This post was written as a motivational speech by someone very close to me who suffers from several health problems. She was happy to share it. It’s one of those things that’s good to read now, and then put in a safe place, so it can be read again, when inspiration is needed.
Rekindling the Flame
When things get tough and you feel burnt out – mentally, physically and spiritually, how do you rekindle your flame and find the inspiration keep meeting life’s challenges?
For some, it comes from the beauty and peace of nature. For others, it’s the company of family and friends or even pets. Yet others, seek the wise words of our gurus or the magic of music. All of these can teach us wonderful things, but sometimes, it’s something completely unexpected that makes the biggest impact.
Let me tell you, how it happened for me.
I’d been ill for a long time with debilitating arthritis and going downhill, no matter what I did. One night, I was home alone – feeling dejected – but I was glad to be alone because I didn’t have to pretend to be upbeat. I could just vegetate in front of the televison ’til 8 0’clock and then go off to bed.
I was willing to watch just about anything – except football, so, guess what came on? Aussie Rules Football. That was the last straw! I hated sport on television, and football in particular. I never watch it and I’ll confess, the closest I’ve ever come to playing any sport was to chase a piece of chocolate cake around a plate with a fork!
If I’d had enough energy to get up and change the channel I would have but I didn’t. So, I just sat there thinking, “I might be stuck here but they can’t make me watch. I’ll just shut my eyes.” Try it sometime – it’s harder that you think. In fact, it’s impossible, so I opened my eyes again. Open eyes have a mind of their own. Mine focused on a footballer running across the screen. He had all the grace and power of a god. I wondered, “How can his body do that, when all mine could do was creak?” I watched on in amazement, as another player leapt effortlessly into the air to catch a ball flying over his head. “How could he do that?” I wanted answers, so now, I was watching with real interest as yet another player prepared to kick a goal through distant goal posts. “Impossible!” I thought, but the ball soared high in the air and then straight through those posts. A mighty cheer rose up from the crowd and a mighty cheer rose up from every cell in my body. They were alive and they wanted me to know it. “Wow, Wow, Wow!” they screamed and in that moment, I knew that life energy was still there. It just needed rekindling. That was the beginning of a wonderful recovery.
Since then, I have come to realise that inspiration is all around us, if we are willing to see it, and even if we are not, the message is repeated over and over, in a hundred different ways, until we do. It’s a bit like the saying “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”
Everything begins with the readiness of the student and there are messages everywhere constantly readying us for our next step. For example, it’s easy to see that good nurture will make things grow, but if you want to see tough, watch a weed grow in a crack in the path. Sometimes, you’ll need the tenacity of that weed and at other times you can be footloose and fancy free like the fluffy, floating seeds of a dandelion. Sometimes, you’ll be the early bird that catches the worm and sometimes – you’ll be the worm – so take care.
Knowing when to go with the flow and when to stand your ground is important but sometimes, it’s more important to do nothing. Take the time to rest, lick your wounds and wait for clarity – but don’t wait too long or you’ll cut yourself off from the very things that can sustain you, when you need them most, because, from time to time, we all face serious challenges.
Mine was health. Yours may be something else – it doesn’t matter what. What does matter is to remember that help is out there and often in the strangest places. So, whether it’s to keep your inspirational flame burning brightly or to rekindle it when you’re just about burnt out, look around – somewhere there’ll be a message, just for you.
– Erica, Shailer Park QLD
To book an appointment at the clinic or further information on Chinese Medicine contact Dr Sarah George (Acupuncture). Sarah is a practitioner of acupuncture (AHPRA registered), massage therapy and natural health.
