These few words from my friend Julien Matei, a great composer, pianist and philosopher from Romania at Mirrors of Encounters, are perfect just now when everybody is talking about the upcoming Lymphedema Awareness Month and Day, in March:
“Suffering is actually Life telling you that you are cut off from its grand totality.”
It makes one think.
Are you suffering from lymphedema, lipedema, cancer, diabetes, MS or some other disease that is said to be chronic or worse, incurable?
It only means that Life is trying to tell you something through your body.
But are you LISTENING?
Or are you only battling the “messenger”, the part of your body that has stopped functioning properly? Telling yourself: “Poor me, how sick I am with this…”, “I can never again do …”, “I will have this disease for the rest of my life.”
And are you trying to get the attention of others, too, so that the world would know that you have an undesirable physical condition? “Look at me, look at me, how sick I am!” “I deserve this, and I demand that, because I am unable to provide myself with things I need and want!”
People are good, and will want to help you and they will do for you whatever they can. But if you are still not LISTENING to what Life is constantly trying to tell you but instead, you go on crying for attention, after a while even the most compassionate ones around you will become sick and tired of hearing it all the time…
Are you listening to what Life is trying to tell YOU?
Now, how can you LISTEN, when you just TALK, TALK, TALK?
There are Awareness Months and Days for more and more illnesses, with fundraisers, events, articles, charities, other organizations and individuals selling stuff, having talk shows, publishing articles and videos – telling the world how bad this or that physical condition is.
But a physical symptom is only a physical symptom, that is: simply a sign, a manifestation, indication of something that is going on with YOU or in your life. Something that wants to show you what you would like to have, do or be – but for some reason, you don’t or aren’t.
Think of it for a moment: WHAT is it that you really would like to have, do or be, but what is missing from your life?
Don’t know? Maybe you need to stop being too busy with trying to treat a SYMPTOM, hate your body part (or yourself) for it, making noise, – and start to listen more carefully…
Stop crying, whining and shouting about your faulty body part and expecting it from others that they will fix it for you! If you can’t, who can? It’s YOUR body and you are the one controlling it.
Stop fighting a fight of – what are you fighting for, at all? Fighting for attention and recognition: should people give you more of their attention, money and things, and recognize the fact that YOU are not listening?
Yes, these words might sound a little harsh…
Because you are fighting with your best intention to get well and to help others! And yes, that should be recognized.
Quoting Lissa Rankin, MD, from her article Stop Fighting Life, however: “To be on the front lines of service work, you have to stop fighting what is.”
If you are willing to do that, it will give you a chance to listen to what Life is trying to tell you, so that eventually you won’t have to suffer any more but instead, you could be more alive and happy…
I wish you Life Awereness Days, Months and Years,
Andrea
Source: In few poignant words…, by Julien Matei
Read this, too: Fight? Create!
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Andrea Gerák (also spelled as Gerak) is a Hungarian artist, mostly known as a singer. She is also photographing, dancing, writing, sometimes acting or modeling, and forever learning through her journey in the world, living a happy nomad life. Her attention turned to health matters after a cancer surgery in 2008. Proud mom of a big boy.
Andrea Gerák 