It's so good to "see' you both again, [...] & [...]!!! Thank you for the well wishes. You both are the true angels for being such positive forces of healing over the years for so many buddies!
Hi [...] - It warms my heart that you saw yourself in my story & you found it helpful. I believe each and everyone of us are deserving warriors, navigating our way out of this hellish landscape to a better place. It truly is attainable. Patience & perserverence are key.
Hi [...] - Great questions and ones I really had to ponder because it's challenging getting back into my 'before' brain: and contrasting that to today - "In what ways do you feel different? In what ways do you feel the same?" I'll kind of take some interpretive license with your questions, if that's ok.
I no longer blindly trust authorities, like doctors. I now know their education is largely controlled by pharmaceutical companies who's fiduciary responsibility is to make profits for their shareholders. During my healing, I went down that rabibt hole of research and felt completely violated.
Today, I no longer take good health for granted. I know I need to be the one responsible for my well-being. That cannot be outsourced. Good health, both mental & physical, is an inside job and long term project. I've adopted really good habits to keep me healthy as a result of this experience. I'm probably in better health today, than before.
As I said previously, sensitivities persist, however. They're things like feeling down if I don't exercise or get outdoors that day, feeling shaky if I don't eat enough healthy protein, maintaining & proactively working on positive relationships. Then again, maybe these things existed before too, but I just wasn't conscious of them the way I am today. Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living" and when Buddha was asked who he was by a man struck by his peaceful aura, he replied, "I am awake." Those are my guides. They do not come from being passive, but take intentional focus. I'm so much happier and comfortable in my own skin than I was before.
I hope that helps answer your questions. Life is not perfect, but there is so much beauty to be found.
Love you all,
sierra
