Hope and Perseverance Play Roles in Healing

From eight years of practicing alternative medicine, and based on my own much longer journey of healing, I would say that two things are necessary in order to get anywhere in the process of improving our lives. We need to have hope that we can and will feel better, and we need to know that the possibility of change does indeed exist. While either one – hope or possibility – can come first, in a way, hope is more important, because it drives us to finding something that works for us, and it keeps us on the path when the going feels rocky. When we feel hopeful, we’re more inclined to take action, and to be committed to the process.

It can be hard to hope for feeling better if for years that hasn’t been the case, or if it seems like nothing we try does any good. Sometimes we need to borrow courage, faith, even strength from elsewhere, and that’s okay, because we’re here to help each other.

Lots of people grit their teeth and bear their pain and unhappiness. They don’t know there’s an alternative, or perhaps they’ve given up on their lives getting better. Their energy is used up in just getting by, leaving little or nothing left over for examining other options.

Yet it never ceases to amaze me how much our bodies want to be healthy, to feel good, be strong, move easily. When we decide we want that, too, and we give them even half a chance, our bodies usually respond quickly.

Change takes time, and it’s often difficult in the beginning – but it is feasible. For all that we humans are creatures of habit, we are also incredibly adaptable (look at how we have populated this planet in all kinds of environments). We just have to really want something to be different, and we have to be prepared to persevere when we meet resistance.

Healing requires us to release old habits, old ways of moving through the world that no longer help us. These habits get in our way, holding us back rather than holding us up. Releasing habits takes consistent practice in the beginning, until we get used to the new ways, whether it’s changing your diet or starting an exercise program. There’s a play, back and forth, of letting go of something you no longer want, then picking it back up because it’s familiar, then remembering you don’t want it anymore, once more letting it go, again and again. The good thing is that once we start to shift toward better health, it’s cumulative: little shifts start lasting longer, and then start being bigger shifts.

It’s important to have realistic expectations of what can be achieved and when. If you’ve had health issues for years, expect to spend at least a few months of dedicated action to turn it around. If you’re less dedicated, it’ll take longer. If you’re really focused, and ready to make changes, you might see a lot of shift in a short period of time.

There’s no miracle cure, or instant fix, or one thing that works for everybody. There are many modalities to choose from, which can be confusing or overwhelming, so it’s important to ask questions. Talk to people you know, find out who they’ve worked with and how they’ve been helped; talk to practitioners, get a feel for what they do, and their responsiveness to you.

Borrow hope and strength from your friends and health-care practitioners when you need to, but hold the possibility in your mind and your heart that you can be healthy and happy, and you’re already on your way.

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