How many times in your life have you been stuck by the thorn of a rose? Have you ever tried to sew on a button and stuck yourself with the needle? Life is full of things with sharp points and the trick or the mission, if you will, is to avoid the sharp points. Unfortunately life is a complicated and avoiding the sharp points is often impossible. There are some who would say it’s important to have the sharp points in our lives because by avoiding them we are conscious of our place physically, emotionally, and spiritually. On the other hand, being stuck by something with a sharp point brings us back to center and back in our bodies so some would applaud the sharp object for waking us up.
Being diagnosed with a chronic or other life-altering illness is like being stuck with something sharp. It hurts! It causes pain! It can make us fearful to continue what we were doing for fear of being stuck again. The flip side of being stuck with this sharp object, the diagnosis, is that now you are aware of what is going on in your body. You may have had symptoms and the diagnosis being the sharp points brings answers. The sharp objects in our lives cause us concern because they represent an uncertainty. The sharp points make us cautious and if that means we need to slow down a bit, then maybe that’s a good thing.
No one wants to be stuck by a sharp object. No one wants to inflict pain on themselves, but the diagnosis is not something you did to yourself. It’s like walking into a door or stubbing your toe on the bedpost…it happens, it hurts, and you will now take action to reinforce in your mind, body, and spirit ways to avoid it happening again. In the case of your diagnosis that means taking measures to promote health and healing.
It’s important to remember what being stuck with a sharp point feels like so you can actively engage in healing behavior. I can tell you that I’m currently working with an individual who had a stroke about 6 months ago, that’s a sharp point, and yet he continues to smoke knowing the danger and the possibility of being stuck by another sharp point. You have to ask yourself why someone would engage in masochistic behavior. I personally try to avoid the sharp points; I don’t invite them into my life!
How will you avoid the sharp points that are in the world? What actions are you taking to promote health and healing?
Pilgrim Pathway/Surviving Strong 