As a kid I used to watch Gumby and Pokey. As an adult I had both a Gumby and Pokey toy in my therapy office. The amazing thing is that it wasn’t the kids who played with these bendable toys; it was the adults. It could be that kids didn’t know who these two claymation characters were and adult knew full well the escapades these two got into in every episode. It wasn’t unusual for the adult to pick up the figures and bend them in all possible ways, shaping them to match their emotional being in the moment.
I ask the question, “what shapes you?” because you’ll need to have an answer, and a conscious answer as you move through your health challenge. Facing a chronic or life-threatening illness means you recruit all possible allies to help you move forward on your journey to wellness. The amazing thing is that the answer to this question can be as unique as the people walking on this earth.
When I ask clients or audience participants this question they respond with everything from how they were brought up as children, to their ethnic or religious backgrounds, to their political beliefs, and to the person sitting next to them on the bus. There is no “correct” answer because we’re shaped every day whether we know it or not. Every time you see a news story or read an article and you have a reaction you’re being shaped in some fashion.
The question is do you want to be able to foster that experience or allow it to be spontaneous? Knowing what shapes you will give you the edge in your wellness strategy because you will look for things to support and expand your belief system and validate, not to mention reinforce your values. I’ll give you an example. I have a friend who has become a raw food vegan. She was a vegetarian, then a vegan and now a raw food vegan. Why the evolution? As she dove deeper into her beliefs and values she found that her diet needed to be a part of the big picture. It wasn’t a chance decision it came from years of personal experience and knowledge about her own body. The results she reports are truly beneficial. She not only feels better physically, but she feels more congruent in her mind, body, spirit connection. She has created harmony within her body and soul and that creates a healing environment.
What has shaped you in the past and how has it manfiested in your life? What would you like to dive into deeper? What are the beliefs and values that need support? How do you feel this will impact your healing?
Pilgrim Pathway/Surviving Strong 