A Silver Lining: The Important Role of Emotional and Physical Suffering

I know, this article already is the opposite of what you want to hear, right? I've been through it so I totally get it. Physical and emotional illness are processes; and so is healing. Both parts of the journey, the getting sick and the getting well, are equal parts of something hugely important. Something, for some reason you probably don't see yet, you are meant to live through.

But, there truly is a a silver lining to the suffering. You just have to open your heart enough to consider accepting it.

In my book This Is How I Save My Life, I explain:

"...you finally realize that your illness was more than just years of suffering. It was the metamorphosis into that which you were always meant to be. If we try to force the process, we are not taking the journey of full healing."

As much as we all want to attain perfect health, there are so many experiences and growth opportunities we'd miss if not for illness and emotional "suffering." There are so many people, places and things that are found on our searches to 'get back to life' we would never encounter otherwise. But most of all, crisis, as we often see suffering -- is a way to purge that which no longer serves us. Let's face it, we would never stop to do it otherwise.

How Suffering Can Be a Vehicle for Healing

• I see clients literally release, over time, hundreds of trapped emotional energies they never would have been compelled to explore if not for their illness or emotional imbalance.

• Suffering in personal relationships helps us really look at our patterns and see what is no longer working for us, so we can move forward and manifest something that is truly aligned with our being.
• Past traumas and limiting beliefs (like "I'm not good enough") get a voice because we are forced to look at what "stress" is really doing to us, and address it.
• Learning about negative emotional energy we pick up from others invites us to find ways to protect ourselves, ultimately leading happier lives.
• Being "triggered" easily inspires us to look at and face our deepest fears about our success, being loved and more. Then, we can finally release those voices in our heads that cause us to operate out of fear, resulting in "living small."
• Learning all of the lessons through suffering helps us resolve past patterns and recognize when we are getting back to that place again.

All of the above are just examples of things we'd likely never explore (and clear!) if not for our suffering. They are all things that could inhibit us living the absolute best lives possible, yet often the desperation from suffering is the only thing that makes us slow down enough to pay attention.

Could Illness Be Necessary for Our Growth?

When I was chronically ill for 8 years of my young life, I had an innate sense that my illness was necessary. While I fought hard to get well, I was also in a way, oddly accepting of where I was -- even though I had lost my career, friends and more. But I realize there are people who don't share my understanding of this, reasonably so.

When I came out of my illness, finally, I could look back with the biggest ever "Ahhhh, I get it now." The one I knew was coming. My emotional healing played not only a gigantic role in my ultimate healing, but it also gave me a better life than in many ways than I ever had prior to my sickness. I feel thousands of pounds lighter now without all the negative emotional energy I was carrying around before. My path, career-wise and otherwise is now crystal clear. I believe I am connected to my heart like I never was; and probably never would have been if not for my suffering.

These my friends, are the blessings of healing. The reasons that while it's important to work on the healing, you cannot just have the goal of getting better. You will miss part of what was intended for you. In fact, it can seem counter-intuitive, but the more you can accept right where you are, the more energy you have to heal. Resistance is one of the number one ingredients for staying stuck.

What If I'm Still Not Better, Even After Much Work?

The first thing we must always always consider when we are not healing, is that there is a part of us that still isn't fully allowing it. I believe this to the core, for myself and for my clients. However, this doesn't have to be a negative.

If you have done so much work emotionally, physically and spiritually and still, you are not well, you have to consider your path for this part of the journey, is simply not meant to be over yet. We have so much control our lives and not, all at the same time. As many of you know, I believe disease serves us in some way. And as we release the serving, we release the illness. However, while you can be committed to finding what is blocking you, you cannot always force the release of that which serves you. Sometimes, it's safer for the body to release it a little bit at a time (although not all the time).

Your path will unfold in its own time, showing you pieces of the puzzle only as they are ready to be healed. It is your responsibility to have your eyes wide open; and clear the blocks that are shown to you along the way.

With both my own healing path and hundreds of client sessions, I learn over and over there is a specific order the body wants/needs to heal. I use several different energy therapy techniques. Through muscle testing, I've found the body always seems to know which one will clear best and in what order. Until you have done A, B, and C, you cannot even start to heal item D. In fact, you might not know item D exists until you get a little further into your process. Emotions, limiting beliefs and more are so layered. You have to simply peel away and curiously watch for the next one to be ready for attention ... and still accept right where you are as you do that as not to lock up your energy creating resistance against the process.

If you have the goal of bettering yourself for the day when your full healing is finally ready to arrive, you will truly be healed to the core. And like me, you will look back thankful (yes, really!) for all of your years of "suffering." It can be quite the balance until you get to that point, but I promise you it's so worth the ride.