ME/CFS: Working for peace on a different level

[Cort]

An interesting perspective. What good is ME/CFS? What good work can do when you're so inhibited? What good work can you do if you're severely ill and can't do virtually any work at all? According to this perspective - from a Buddhist practitioner and peace activist - you do the same work you were doing before: you work for peace on even deeper level. You work to calm the wars within. Same job -different level.

http://www.upaya.org/newsletter/view/2009/03/23

Laying down arms can happen in a thousand different ways, many of them quite poetic. We may do as a friend of mine did, a lifetime activist who developed severe chronic fatigue syndrome. By listening to the physical distress of her body, wracked by toxic chemicals, she came to understand the necessity of not doing further violence to her body. She stopped her work for peace and went on medical leave. But in reality, she was doing the work on an even more essential level.

 

[Jody]

Okay ... I can see this ...

This life is NOT the one I'd have picked by a long shot. But there is good that has come of it, will come of it.

I have been turned inside out as a human being, as most of us have. I have had to attend to things within that I never would have thought of. And I apply what I've learned to my own life, and do what I can for other people in the same fix.

I would never even have been aware of them, had I not gotten so sick. So there is important awareness that has come, and perhaps important work that I will do in future ... all because of having had my life brought to a standstill by this illness.

 

[KC22]

Yes, I totally agree with your perspective on this, we are the Beings, instead of the Doers;yet equally as important. There are people in the world who are doing the actual work, where ours is to keep them in prayer and stay present.

I have a good friend who happens to live next door who is chronically ill. We have done a lot of sharing and reading together. She is deeply rooted in being. This is where we try to keep our focus. Somedays, it is a challenge to stay present to this idea, but I believe it to be truth.

I find my own peace when I am accepting my limitations and still finding purpose in being present to the moment.

Thanks for bringing this topic up as it is reminding me what I am to"be" "Doing."

 

[Jody]

Hi KC,

Welcome to the forums. I know you've been here for awhile so this is belated, but this is the first time our paths have crossed.

I agree with what you are saying. To put it another way, there are those who deal predominantly with the visible (don't know if this is the best word, but it is the closest I can come to it right now). And their work is essential.

But there are also some of us who are geared more to the invisible, the undergirding of this visible natural world. And our thing is to spend time there, in whatever way each of us knows how to, to help bring about the changes in the invisible infrastructure, which will help to bring change to this natural world, in a way that will seemingly be natural and effortless.

And some of us are equipped to do both. I seem to have a foot in each world.

Please come back to this thread, KC, and tell me if I am making any sense to you. These things are hard for me to put into words, especially since we all may speak a different "language" about these matters.

 

[Victoria]

Peace at a deeper level?

yes, Cort,

Peace at a deeper level.
Developing the invisible that's lies deep within.
Deveoping your inner spirit too.

When you are disabled or in deep pain or fatigue or......whatever, you see life from a different perspective.

You see people with different eyes.

You also learn what is really important in your life (& who your real friends are). You also learn to find happiness & peace in simple pleasures.

I think your brain & thinking finds a new language.

I sometimes feel like an outcast, somebody to be avoided. But am thankful for the network of people who DO speak my language on the internet.

Mysterious shadows that lurk on the outskirts suddenly become bold & clear. Mental clarity intensifies (despite the FM fibro fog episodes).

Many people live on the superficial surface of the planet & never venture into their inner selves.

But CFS/FM & ICI do that for you. They enable you to see inside yourself.

Victoria

 

[Wayne]

Most Important Thing I've Learned

Hi All,

I wrote about a story I had heard about over on another board. Thought I'd cut and paste that story below, along with a few comments I made at the end. Seems pertinent to this thread.

Best to All, Wayne
..............................................................

A young man in Africa was down on his luck. Very down. He had lost his job, his wife left him, and he had lost his home as well. And he was broke.

He was meandering down a road one night, feeling the blues (understandable). Before long, he came across a young woman with three children who seemed to be on their own and in somewhat desperate straights themselves. I can't remember if they asked him for assistance, but in his desolation, he didn't feel that he had anything to offer them anyway.

As he started to walk away, he got a strong sense he needed to at least check on them to see what their situation might be. Turns out, the woman's husband had gone to America to look for work and had not been in touch since leaving (a number of weeks had gone by).

So the young man asked the woman if she had any kind of information that might be helpful in being able to locate her husband. She managed to come up with a telephone number, but she had not been able to try to use it because of her own difficult circumstances. So the young man took the family and the telephone number and went to a nearby house to see if he might be able to somehow contact the woman's husband in America.

A man at the house had a cell phone, and offered to let them use it to see if they could make contact. Miraculously, they were able to get through and almost by accident managed to contact the husband at that very moment. The woman was able to talk with her husband who had indeed gotten work, had some money, and had been trying desperately to get hold of his family. Arrangements were made to bring the family together again.

As they were saying their goodbyes, one of the children came up to the young man with the brightest smile and told him a very interesting thing. He knew when he first saw the young man go by that he would come back, because that was exactly what he had seen in his dreams the night before!

I think about this story often when I am feeling quite ill and unable to do very much for others. What I have learned from that story and from my own experience, is that no matter what our circumstances may be, there is ALWAYS something we have to offer. It may be the most important lesson I learned from all my health challenges.

 

[KC22]

Hi Jody- It is very nice getting to talk with you. I have followed many of your threads and always enjoy your input.

Yes, I understood what you were saying. This illness has helped me to understand the "invisible world" so much more and to appreciate it. I found it very interesting about your description of having "one foot in this world and one foot in the invisible." My friend often refers to herself exactly that way. Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed your ideas.

Wayne - Your thread was also very interesting. I began this journey in 2006 by reading "Close to the Bone." It describes what you were talking about; learning who and what are important; seeing things from a different perspective.

Sometimes I see people and I do feel like an outsider because some live only in the visible world. I used to get frustrated; "Why can't you see?" This is where they are at this moment in life. I was there, not too long ago. I was a teacher for 27 years and never had inner stillness, I was too engaged in 35 other lives every day. Now I have so much quiet time (something I would have died for then) and I have learned to embrace it.

Your story you shared with us was great and helps to remind me that we have something to offer this world; a kind word, a smile, or sometimes finding our peace within that may touch the sometime chaotic "visible world" we live in.

 

[Jody]

KC,

I know the only reason I have spent any time dwelling on the "invisible" shall we say, is because I've had many things over the years that were insurmountable and impossible to change by the usual methods.

I was a Baptist for 10 years after I first got married, and a Pentecostal / charismatic for the next 10, and have been neither for the past 7. But my roots are still my roots I guess. And during those 20 yrs I spent alot of time facing the invisible as my only resource for change.

Fortunately for me and my family, many of the impossible things did change and though I am still sick and still broke, I have not forgotten these things. It was desperation that brought me there in the first place, and desperation has me still paying attention.

I would far rather be able to live a "normal" life, but that is not an option open to me at the present. So I have in the past 2 yrs been going back to the invisible to see what might be there for me.

I'd rather have both feet firmly planted in the visible. Just doesn't seem to work for me. Lucky me.

When I turned away from all that out of disillusionment with the church world, and with my ongoing sickness, etc. the unexpected improvements in the "impossible" areas ... stopped. For many years. Since I have taken a deep breath and gone back somewhat, the unexpected and wonderful have begun to happen for me on a surprisingly regular basis.

I read somewhere years ago about a conversation between 2 people, the first one dismissing prayer, saying, it's just coincidence. The second person didn't argue, just shrugged and said, "All I know is, when I pray coincidences happen. When I don't, they don't." This has been my experience these past 7 yrs.

 

[KC22]

Jody,

Once again, I enjoyed your thoughtful response. I know some people may not agree with me, but in some ways I see this illness as a gift to me.

Whenever anything happens in my life, I always ask, "What am I to be learning?" This by far has been my greatest teacher. I am trying to explain this to my 22 year old son. Always, look for the lesson; the gift.

I, too, had a history of church. While I still see good in it, I see much, much more than what church has to offer me. I have had my eyes open to seeing humanity, not a religion or one belief. I am reading "The Message of Jesus Christ," by Gandhi, a new slant on what I was taught to believe.

While church is not enough for me anymore, I still value prayer a lot. I am one of those who believes there are no coincidences in life. It is all so beautifully orchestrated. When I am not sure of that, I just step outside and watch the symphony. My deck overlooks a a creek/pond where there is always movement.

Yes, I would love to live a "normal life," but I would want to take with me, the valuable lessons I've learned. My eyes are open now, and I want them to stay open.

What really is important in this life, is that we live in the moment, whatever that moment may be. For us right now, it is a challenging moment, but not accidental.

I see you offer a lot to this board in your sharing of ideas and support. This is where you are to be right now serving this purpose. Thank you for accepting this for now. I say that because I always believe their is hope for healing, and I am always looking for it.

 

[Jody]

KC,

Thanks for the kind words. It feels like this is where I should be right now.

I was actually just passing through, 2 months ago I guess it was. I saw that Cort Johnson had a CFS forum,and because I have great admiration and respect for him,I wanted to check it out.

At that time there were only a couple people posting and that is part of why I stuck around, oddly enough. If the forums had been going great guns, I would have probably observed from the sidelines for awhile and admired it, but probably would not have gotten very involved.

But I thought maybe I could help get things going a bit, by posting as often as I could (even sometimes about stuff that was way over my head) trying to lure other people into the discussions. Then Mike Dessin's story hit the scene and things really started rolling, with many new members.

My first reaction was to think, well, they don't need me any more. What do they need me for? And almost retreated, but I caught myself and decided it was time to break an old pattern of mine, and stayed.

Glad I did. This place is a tilt.

I also believe there is always hope for healing, and I also look for it everywhere.

 

[Lisa]

My first reaction was to think, well, they don't need me any more. What do they need me for? And almost retreated, but I caught myself and decided it was time to break an old pattern of mine, and stayed.

Glad I did. This place is a tilt.

I'm very glad you stayed too, Jody.

Lisa

 

[Jody]

Hey, girl!

Thanks. That is really nice to hear.

So ... done any EFTing lately ... ?

 

[Lisa]

You know it! hehehe

Only have done one round of EFT so far today. Had a lot of funk going on today. Started with my back muscles spasmming enough this morning that I decided to skip my normal five minutes of stretching. Then over the course of half a hour at most I started getting incredibly dizzy. I would guess it is the most dizzy I have gotten in probably my entire life without having had some alcohol. Considering it has been almost 7 years since the last time I had any spirits, I'm guessing that wasn't the problem today. hehe

Took an extra half pill of antihistamine because I couldn't tell what was causing the dizzy but my allergies have been kicked up a lot lately due to ferns pollinating. It took enough of the edge off the dizziness that I was able to get in the EFT after lunch.

Now the reason I described all that is this - about two or three hours after lunch I felt a strong need for a nap! This time I wasn't able to relax enough to fully sleep (kept having roving itches), but I did get to a restful enough state with my eyes closed that I ended up feeling the detox starting that always happens when I sleep. I am figuring that detox must mean I hit some sort of rest level that is akin to actual sleep, just not as re-energizing. BUT! After resting, nearly all my dizziness was gone!

I do wonder if I didn't sleep today because I did less of the EFT before napping. This time only did four rounds on the points instead of probably six or seven yesterday. I am going to have to pay attention to the time I do it and then feel like napping - assuming the same pattern continues. Fingers crossed!

Sorry for the derailment of the thread - so I'll say a bit of what I have been thinking on this topic! I too have this feeling of living in that invisible world. Part in the real one and part in the invisible. It is a hard path we are on, but perhaps it is because our souls are ready for it.

Ack, I don't want to believe that simply because I don't feel ready for it. I have to admit though, no matter how tough it has gotten, some how I make it through. Now opportunities are opening up here for me to help others with their hard walk too. Even if all I can do at the time is remember someone wasn't feeling well lately or offer some encouragement, I wouldn't be here to do it if I hadn't found this path of life too.

It makes me feel really good to be able to help in these little ways. Like something that was missing in my life, now and before illness, is now being found. Very odd putting it into words for the first time, but true. Something that was missing in me is being found. wow.

So lets keep up the good work people! Keep a smile on your lips and sunshine in your heart.

Lisa

 

[Jody]

You know it! hehehe ....

Sorry for the derailment of the thread - so I'll say a bit of what I have been thinking on this topic! I too have this feeling of living in that invisible world. Part in the real one and part in the invisible. It is a hard path we are on, but perhaps it is because our souls are ready for it.

Ack, I don't want to believe that simply because I don't feel ready for it. I have to admit though, no matter how tough it has gotten, some how I make it through. Now opportunities are opening up here for me to help others with their hard walk too. Even if all I can do at the time is remember someone wasn't feeling well lately or offer some encouragement, I wouldn't be here to do it if I hadn't found this path of life too.

It makes me feel really good to be able to help in these little ways. Like something that was missing in my life, now and before illness, is now being found. Very odd putting it into words for the first time, but true. Something that was missing in me is being found. wow.

So lets keep up the good work people! Keep a smile on your lips and sunshine in your heart.

Lisa

Lisa,

Thumbs up on the EFT.

And, great thoughts. Glad to know you on this path we're all on.