Heal Your Life

If you are unhappy in your life stop looking to "self help" gurus and look to yourself for answers.

This sounds a bit harsh but this is what I did. Yes, there are alot of people who have good information about inproving your life but what happens when you follow their information and it still isnt improving your life?

Where I Was At

I used to believe that my natural state was to feel bad emotionally and physically all the time. I had so many physical and mental health issues that I had no way of knowing that this was not my normal way of being. Not only was my health not in balance but the rest of my life as well.

My relationships were strained, I had social anxiety issues, I had perceptual issues and overall poor health.

I often had unfortunate things happen to me and very little good luck came my way. I was also sick alot with allergies, asthma, sinus infections, pms or bowel problems. I always felt tired and had a very hard time concentrating especially at work. I couldnt follow through on anything because of my confused mental state. All these things made life an uphill battle every day. I saw myself struggling twice as hard as everyone else and getting nowhere. Life seemed endlessly unfair for me.

Things Ive Tried

I had read all the books about improving myself and found that alot of information I read was really good information. I had watched the videos, gone to seminars and listened to other people give me advice. I had even talked to psychiatrists and counsellors as a way to improve my circumstances. All these things have alot of validity but there was no improvement in my life. I couldnt understand why others could change their lives but my life wasn't getting any better even though I was following the exact same principles as they were.

I do not believe there is just one book, one audio tape or one person's advice that will help you on your journey. I do believe one should gather as much information as possible from as many sources as possible and use what feels right for you. In order to change anything in your life you need to take a look at your emotions, your mind and your body. The three work together to give you balance and if any one of these things is not healthy it will interrupt the other two.

The Food-Mind Connection

For me, a turning point came when I saw a woman on a talk show discussing food sensitivities. This woman was a naturopathic doctor and she was telling the audience that the food you eat can have a huge affect on your mental, emotional and physical health. She told stories of children and adults who had illnesses that went away once they changed their diets. Suddenly it all made sense to me and by reading her book I started to change my whole life.

It never occurred to me that my mental health was affected by the food I eat. It also never ocurred to me that if I had a healthy body it would make for a healthy mind and a healthy mind would change my circumstances. Perhaps all those bad people and bad events would stop coming into my life.

I started to read as many articles and health books as I could about the food-body relationship. I slowly discovered that there were other people who had similar symptoms to what I had and these people were diagnosed with Celiac disease. I began to eliminate foods from my diet that I suspected of being harmful to me and very slowly over time I noticed the things I had been plagued with my whole life were no longer there. My allergies, asthma, depression, social anxieties and a host of other illnesses started to go away. I also caught myself smiling more and noticing people reacting more positively to me. I was able to concentrate and follow through on any projects and able to communicate with co-workers in an effective manner. My social life improved as I started wanting to be around people more often . I no longer suffered from extreme social anxieties and this made me much more pleasant to be around. I guess I wasn't the "high strung" girl everyone once thought me to be.

Changing My life

Once I started to think clearer I could apply all those things that the "self help" gurus were talking about. When your brain isn't working right its very hard to make life changes because you are physically incapable of altering your moods, perceptions and reactions. When your mind is healthy it becomes open to all possibilities. I compare it to a runner who has broken her leg and she is being asked to run the hundred yard dash. Chances are she will fall or get hurt because her leg is in no physical condition to be running. No one would ever expect themselves to run on a broken leg, so why do we think that we can function "normally" when we arent healthy?

It took many years to figure out my food intolerances and change my way of eating. I have to be vigilant about what I eat and I must take supplements to get all the vitamins and minerals I need. There is now an inner strength I never knew I had which becomes evident every time I have to choose not to eat something bad for me. Its hard to change your diet when alot of socializing revolves around food. Often times Im the only one not eating because there is nothing on the menu for me. That used to upset me alot but now its just part of my life. I still am weak at times and eat something I shouldnt but temptation is something we all have to deal with.

Everyday is like starting over for me and I'm so grateful that I persevered and looked outside the box for answers. All my hard work has changed my perception of the world and because of that I now see that anything is possible for me. I cant say that any of this was easy but it sure has been worth it in the end. I hope this helps you in your journey towards happiness.