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The Meaning Of Challenge

Submitted by mbrizman on Tue, 03/24/2009 - 07:30

I personally do not follow any exact faith. Mine is a personal interpretation of a combination
of many philosophies that guide me through my life. But, it occurred to me that if one would
consult his or her practitioners of faith, one might get answers such as:

all things are meant to be as they are, as God designed them to be, ad we must accept that
there is a higher purpose to all of this, or,

God does not give us more than we can handle, or,

there are karmic reasons for all that happens in life. But,

Sometimes, no matter how strong our faith and our belief systems, these kinds of words dont
bring much solace. IN fact, sometimes we could be left feeling abandoned and alone in
our suffering.


I bring this up because the pain that one can feel in questioning moments such as these
can be profound and life altering.

As a practitioner of Chinese medicine with some faith in a higher purpose, I choose to
believe that "life" or, our body offers us the opportunity to find ourselves at a fork
in the road with a stop sign. This is when our body has said "enough". At that point we have the opportunity to go one way or the other. We can continue in the direction that has led us to be unhealthy or we can choose the other direction and look at what has led us to the place we have newly arrived upon.

This present destination is not a place where one magically lands on a given day. But, like all things, is a place that has had many events having led up to it.

I find that if this opportunity is taken and change is made, the redirection can be beneficial
in both the short term as well as the long term. The course of one's life may be infinitely healthier as a consequence of having met with that fork in the road.

So, whatever your personal beliefs or faith. Try to be strong when you are met with adversity and see the possibilities for that which lies ahead because of the unwanted event instead of focusing on the unwanted event itself.

This perspective may help in those dark moments of despair, I hope. 

Tue, 03/24/2009 - 09:43
#1
lolo
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Joined: 08/27/2008
Meaning

Dr Matia..thank you! This is right on target in my view and now a treasured resource gift to read  during "those" inevitable times.
Yes, there has to be a higher power at the helm..the very pattern of consequence and the continual striving for balance  confirms this for me.
I have times of seeing quite clearly the long ranging gifts of this illness, but this is not an easy vision to hold onto as we all know.
I can't imagine the healing journey without this awareness, prayer and meditation....particularly in our despairing moments.
with Love, Lois 


 

lolo

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Tue, 03/24/2009 - 11:51
#2
mbrizman
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Joined: 02/20/2008
Lolo

I am glad you enjoyed it. That means a lot!:)

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Tue, 03/24/2009 - 21:57
#3
veryhappymom
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Joined: 01/12/2009
Stronger than Before

  Your blog was very powerful.  I also believe in the mind, body, spirit, connection.  When a person faces a serious illness, they must ask life's tough questions.  
   In my battle with IC, I have been through many valleys.  Recently, I have entered into a time of spiritual awakening, which has led me to believe that I can overcome IC.  This week, I have been meditating on the words of the song, Stronger than Before.  I hope that it brings encouragement to your patients as they heal from IC. 

Stronger Than Before
By Janny Grein

  

Even tho' the rain comes down
It springs life into the ground
And I know the sun will shine
And that gives hope again
To this heart of mine

  

I know God can heal all things
Broken lives and broken wings
Only He can mend a heart
That this world has torn apart

Don't look back into the past
What was fire now is ash
Let it all be dead and gone
The time is now for movin' on

(Chorus)
As the seasons make their turn
There's a lesson here to learn
Broken wings take time to mend
Before they learn to fly again
On the breath of God they'll soar
They'll be stronger than before

(Chorus)
As the seasons make their turn
There's a lesson here to learn
Broken wings take time to mend
Before they learn to fly again
On the breath of God they'll soar
They'll be stronger than before
 









   
   
 
Pslam 103:5 God satisfies your mouth with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle's.

Broken wings take time to mend
Before they learn to fly again
On the breath of God they'll soar
They'll be stronger than before

On the breath of God I'll soar
I'll be stronger than before.
n/a
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Wed, 03/25/2009 - 04:43
#4
mbrizman
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Joined: 02/20/2008
Sharon

Thank you for sharing this beautiful song. I do believe that as alternative types of
medicine are based in the mind/body connection, one must use a multifaceted approach
to address all aspects of restoring a person's health. Using energetic types of methods
that include things like meditation, movement exercises, song, discussion, etc... touches and reaches all of our senses in order to access the non-physical, energetic aspects of ourselves.

This is so important! I remember when I was in school, my dog had a stroke, he couldnt
walk. I took him to see a then famous acupuncturist/vet. The man did acupuncture and
sent me home with a CD that had nothing but sounds on it. He told me to loop it on
my CD player and let the dog listen to it. Idid. The dog did not move from that spot
except to relieve himself for three days.

After three days, he was well again. He could walk and was running around and happy.
At the time, I didnt understand. But, now when I reflect back, I do. This sound therapy
reached him on an energetic level and in turn affected his physical level.

This is why all of these things that each of you share with one another is so important!
Thank you:)
 

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Wed, 03/25/2009 - 07:15
#5
icnot4me
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Joined: 03/27/2008
post

This is an interesting post, as I have been very discouraged lately about a physical issue I"ve had since I was so young.  I've been getting depressed about dealing with it everyday and I've had a lot of fearful, sad thoughts about my health.  Even though I am naturally responding to a difficult circumstance, can my emotional/mental state exacerbate my health problems?

This is something I have wrestled with for years, the whole positive thinking belief that you can make yourself better by what you think and say.  But when that doesn't happen, I find myself even more disappointed and depressed.  So I'm not sure how great the emotional/mental component is to our health.  confused. . .
icnot4me

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Wed, 03/25/2009 - 07:40
#6
mbrizman
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Joined: 02/20/2008
ICNOT4ME

I struggle with that question when situations like yours come up too. I don't know why 
your situation has been so bad or what that means to you or for you in your life.

I am not implying that you are the cause of this by not being positive enough.
So, please do not interpret my words to mean that at all. I think even in the face
of positive thinking there can remain a lot of tough challenges.

What I am suggesting, however, is to try and examine the reasons and to do
your best to shed the most positive spin on it you can to derive meaning and hope for you in your life. The most important thing is to keep trying in the face of adversity. To keep struggling ahead no matter what ahead is for you. Whatever path it is, it should be one that is filled with hope and the power of your own choice and decision making. 

And, try along the way to look at anything you are holding onto that is not in your best
interest and let it go. Again, if you cant, dont blame yourself or think that holds you back. Try and hope that you can succeed in doing it though.

We all struggle in this manner in one way or another in our lives. I have myself faced these kinds of issues many times. And, i understand how hard it is.  

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Wed, 03/25/2009 - 15:55
#7
toreyg
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Joined: 12/15/2008
this post really hits home

this post really hits home for me. i seem to struggle with this issue on a daily basis. i question myself everyday, why me? what did i do to deserve this? i always thought the answer was b/c i wasnt meant to be happy and live a long life. now im beginning to see a positive different perspective. that i am meant to live the REST of my life healthy and happier than i ever could have imagined.somehow fate brought me to this road, to turn things around and i am grateful for having this oppertunity to restore my health and have that knowledge for my children someday.we r all being challenged in this journey, i myself was never ever a strong person(very weak individual) . this journey has gave me the strength i never in a million years thought i could handle. thankyou matia for helping me along this tough road:)

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