life to the fullest each day with or without physical pain, connecting to loved ones, enjoying my creativity, and assisting others. I draw to me all that I need to live my highest purpose, paying attention to my intuition and the synchronicity of events and people and ideas crossing my path. I use my experiences to uplift others to heal their bodies of dis-ease on all levels -- physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

In summary, as we work on our inner self it influences what we experience in our physical outer life. We talked about the potential hidden in dis-ease to grow in awareness and grow spiritually. Working with the two gifts of emotions through body feelings, and imagination through thoughts and pictures in your mind can help you create a positive feeling reality no matter the circumstances. By expanding your awareness when you experience an aging body or dis-ease you can limit boredom and fear. Intentions are a powerful addition to increasing positive results in your life, especially when you allow a group of people to support you. We can improve the quality of our life to experience deep peace, joy, love, and acceptance of all our life experiences. Remember the importance of gratitude -- for your life, all your experiences, and all the people in your life. May you be curious to try at least one idea here to learn and grow and navigate this passage as an important part of the journey of your life.