One of the things I admire most about screenwriters, or just writers in general is that they have a way of capturing an intense thought with a beautiful metaphor. There’s something elegant when a nugget that enriches our lives can be put into a sentence. It makes the idea, thought, brain tickler easy to remember making it something easy to return to throughout your day. These types of thoughts or questions are like a playground for my soul because they allow me to dive deep and think about what I know and what I believe.
In the movie “Eat, Pray, Love” there’s a line that says, “To get to the castle, you have to swim the moat”. You may think this line is a bit harsh when considering how it pertains to your life with a health challenge, but let me tell you, the truth isn’t always pretty. They also say that anything worth having is worth working for…do you believe that? Basically the line from “Eat, Pray, Love” is saying that there are often obstacles between us and our final destination. These obstacles don’t have to be huge; but they are placed in our way to get you to ask yourself, “How badly to I want to get better or well?” or “What will my journey to health and healing entail?”
You have enough challenges with your diagnosis that entail treatment, change in diet, added activities to your daily routine, and of course doctor’s appointments. Your moat will be personalized to your life because even when two people have the same diagnosis; they don’t have the same journey to wellness. We each take on our path to a richer, better, and peaceful life in different ways. The moat is way for you to stop for a moment giving you time to think before you do. It asks that you consider your options before jumping in to the first thing you think will help. It requires that you be grounded in your body, mind, and soul.
Let’s face it, the simple thing is to call to the castle and ask for the drawbridge to be lowered. Unfortunately, I don’t think living with a chronic or life-threatening illness is quite that easy. It doesn’t have to be difficult, but it will require some effort. Crossing the moat can be right of passage instead of a burden. It can demonstrate that in your daily life, not just dealing with your illness, you’re still teachable.
What does your moat look like and how do you plan on crossing it? I hope you’ll share your journey..simply leave a comment below or email me at greg@survivingstrong.com
Pilgrim Pathway/Surviving Strong 