| The Healing Power of Gratitude-February 2009 blog Nothing makes us feel better than a heartfelt “Thank You”. It’s important to feel appreciated, it fuels the fires of our inner drive to help us continue with our efforts. Life isn’t about surviving, it’s not about winning or losing, it’s not even about earning a living; rather it’s about the mutual benefit we receive from interaction with others. We learn nothing from solitude. The infamous monks who go up on the mountain top to meditate gain no enlightenment until they come down and communicate with their pupils, the vision they garnered from their meditation. It’s the journey and the lessons that help us grow. One of my favorite quotes is from the late Cheif Dan George in the movie “The Outlaw Josey Wales”, in it he repeats the words told to him by the President when the tribal leaders were invited to Washington, “endeavour to persevere”. Sounds so much more worthy an effort than just merely surviving. I have always gained value from the precepts of being an “impeccable warrior”, that is to conduct yourself with dignity and taking full responsibility for your actions. That being said, I want to thank all of you for the positive words of encouragement and support you have given me over the past few months. You have made a difference and have helped me to “Endeavour to persevere” during a difficult time. Recently I had been experiencing more and more pain in my wrist. I tried all my usual remedies, icing, wrapping and even massage but it just wasn’t improving. Now these type of injuries are common to massage therapists and I read articles on self care looking for some easy solution. It really began to worry me, even to the point of wondering if I was cut out for this career. So I put out the thought and asked for guidance. The answers came clear and strong. Physically: I sought medical treatment firstly to get a clear diagnosis so that I knew what I was dealing with. First my physician tried steroid treatment which had no effect whatsoever. So then we had an MRI which confirmed that I had arthritic tendinitis and pinpointed the inflammation. Next we tried a Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drug which has given me great relief, reduced my pain from an 8 to about a 2 and has allowed me to continue to work as my body heals. Also some of you may have noticed me using some new strokes and using my forearms and left hand more recently during sessions. I will continue to learn techniques that allow me to improve my skills while putting less strain on my body. Emotionally: YOU. I have had such positive feedback on everything I do. People have told me how much they enjoyed these articles and newsletters, appreciated my efforts in the community such as SGMT, and most of all for my body work. Let me share some examples; one client wrote, “Man, I wish I could come for a daily massage. If I were Oprah, I would hire you!!!” another wrote “I had my first massage from Michael in mid-December and was very impressed. Although I have Fibromyalgia, RA, and 2 torn menesci, I left the appointment pain- free and remained so for several hours, enabling me to Christmas shop and wrap gifts. What a treat! Thanks so much, Michael…I’ll be back for sure!”. Now I’m not sharing these to toot my own horn but rather to let you know that comments like these inspire me and most certainly helped me to recover every bit as much as the medicine the doctor prescribed. I continue to be an impeccable warrior not because I am strong but because I am stronger for connecting with all of you. I am grateful that I have found a profession that allows me to do positive things for others. I am grateful for my health and that my work makes me healthier. I am grateful that because of my age and life experience I can connect with more people and share their health concerns. If I haven’t told you lately, “I love you” and thank you for letting me do work that I love. |
