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A century ago, or
so it seems, (25 years ago) I was diagnosed with cancer. My doctor had performed a hysterectomy and insisted I start chemotherapy
treatments immediately.
Stunned, I sat there like a fox in a hen house scrambling for words. "My mind, my mind doesn't
believe in chemotherapy," I blurted.
Without a pause he said, "Your mind has nothing to do with it. There are no other
alternatives. He dismissed me with, I know youre a scared but here are your chemotherapy papers."
. After all what
did I know about cancer? A doctor, a God of his profession, was telling me what was best. My thought was that chemotherapy
is poison and poison kills. Anyway, it seemed like small bandage on an elephantine wound and at best temporary solution. Deep
down I felt the mind had something to do with it; that some how if I wanted to change my health I had to take a closer look
at the way I perceived life or cancer was going to just keep reappearing and eating away at me until there was no more Judy.
I sensed that I had strayed away from my true nature, lost myself and nothing was going to change unless I changed.
Being
diagnosed with cancer, in one of my glands, at nineteen I had already experienced the ultimatum of a life expectancy of two
years. I had surpassed that you by twenty years by changing the environment around me. So I had an inkling of how taking
charge of life could change the circumstances of ones life.
Also I had read enough self-help books and listened to
enough audio tapes to be dangerous. So I made a decision that went against all conventional thinking at the time, I opted
not to take chemotherapy treatments. And like linoleum flooring in an earthquake, my life began to shift, ripple and crack
and was never the same again.
The doctor's words although abrupt and uninformed motivated me to take action. Not knowing
where to begin, I tried hundreds of remedies: diets, psychology, coffee enemas, vitamin doses, affirmations and meditations.
I pounded the pavement of naturopaths, chiropractors and weirdly, smelling health food stores. I thought you had to wear Birkenstocks
and never shave you legs to even set foot in one. I studied hundreds of books, tapes, masters and Gurus. Oh, my God, the list
goes on. All these things played a part in getting well and staying healthy yet none of them were paramount.
What
I didnt realize, at the time, was that I had already done the most important thing I could do. I had said Yes to Life. I had
stepped up and taken charge of vision I wanted for my life. My true self was emerging as I made decisions based on my instincts
and how I wanted my life to be; not on what some else thought it should be.
Courageous risks are life giving, they
help you grow, make you brave and better than you think you are. Joan L. Curcio
Side note: You dont have to have some
major health crisis or dramatic calamity in your life to wake up and truly live your life. However if thats what it takes,
thats what it takes. If you or someone you know is facing one of lifes challenges right now and you feel sorry, dont. Celebrate
the awakening and unfolding of life.
What I discovered along the way was that expressing my true self, being authentic
to myself and is the key to living fully. Rearranging my perspectives and priorities opened me up a whole new world of abundance,
health and happiness.
Through my twenty years of exploration and research I grew to understand that assertiveness
is the hub of the wheel of life. It is assertiveness, this saying Yes to life that is the key to a persons entire well being.
It affects every aspect of life. Your level of assertiveness determines how well you eat, how much fun you have, how well
you communicate, how you develop loving relationships, and the amount of stress you have in life.
To be clear, I am
not talking about fighting for life by becoming more aggressive. I did not fight cancer. I grew to love my cancer. There
was nothing to fight for or against. Cancer like all other life experiences is an opportunity to stand up, take inventory
and appreciate your life.
The point is this: my perceptions of life and my proceeding actions caused my cancer. I had,
as a child, decided that the world was a hard place to live and the best was to survive was to avoid problems, wait until
the problem disappeared and or just stuff my feelings of anger and frustration. If I blended into the corner of the room,
kept my thoughts to myself and shook my head in agreement I wouldnt have to face the consequences of ridicule or physical
abuse.
On the surface was a calm, passive and nice Judy. On the inside was a seething, desperate woman letting things
eat away at her. You see, I thought being nice and keeping the peace was the answer to all my problems. It was how I survived
as a child. However, nice was not serving me well as an adult. As strange as it may seem keeping myself peaceful, making
everything nice was really only keeping the peace from me. I was sending a message to myself and others that what I thought
or said didnt really matter. Needless to say the results rendered my self-esteem in the toilet along with my confidence and
health.
Once I understood the Universal Law of Attraction that says: whatever our subconscious mind holds long enough,
is bound to be produced in our external affairs and that our subconscious mind is the medium in which we live and move and
have our being on the subjective side of life I appreciated how cancer was inevitably in my cards.
But like all card games
it the advice of the Gambler, Kenny Rogers, that holds true, You got to know when to holdem and know when to foldem. And I
might add play the cards you are dealt to the best of your ability.
As I let go of old limiting thought patterns
and the people who supported those thoughts I began rediscovered my true self, the Spirit within. I gained confidence and
began to communicate my true feelings, wants and needs. Some friends and family members backed away. It wasnt easy loosing
friends or having people look at you like you were crazy but I had to take the risk because my life depended upon it.
One
year later I went back to the doctor for a full examination. With chart he went down the list of exhaustive test as he began,
Judy all test have come back negative, there are no signs of cancerwhat have you been doing?
Like a born again
Christian I spouted my new found religion. I am eating healthy, exercising, and studying philosophy and religions. And with
hardly a breath I continued, It seems to be working for me, dont you think?
His reply stung, You are doing really
well, and what you have been doing is good for you but there is not proof that this will help you get rid of cancer. He went
on, I must still strongly recommend chemotherapy. That was the last time I went to a doctor for anything other than
a broken bone.
After sometime had past I had one of those moments when I thought I knew something so I decided to
write my first book, Healthy Mind Healthy Body: Using Your Mind Power to Stay Healthy and Overcome Illness.. Soon I was invited
to speak and give workshops on health and communication. To my great joy and delight I learn as much as I shared.
It
became apparent over the years of workshops and personal consulting that some people arent always ready to be introspective.
It is either too much trouble to examine inner most feelings, thoughts and motives or too scary. Even if these thoughts and
motives are destructive, or life threatening theyre simply not interested. Sometimes it takes a wake up call or major event
to jolt us into appreciating how astoundingly and powerful we are as human-soul beings.
I am here to tell you, you
dont have to have a major catastrophe to comprehend the significance and power of your thoughts or how this affects every
aspect of your life.
You can start right now to turn your life around and say Yes, Yes to YOU, Yes to YOUR LIFE.
Another
key component to saying Yes, besides changing your mind and perceptions is your willingness to change your body and therefore
your soul and spirit. Some people think that prayer and or focused thoughts are all that is needed to permanently change circumstances.
This is a mistake.
I first encountered it the day I decided to get into shape. Havent we all? I went to a gym, found
a trainer who took me through the functions of the different machines. It must have been something I said that launch a conversation
about Ki energy or Ki balance. Before I knew it I was taking Aikido (Japanese marital arts) training. Just for the record
I am an ordinary pudgy, middle-aged woman who has no desire to be slammed on a mat in the name of recreation. Call me Chicken,
I know!
However, my brief time in the dojo did introduce me to the healing power of Shiatsu and keen awareness
of Ki energy. Ki energy happens when the mind is not thinking and the body is aligned, centered. This is how a sixty-year-old,
hundred-pound woman can throw a strapping, twenty-year-old, two-hundred-pound man, with the same training. Balance. Its about
balance.
When the mind is not thinking or worrying the body gains strength and the spirit is a live with Ki energy.
Expressing your true feelings and desires with natural ease and grace become easy. Assertiveness becomes easy. Posted 11/07
5.:
judyspeak@aol.com
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