I remember Mum speaking of her joy upon meeting my physiotherapist for the first time—a strong, athletic Australian with broad shoulders and a huge, radiant smile.
I had been in traction for a number of weeks and had bone growing inside my muscles (calcification). The left-hand side of my body was almost entirely paralysed and my arm was slowly being corrected after being contorted under my jaw (hemiplegia).
There was a catalogue of reasons why I shouldn’t have been able to get out of bed but I was surrounded by more reasons why I should. We are all surrounded by them. We are all surrounded by love. We are all surrounded by hope. We are surrounded by possibility. We are surrounded by and have the ability to tune into whatever frequencies we choose.
Our lives are built on stories. We are master narrators. As powerful and genuine as they may be, as valid a reason we may have for writing them, it’s important to recognise that our primary source of limitation comes from what we have written ourselves into. The stories about your life you’ve been repeating over and over in your head have been providing the results you’ve been experiencing.
There are no magic bullets other than the ones sat within us awaiting discharge and anyone who suggests there is without getting to know you is probably trying to sell you something.
Part of our healing has to do with rewriting the stories we’ve been telling ourselves. In better getting to know ourselves and being humble enough to ask what role we had to play in unfavourable situations we can feel fully capable of creating a narrative surrounding them that better serves us and our goals.
The process of lifelong learning opens our mind to the possibility of new possibilities.
In all the noise of the world serving to keep our attention away from the treasure within, we may have forgotten what powerful, magnificent energy lies there.
Our realities are solely dependent on the level of consciousness we apply to situations. If we want better, it has nothing to do with the object of our external worlds. Nothing objective has the inherent power to cause either happiness or suffering, but how we relate to these events, has.
The quality of our intent determines the quality of our success.
We are completely responsible for our actions and efforts in life. Pointing the finger only negates any chance we had at improving the situation and gives something else the power over us.
Being accountable and taking ownership puts that autonomy back in the right hands.
Paint yourself as a victim and you shall forever be that way. Honour yourself as a warrior and there is literally nothing that can stand in your way...
Mum, the healthcare professionals, and I worked incredibly hard to restore the most fundamental of movements largely taken for granted by a majority of us in our day-to-day lives. We danced the fine balance between the fierce desire to achieve with the healing capacity to be. We worked on mastering the dance of that which ultimately paved the way back to our best selves.
I went to sleep each night visualising the reconnection and rerouting of the neural pathways carrying the signals from my brain down to my foot carrying the instruction for it to move. I focused on the connective, positive, healing energies filling each cell within my body.
Often overlooked is the function of hospitals in the process of inpatient recovery. Everything essential was happening around me so I had been blessed with the opportunity to focus on what I most needed.
This was, in itself, an early practice in mindfulness and restoring my ability to focus.
Seeing my toes wriggle was the first cause for celebration. Sitting up on the bed was a huge milestone. Getting up off the bed was another notable achievement. Open your mind to the endless possibilities that lay beyond the limitations of your conditioning. Relax into the awareness that you are already in possession of whatever qualities you desire. Relax into a calm but focused certainty and feed your mind with the best possible outcomes.
WE MUST FIRST TAKE OWNERSHIP OF WHAT WE DESIRE TO CHANGE AND DEVELOP A CERTAIN INEVITABILITY AS TO THAT CONDITION BEING MET
in Who Do You Want To Be On The Way To What You Want?, Donna Zajonc writes, “‘Our wounds stay with us in some form no matter how long we live on this earth, … It’s how we relate to them that matters. We always have a choice to struggle against our human journey or accept and appreciate the wonder in it.'”
Now is the time for you to decide. Just decide. Make the decision to honour the behaviour of your ideal self and you will automatically stop falling victim to whatever layers are masking your true self.
“Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now take what’s left and live it properly.” — Marcus Aurelius
This is about locating whatever thoughts are preventing you from resting in the silence of your own heart and shining a light on their presence, fearlessly. This is about making the decision to stop going around and around in circles and meet our discomfort head-on rather than remaining under the impression we must escape it by burying our heads in the sand, only to find that, as if by some miracle, the same underlying mechanism crops up in the future.
Take a step forward. Mentally rehearse stepping into the vision of your future self.
Be your own hero. Any moment you choose to show up is your next heroic moment.
Awaken your inner observer. Study your fears and you may discover a doorway to freedom...
What has been the common denominator in all your troubles? The chances are it has been you, or more accurately, whatever version of yourself it you were trying to avoid.
But rather than running from one issue to another in an attempt to outrun your problems, try leaning in and listening to what they have to teach you. The most productive way to change deep-seated beliefs is by facing them and proving to yourself they are false.
Accept your life as if you chose it.
Now stop complaining and do something about it.
We are the craftsmen. However we define success, it really is in our hands…
Once on my feet, any weight-bearing on my left-hand side was excruciatingly painful due to the fact I had had an operation a few weeks prior to repair my femur (which had snapped cleanly in the accident). I had severe foot drop of my left ankle, considerable balance issues, weakness in the left-hand side of my body—manifesting particularly in my core—all which was underpinned by an overwhelming fatigue.
I had been laid up for a good few weeks surviving off nothing but the most essential of nutrients in the form of a peg feed so muscle wastage had also become something of an issue.
Nevertheless, with the support of my Mum and the trained professionals, I was nurturing an unbelievable sense of drive and focus, and supplemented by the fact that I had found myself with the opportunity to connect with both the reassuring spirit of the universe and the love and encouragement of my friends and family, continued riding that energy in order to move through what were odds overwhelmingly stacked against us to make it out of that room—with a Zimmer frame—on the day of my Birthday.
It was a bittersweet victory but I just know my friend wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.