29 February 2008

Shift Consciousness

I like to read, as much as I can. Mainly non-fiction. Currently, I'm enraptured by a book a dear friend told me about [no not Oprah, even though we are total BFFs] called A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. It's wonderful and slaps me in the face every other sentence. ...*bam* ouch! Ok I needed that... I'm one of those people who underlines things as I read, there is probably not a page that doesn't have atleast one sentence underlined... unless I didn't have a pen or pencil handy...
In many parts of the book I see myself, thoughts, friends, relationships and diabetes. Not just diabetes as a condition [as I think of it to be] but as I've heard others talk about it... an illness... that people suffer from. I do not suffer from anything and neither should you.
"An illness can either strengthen or weaken the ego. If you complain, feel self-pity or resent being ill, your ego becomes stronger. 'I am a sufferer of such and such disease' Ah, so now we know who you are". (pg. 124)
As I've written before, I do not suffer from diabetes and it is not who I am.
Eckhart made clear the notion with this part of the book. Everyone with diabetes [or any chronic illness for that matter] should read this book. Let it speak to you and show you how to rearrange your mentality. AYUDA has also helped me realize this and how we teach the kids to manage diabetes. You only suffer if you think you're suffering. It's a horrible cycle of thought and misguided teaching from misinformed individuals. It's time for a revolution. It's time for an enlightenment! Be at peace with yourself, your whole self - diabetes included. Relax. Enjoy this time you have. Take each day as a new day. [cue Michael Buble as background music "it's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me and i'm feeling good".]
"No thing ever had anything to do with who they are"(pg.43). Can I get an AMEN. Diabetes is not who we are. It is diabetes. It is a malfunctioning pancreas. And as they say, I am not the sum of my parts... broken as they may be...
I must remember to breathe. Take a deep breath. Everyday is a different that comes with new catalysts, stresses, highs and lows and we must throw diabetes into the mix because we don't already have enough to do right?!
-------i'll have to come back to this post--------i got distracted by other things that needed my attention apparently so i'll have something more poignant to say later on possilby-----stay tuned.----------------------------------

2 comments:

k2 said...

I've been wanting to buy that book for 2 weeks now. I AM GETTING IT TOMORROW!

Oprah is actually having a free on line class with the author starting on Monday.
k2

Naomi said...

Okay, I have to find that book so I can get my ego to SHUT UP!!!