The Journey to Healing is a Healing of Self
I was my own worst enemy
Ten years ago, I was very fearful. I had very low self-esteem. I also carried a lot of anger, and the person I was angry at most, was me. By the time I was 41, my internal anger caught up with me. I was 70 pounds overweight, prediabetic, dealing with depression, along with feelings of shame, guilt, and regret.
Even with all my accomplishments, I was severely unhappy with my life. I felt like a failure. I would often ask myself, “How did I get here?” “Where did I go wrong?” “Why me?”
Looking back now, I realize that what I felt about myself, influenced the choices I made. It influenced the way I lived my life, and the decisions I made strongly stemmed from my beliefs, and how I wanted others to see me. I just wasn’t fully aware of it at the time.
I self-sabotaged many opportunities, because subconsciously, I didn’t believe I mattered. I wasn’t good enough. Or something was wrong with me. The change had to start with me. Only I had the power to change my circumstances and it started with changing my way of thinking and the beliefs I held about myself.
Facing the enemy within
I was breaking down. I was tired. I had enough and I didn’t want to keep living that way.
Something had to change. I had to be willing to let go of the things that no longer served me and embrace the things that did; that included forgiving myself, loving myself, and trusting the process.
You got to be patient with this process. It’s not easy to let go of beliefs we’ve been holding on to since we were children. Many of our behaviors have become automatic at this point. You must be willing to dig deep and find out what those deep ingrained thoughts are that have been holding you back. I find this element missed in most health programs. And I don’t see how a program can succeed without changing your thoughts.
One of my favorite quotes by Albert Einstein is:
“You can’t solve a problem with the same mindset that created it.”
Once you begin to understand your thoughts, you begin to better understand your patterns and behaviors. Then from there, you will be able to discover what works for you and what doesn’t.
There are levels to healing
This journey involves multiple journeys. Every time you turn that corner, there’s another journey waiting for you and the more experience you get, the more confidence you get, and the more powerful you get. Your growth comes from what you see and what you experience along the way.
Every level of my healing required a new mindset and a new set of actions. Don’t allow yourself to get comfortable at any level. It is not an easy task, but coming from someone who has gone through it, I know that healing is possible.
Don’t forget that this is a journey, and you can’t keep giving up when the going gets tough. Do not confuse your struggle with failure. Look at these struggles as a test, a chance to assess and reevaluate.
Instead of giving up when things get tough, this is your time to reflect on why this is happening and develop the skills and mindset that you need to get through it.
Some of you may feel as though you have wasted many years due to fear, doubt, and uncertainty. But you are fortunate to be right here, right now… what are you going to do with what you have now? Don’t convince yourself that it’s too late. That’s a limiting thought that will keep you in bondage.
You may have to forgive yourself for trusting the wrong people or for the mistakes you have made. But that’s ok, the fact that you are reading this right now tells me that you haven’t given up!
Consistency brings results
This is part of the process. You must trust it. Understand that time always wins. Learn to move by faith, not by sight. Sometimes it’s hard when you can’t see the next few days or few years ahead of you, but you still got to keep moving because as you get closer, things will start to get clearer. But you must start choosing life today.
I made a very solid decision 10 years ago, to change the direction of my life. I am now living in the results of those decisions. Was I able to predict everything that would happen and where I would end up? Of course not. Did I experience heartbreak, disappointments, and setbacks? Absolutely. Do I still experience doubt and fear from time to time? Yes, I do. I just cancel it and not allow it to stop me. Have those old labels tried to find a home in my mind again? They most definitely have. But the stronger my mind gets, the more resilient I get, the faster they leave. But the last 10 years have been my training ground and it has made me stronger and healthier.
You know, I frequently look back and think “what if?” What if I hadn’t made that choice? What if I didn’t change? Would I still be in practice? Would I have been able to take care of me and my children? Even worse, would my children end up living without a mother?
I’ll never know, but what I do know is that I had to begin with changing my mind and making the choices that brought me closer to wellness and further away from sickness.
There was no turning back. I wasn’t sure what the next day would look like, let alone the next month or the next year. But I knew that every day, every minute, every second, was a chance to make a better choice, and a better decision that will move me in the right direction.
My reasons to stick with it and still sticking with it 10 years later was my desire to be in my children’s lives for as long as possible and to be an example for them and for others.
It all starts with a choice. Don’t worry, the answers will come, and most of those answers will not come until you start. The health journey doesn’t come perfectly mapped out, planned out and measured for you with an exact date and time of what will happen and when.
As long as you are doing the right things and taking consistent steps in the right direction, you will get well. The road to health is not a straight line. Sometimes you will fall off track, but you will learn how to get back on again and keep going.
Takeaways
- It all starts with a choice
- You must forgive yourself
- Understand that time always wins
- Learn to move by faith, not by sight
- The next 10 years will be here before you know it
- You can’t succeed without changing your thoughts
Let’s talk about how I can help you get to your ideal health destination. Request a free 45-minute Breakthrough Call. CLICK HERE to get on my schedule. And you can get started on your journey today; Download your free Breakthrough Guide today!
Don’t forget to check out The Heal Deal Podcast for more valuable insights into your journey to healing.
Until next time, go out there and achieve more freedom in your health and your life!
Dr. Leona
