Monday, February 7, 2011

The Stimulus of Physical Illness

FROM WILLIAM: I have just been ill for the last week. It all started with my teenage son bringing home a nice bug from school that resulted in him vomiting, having diarrhea and being laid up in bed for a few days. Then my teenage daughter got it and even thought I told myself that I would not get it, I did!

One of the things I learned from my kids when they were very young and got ill was that you did not have to resist it, be frustrated or complain or whine about it. They simple got on with being ill and let their bodies do what they need to do, without all the fuss and bother. This is not to say that it was not physically uncomfortable or challenging but they simply did not add the unhappiness piece. So every time I get ill I try to practice what they taught me.

So last week after getting over the initial "I have so much to do I can't be getting ill right now..." unhappiness, I settled into being ill. I found this experience to be quite enjoyable - watching my body be ill and recover. Don't take me wrong - I am not wanting to be sick again but since I was, I might as well enjoy the process.

In some ways being ill is no different than any other stimulus that happens to us and then it all boils down to what type of experience are you going to give yourself when faced with it. Being comfortable with my sickness did not make it dissappear but it did make the journey easier and I believe helped my body recover faster.

Enjoy your stimulus!

Love and smiles

William

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