Heal Thyself

In Biblical times, it was common to use the phrase “physician heal thyself.” What this means is that unless our cup is full, we can’t fill the cup of others. It’s a belief that before we venture out into the world to heal others, we heal ourselves first.

There are many people suffering and in pain right now—physically. mentally and emotionally. Did you know that suffering happens when we judge the actions and beliefs of others, as well as our own? When we are in suffering, we are in conflict between our judgement of what we believe is being imposed on us and what we are inflicting on ourselves. 

So many who experience great suffering are in a constant state of judgement. We can sit back and judge, complain and criticize but we need to ask ourselves, where does this need or habit stem from? Where did we learn this behavior and does it serve a useful purpose? And who told us that we must be unhappy and suffer?

Feeling like a victim—that things are happening to us and we are helpless—also causes suffering when we stay in painful stories and play this role. And yes, some terrible things take place that are inexcusable so there’s no one size fits all formula here. But we can face a challenge and see the opportunity to tap into our inner strength and awaken magic healing energy within us.

Viktor Frankl reminds us that “If there is a meaning in life at all, then there must be a meaning in suffering.” The test then for all of us is how we respond to the suffering in our lives and heal thyself.

Personal Accountability

It is incredible the quantum leaps that are taking place right now when it comes to holistic healing. What we are witnessing is more and more of us being in our power when it comes to our health and wellbeing.

It is partly because the current health systems are in deep collapse and more of us are looking for alternatives to the sick care systems. We want to be in charge of our wellbeing and there are so many new exciting modalities popping up on the edges.

Reiki, biofeedback and additional technologies are healing many people. And there is so much around the corner that will help each of us, when were ready, be in charge of our own health and wellbeing, There are people healing in circles of trust once we trust ourselves.

And because we are so connected online, there are peer to peer health and wellness communities. When we face a health issue, we can also slowly find other people who we can openly connect with. And again, we need to practice discernment in who to trust. Not everyone is healthy for our wellbeing. 

Physician Heal Thyself is Timeless

But despite it all, when one of us is in suffering, the pain is immense and we often seek solutions outside ourselves. Until we experience self-compassion, our pain is never-ending. Our attitude matters deeply in our own wellbeing.

This is why alignment of our mind with our heart is so foundational right now. When all we see is doom and gloom, what are we bringing into our lives? When we focus on the pain in whatever form, what are we inviting on an emotional level? What if compassion for ourselves magnetizes inner healing?

When people ask us how we are feeling or doing, do we share how joyful we are? And if we do, does it spark conversations about joy, what we love and create joyful connections? No one outside ourselves can bring us joy as it is an inside job.

What if our world is simply an abundant playground of experiences? What if suffering is a story that we are attached to and maybe even a belief system? And it’s personal to understand why we may see the world as a playground to experiment, or a place where we suffer through life.

There is widespread loneliness and suffering on so many levels around us that stem from beliefs that are literally causing us great harm. But it doesn’t need to be this way. And there are wellness pioneers working on breaking these trances to help us see ourselves.

Facing the Shadows

When we each face our darkest shadows with compassion, we begin to find our path of healing as we need to take our own medicine. There are people all around us who may be able to help but their assistance is often futile when we are stuck in our stories.  

Knowing our true selves is a journey of self-love, not narcissism. It’s not easy in an overwhelmed world to discover our wonder through inner reflection and forgiveness. 

So many people are facing demons right now that we created. And it’s also amazing how many are healing ourselves. We don’t hear a lot about this as the old stories of heroes and victims mostly makes the headlines. 

But ever since I fired myself from my corporate job, I had a front row seat to an emerging world of health and wellbeing that is so exciting to experience. And I have been around thousands of people from all over the world who understand that we are becoming responsible for our own wellbeing.

Freeing Ourselves

It takes a lot of soul searching to free ourselves and become aware that our answers are not outside ourselves. We can stop looking for secondhand advice as we don’t need to buy pillows, courses and retreats from people who don’t know who we are. And too often, these experts and gurus don’t walk their talk. 

As I share in F*ck the Bucket List for the Health Conscious, “Being told to sit on a cushion in silence and go inside yourself to find your answers only makes the person selling the trendy new cushions richer. It also extinguishes your power and desire to openly question what is truly going on.”

All I can tell you is that through self-compassion and love, I have had to make choices and practice discernment. And as a result, I am humbled by what is truly possible when it comes to our own health.

The shift we are on is understanding our suffering and learning to heal ourselves. And it is some of the most rewarding work we will ever do as everything is already here and this is a time to thrive.

“The medicine for my suffering I had within me from the very beginning but I did not take it. My ailment came from within myself, but I did not observe it until this moment. Now I see I will never find the light unless, like a candle, I am my own fuel.” Bruce Lee