During my run this morning, I reflected on quotes I read in the news about parents fearing for their lives and the lives of their children if schools reopen. I put those quotes in juxtaposition with a quote that "just happened" to pop up in my memory feed from Louise Hay:
"Fear comes from not trusting the process of Life to be there for you. The next time you are frightened, say: 'I trust the process of Life to take care of me.'"
And remembered the above quote by Helen Keller.
Living a life in fear for me is not living!
I've known adversity and trauma since I was 5 years old when I contracted paralytic polio during one of the last polio epidemics in the United States. I endured years of abuse at the hands of family members from the time I was 8 until I was 17 when my father ended his life. I learned to trust in something greater than myself when I had an out of body experience shortly after contracting paralytic polio and being under the care of my mother who was addicted to prescription pain medication.
I was touched by grace time and time again despite the horrors I endured during my father's alcoholic rages.
I was blessed by earth angels in the guise of teachers and guidance counselors to support the intellectual prowess I developed to cope with the chaotic home life. The diagnosis of Post Polio Syndrome at the age of 53 was my wake up call and provided me with the opportunity to at long last heal my life and become a creator of my life.
All the wisdom I have garnered through my healing journey during these past 13 years is serving me well during these chaotic and turbulent times.
Being able to go out on a run in nature is a blessing where I experience nature and life:
The sweat and endorphins wash away any sense of worry or fear.
From the soon to be released "Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life Volume II":
After a Run
After a run troubles melt away
a once tight chest filled with dread and fear
opens
overflowing with joy and gratitude.
Thoughts tossed and turned
restless night
greatest feat
first step
crossing front door threshold
Exhaustion exhumed
vibrancy returns
hitting my stride
connection to Source
bathed in sunlight
beads of sweat
a fountain of joy and freedom
After a run
troubles melt away as sweat pours from pores
all that remains
sweetness of summertime
a reminder
born to run
free!
While initially, I felt fear and panic during lock down and needed to heal wounds that were reopened, I increased meditation time, started writing poetry again, and remembered what Mark Twain once said:
Fear and worry can inhibit the immune system and wreak havoc on the body.
From Dr. Joe Dispenza who was a great source of inspiration to me after a serious knee injury in December 2014:
If you believe your thoughts and feelings have an effect on your reality, the moment you react to external events with survival emotions, you begin putting more of your attention on them, and if you’re putting your attention on these events (events over which you have no control), you’re giving away your power to them. Every time you react with fear & anxiety because fear and anxiety are emotions & emotions are energy, they only serve to feed the next moment of unrest. What we need to learn how to do in this moment of history is to be in the stillness—to become the eye of the hurricane. The eye of a hurricane is a place of calm, around which spins the storm. We become the eye when we pull ourselves out of the chaos and into the present moment. This is, after all, why we do all the training we do—because it’s in the eternal present moment where all of creation is engendered. By regulating internal emotions independent of external conditions, this is how we begin to master our environment.
While we need to be cognizant and vigilant of injustices in our society, I would encourage you from time to time to disconnect from the news. If you don’t want to completely disconnect, then be a force for adding light and love to those social feeds. Better yet, in your day-to-day life, perform a random act of kindness for a stranger, call someone you haven’t talked to in a long time, forgive someone or forgive yourself for something you’ve been holding on to. At the very least, be loving & kind to yourself and those around you, because everyone is going through their own challenges♥️
There was another wonderful quote I heard from Elisa Goldstein, Ph.D. "In times of uncertainty, focus on what you are certain of. One thing we are certain of is that we need to take care of ourselves and each other." I run, meditate, eat healthfully, hydrate, practice gratitude and share feelings with my friends and family while also celebrating the miracle of my life. I also limit my exposure to the news.
I know of our bodies' tremendous capacity to heal as I have seen countless times over and over again in my own life and the stories of others. You can read The Tenth Anniversary of How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body by Dr. David Hamilton, Dr. Joe's You Are the Placebo and Becoming Supernatural or books by Bernie Siegel, MD to read these stories of healing and transformation harnessing the power of the mind/body connection. They also write about studies where fear was instilled by physicians and patients' bodies listened to what they were told about their diagnosis and prognosis.
While I wear a mask, social distance and wash my hands, I also choose to trust the process of life and co-create health and well being regardless of external circumstances or appearances.
To be inspired and motivated by my journey from being told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond, be sure to visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com
My books are available on Amazon
To your health and wellness
From my heart to yours
Mary
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