Stop saying I can't.

I'm sitting at a cafe, reading a book about creating an exceptional life and inner wisdom. As I'm turning the page, I take my first sip off the latte. The steam fogs up my readers. I don't care that it's 90 degrees outside; I like my coffee hot. Besides, that's what A/C is for.

I'm feeling quiet today. Contemplative, but peaceful. A follow up visit with the neurosurgeon today revealed I won't be returning to the workforce anytime soon, or taking off this cervical collar. Sigh.

Just as I was beginning to feel sorry for myself, dwelling on the feeling that life is on hold and passing me by, I read a random page in this book that reminded me that nothing is coincidence and that each event that happens to me -good or bad- slightly reshapes me into the (better, stronger) person I am today. In the middle of a bad event, I can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel. 'What good can possibly come out of THIS,' I begin to wonder.

Sometimes you just have to retrain your mind to not expect the worst outcome.

As one of my favorite authors, Louise Hay, says: If you are willing to change your thinking, you can change your life. Author Rhonda Byrne says something similar: If you think it in your head, you will hold it in your hand. No, I haven't won the Powerball -YET_ but what I've wanted more than anything these last 2 1/2 years was to be alive and survive all the health issues that were plaguing my existence. At a time when even some of my doctors gave up on me, fearing that my rash of autoimmune disease diagnoses would continue until one of them killed me, I never gave up on myself and the power I believed my body had to fight back. So after one physician ended one of our office visits by saying "See you at your next diagnosis," I was off reading every health and healing book and journal I could get my hands on. I visited holistic dietitians (who recommend eating whole foods) and began practicing meditation. That's the simplified version of that story (my february 2011 blog entry gives more detail). My doctors watched as my blood work markers vastly improved, and began asking me what I was doing that was working.

I realized, for the first time, how much untapped energy we have inside to restore our bodies. The body has an unshakable desire to heal itself to the best of its ability. It just needs us to believe that we can. Our bodies want us to calm down, be in control and tell it what to do. You can't always reverse what's already happened to you physically. But I believe you can improve your situation and make things more manageable. It's not voodoo or rocket science, y'all, but really basic things that we already know we should be doing. Basic care of our health. As an example, if you are celiac, don't eat gluten. Never. Don't take risks, despite temptation. And things that can improve the state of all your diseases- eat clean, whole foods, everyday. And get some sleep for crying out loud. Get 8 hours every night. Make it your priority. Make YOURSELF and YOUR HEALTH your daily priority. Cuz guess what, once it's gone, it's gone. And you'll realize that nothing else ever should have mattered more.

I hope you'll read yesterday's blog and think about your energy and how you can use it to your advantage health-wise. And I hope you read this and it will be the little spark that ignites your desire to turn things around in your life. You don't need to wait until the New Year craze begins to start taking care of yourself. Start today. Right now. Start little. You'll be happy you did! See that face below, don't I look happy? If I can be happy, YOU can be happy. :)