COMMUNICATING

This week my focus is on communication. I have realised how much knowledge I have accumulated over the past 12 years, to restore my health from those dismal days in which I floated in.

It was from an acquaintance that I received a verbal slap in the face. Which had me waking up to how I had been sabotaging my life, and how unaware I had been with the decisions I had been making.

To put you into that scene… I sat at her kitchen table. I had recently been released from hospital after learning to walk again and each day was agony. With the intense cancer activity in my bones. I was a picture of living misery, and couldn’t get my head above the pain and misery in which my life was stuck in.

Cycle of pain and misery

She showed no friendliness, no compassion nor kindness and the message was delivered without a smile.

The message delivered was more in an accusation tone. She looked me in the eyes and stated that every decision I had made had brought me to this point in my life. My sickness and the pain I was experiencing and lived with was self inflicted. I burst into tears….. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. There is no way on this earth I wanted to feel the physical pain I was trying to cope with.

BUT..

A few days later after the emotions had calmed and cooled. I replayed those words over in my mind.

I came to the realisation, and I started to agree with her. It was the beginning of my particular meditations in which I would analyze words or situations which were causing me unrest in mind and spirit.

No one had forced me to take the prescription drug which was compounding the bone pain I was already experiencing from the cancer. I had agreed to take the drug because I had been given no other options or solutions. To then cope with this pain, I had been prescribed a steroid which masked the pain to some extent, and compounded the other issues with my sore and swollen feet, and the accumulation of fluid each day. Then I was prescribed diuretics to negate the side effects from the steroid. It was a never ending cycle of pills on a Merry-Go-Round.

At the end of the day…... the buck had to stop with me. I had agreed to take these drugs. I had never questioned that the medical person had no alternative options in their knowledge bank. I was taking so much medication I rattled!.. AND none were there to let me heal. All the medications were just trying to fix a symptom from a previous medication.

My priority was to find which drugs to ditch first. One by one I eliminated all. As I have often stated it is 10 years since I have taken any prescription medication for this so called incurable cancer from medical science.

This little story and the regression back to my past, will hopefully bring you around to see the point I am making today.

I am finding I live in two different worlds and sometimes find it difficult to find words to bridge the gap and communicate well. It is similar to talking in two or three different languages. If you have worked in IT, you would relate to acronyms and the lingo for the computer world. Like CPU, RAM, AI, etc., etc.

Communicating with people is more complicated because of how their beliefs and brains are hard-wired for what they will or won’t believe. Sometimes the gentle approach will not wake people up. They need that cold bucket of water to wash over their senses. It is similar to shock therapy.

I do not want to see people experience what I have been through. However, looking back I needed the bucket of cold water because, I was so lost in the misery of the senses, and hadn’t engaged my analytical thinking and logic of how to escape the misery, I had created for myself.

This experience taught me analytical meditation and has developed into a second nature for me of seeing a situation, and being able to observe without becoming too caught up, in the emotional senses which could have me drowning again.

This week reminded me of how much knowledge and growth I have accomplished. I have concentrated my willpower into writing a book and bringing much of my knowledge learnt to share with many people. This project is also proving to be a worthwhile learning exercise.

My gut reaction is to curl up in a little ball when frustrated or disappointed with an outcome. Now I recover so much quicker, and get my head out of the emotional storm from the limitations being presented by others and find alternatives. I had an unforeseen setback which slowed me down a day.

Regardless, I have been receiving orders from people, so if you could give me some indication if you interested in ordering, by filling out the form from the link below. In the subject header if you could tell me how many books. It would be appreciated.

This week I will be placing the order for the published books, and it will make it easier to gauge the interest and the quantities of books for the order.

https://courageandconviction.online/contact/

I hope you have all had a wonderful week.

Stay Strong

Karen

FINAL CHECKING

Dearest Readers and Wonderful Supporters,

This journey for me is almost at a close in bringing my story and the how I survive the No Hope cancer diagnosis. A diagnosis, almost costing me my life.

I won't be doing my usual writing for my blog this week. I hope 

you understand my priorities are elsewhere for the next few days.

I have received the manuscript back from the publisher

 for one final edit and check

 and then it goes into printing!

I still wanted to wish you all courage, determination, willpower for 

this week.

Stay strong

Karen

GONE AWAY!

Dear Supporters and Readers of my blog,

Today is the day I sent my manuscript to the publisher. It is out of my hands and about to enter the cogs of society, and hopefully influence the world of people who only see their health problems as a responsibility of medical science. A place where they too form their mis-guided hope for restoring their health.

My path has proven to be so different. I only hope to inspire, and give many people the much needed belief in themselves in restoring their own health.

The Number One human weakness for our health problems is lack of discipline.

The Number Two is lack of knowledge.

The Number Three is belief in themselves.

The Number Four is hope.

Your health is your responsibility.

I can at least share with you this week the cover of my book.

Stay strong

Karen

HONING YOUR SKILLS

Over the past few weeks, I have written about several mental blockages and barriers we give ourselves, which sabotage and limit our successes in the world.

What others do we need to uncover for you to shine and not be afraid to shine?

Whether it is cancer or another chronic health issue, you may face OR just everyday life being tiresome.

I would like to share with you the viewpoint and perspective I adopted, honed and practiced each day, till it became second nature and an automatic habit.

Substitute the word CANCER for your own personal hurdles, and the word applicable to you. It may be back pain, MS, Parkinson's the list is endless. Whatever is your bane.

YES… BANE!

According to the Collins Dictionary BANE is

“A person or thing that causes misery or distress (esp in the phrase bane of one’s life)”

If you feel yourself being dragged down by a person or situation in your life and you have lost your spark and enthusiasm, it is no different to battling a health issue. It’s just the health issue may be a marathon rather than a sprint when it comes to measuring time.

I also mentioned that takes about 80% of mental attitude not to let cancer get the better of you, and that is to change your perspective of life. By harnessing and honing your visualization skills like an athlete, prepares us and gives us the mental strength to overcome and conquer many weakening and damaging attitudes. Being very aware of your thoughts and emotions is a constant stock take until you develop the habit of honing the following skills. There again the success is measured by the commitment and dedication of the individual.

Some people do this at night before bed, e.g., writing in a journal your frustrations or the ‘bane’ of your day. Whatever has sapped your vitality for life on that day? Often it may be a thought of a task on your list to do tomorrow, and you don’t want to do that task, or a commitment to meet an individual, that you don’t look forward to.

It is the accumulation of the little things, which can hinder us the most.

Some of you have heard my PIG story, and I will retell it again for the benefit of anyone new. With big tasks I don’t want to do or am fearful of, I always bring to mind the occasion we had a small farm with electric fencing. The bush pigs if they wanted to go through the fence into another paddock would back up and squeal, just before hitting the electric fence. They mentally toughened up to get over the pain threshold.

We create many of our own barriers, and invisible mental pain.

Using our wonderful mind and honing our skills we can mentally toughen up. Think of yourself as an athlete rather than a person in misery or distress.

EXERCISE TIME!

HONING YOUR VISUALISATION SKILLS SOMETIMES NEEDS A GOOD WORKOUT. (this is the technique I use… you may find another way. Do what is right for you.)

STEP ONE.

Close your eyes focus on relaxing and become aware of your breath. On the IN breath count to EIGHT slowly and the OUT breath count to TWELVE slowly. Repeat this three times. (If you can’t… don’t sweat the small stuff… it may take practice. Do what is comfortable for you!)

STEP TWO

Now gradually work your way through the following pictures By looking and then closing your eyes and bringing the picture to your mind’s eye. Visualise taste, smell, texture. Turn the image slowly in your mind’s eye, do you notice any other markings or unusual qualities?

The most powerful outcome of this exercise is being able to imagine the taste and bring into the physical reality the taste of the lemon on your tongue.

How does the chilli taste? Can you bring your mouth to feel the sensation of eating a real chilli?

Repeat the exercise by bringing the picture of the lemon or chilli, but instead of focusing on the taste of the item. Focus on the smell.

Repeat the exercise for texture.

Now we have our mind warmed up with visualisation exercises.

Let’s turn our attention to the bane of your existence and create an environment of senses that are positive and conducive to your happiness.

With the back ache or pain….. it is an unwelcome sensation, you are feeling in your physical body. Transform the pain, so that you control the pain, rather than the pain controlling you. Change the sensation in your mind’s eye to a shape, colour, texture, smell, size. Hold that image in your mind; make it turn and spin like a top. Make the image as real as you can. Then make it disappear by imagining the waves of water eroding the image, or have it slowly blow away with the wind, watch it gradually disintegrate.

I use these types of exercises to overcome anything that is proving to be the bane of my existence. The more you practice, the more skillful you become at creating the happy life you dream about. It helps to bring what you want in your life to become a reality, or helps to find the resilience to endure your current circumstance.

Stay Strong

Karen

Another one for FUN!

GENTLE REMINDERS

I love the garden and the gentle reminders as nature continually prompts me to be mindful and aware.

Colours, shapes, textures and smells! All growing and living in a similar environment, and yet each is so different and complex in their own unique way. People are no different.

Jewels in the garden

How many flowers can you see in the photograph?

How many judgments and perspectives, can you note from looking at the photograph?

Which flower grabbed your attention first?

The traditional rose, beautiful smells and velvety texture - accepted in nearly every society and environment. To have them thrive can prove they can be fussy and high maintenance plants, depending on the environment. Liking acidic soil and are prone to black-spot, with our humid and wet tropical conditions. I nurture them differently according to the environment they live in. I give them a hard prune around March because I know that is when the black-spot hits them hardest. They are bright and produce beautiful roses in our temperate winters, giving me healthy flowers.

I have given a rundown on shape, texture, scent, acceptability and which environment and season it will thrive in. People are similar with their clothes, hairstyles, colour, perfume, all the external views are accepted or rejected. BUT what environment are they being nourished and renewed in internally? So they too can produce a beautiful life and give pleasure to those around them?

The other end of the spectrum is the black bat plant. For starters the colour? Who likes a flower that is linked to darkness, mourning and death? Or absolutely loved because it doesn’t fit at all? Embraced because it is different, it doesn’t conform, exotic, unusual a spectacle in itself. It is fussy, on what environment it can thrive and where it grows. It flourishes in my greenhouse over the hot humid summer months and no flowers are given in winter. I love it because it dares to be different!

The thoughts which flit through your mind when gazing at the arrangement of flowers.

The whiskers on the bat plant?

The colour is black?…… for a flower?

Texture is different?

These are all differences we perceive, and then we accept or reject.

Both the rose and the black bat plant have long stems. One is scented the other isn’t. Depending the stem length when trimmed depends, on which flower will tower over the other or how they are arranged in the vase.

Then you have the dwarf ginger, no scent, grows rampant in the wet tropics shooting out everywhere. In the tropical environment it is considered common - almost a weed. You can appreciate the flowers in summer when the rose bushes are not producing beautiful rose buds. It could be perceived as a nuisance.

The texture is more waxy, not soft and gentle to the touch like the rose petals.

Then finally we come to the geisha, soft flowing, providing a gentle grace to the eye. Submerged in the background and used as a filler in the vase. Providing a glimpse of small purple petite flowers. The geisha plant producing soft gentle flowers which bend and wave in the wind. Happy to flow anywhere you put it. The foliage of the leaves grab the attention, closer to a lime green colour rather than the dark green foliage of the rose.

It does not strike the unusual end of the scale and it does not strike the beautiful end of the scale. It can be passed by and not noticed.

Then finally we come to the following…

No matter where you put these exotic beauties or what environment, whether a vase or room. The colour catches your eye, even though they have been displayed in a plain wooden vase, their beauty still shines through. Some people are like the orchid. Their inner light and exuberance for life shines through IF within a protected room BUT is no different to the other plants. Where the orchid grows still requires a specific environment, to produce these beautiful flowers and brilliance.

When I pick the flowers in all their beautiful colours and forms, and I notice the uniqueness of each one of them. I am reminded it is only our perceptions and judgments on whether they are beautiful or ugly. I like to put them together in a vase, to show they can all come together in my environment are loved and accepted despite their differences.

They follow their own inherent nature, not conforming to anyone's expected standards, rules or beliefs. To love them is to care for them a nurturing way, giving them an environment where they can thrive. They reward me and grace my environment. The flowers nurture my perspectives and beauty in the world.

Stay Strong

Karen