A foolproof recipe for perfect health

The other day I met someone who had the Big C. She was ebullient and shining. She looked a little tired, but her spirit was so present — not an ounce of self-pity. It was inspiring. Allow me to share with you tidbits of our talk, which I feel contains life lessons for us all.

The “sickness,” if you may call it that, has totally transformed her life. Instead of playing the “victim,” she has pondered what this condition is all about and has retooled her life. She previously would take on all the work that presented itself to her with an intensity that ended up taking away the joy of it all. Since getting sick, she saw that there was a need to take a breather; as a result, she enjoys life more now. Instead of being obsessed with deliverables and doing things perfectly, she is now able to take a deep breath and experience the wonders that life has to offer —more importantly, the experience of the love and companionship of those close to her.

The learning for me here is the way one takes on life. Life is designed to be challenging. It is designed to have valleys and mountains, ups and downs. What is important is the attitude and depth in which one takes it on. One can be a  “victim” and suffer through life, missing the gems. Or, in the silence of one’s being, one can inculcate an awareness of the gold that comes with rising to the challenge.

Balance. This is another lesson she learned. I thought about this. For me it means not getting “sucked” into life happening but being fully aware and intentional every time one takes on something. I have gotten into periods where I am so tired, at night I just fall into bed. My sleep is not as deep and restful as it would have been had I prepared for sleep properly. I have and am discovering another part of myself that feels “bigger” and can “see” more clearly.
“Enough,” it says. And, even better, it gives me the strength to be able to put things down — to set things aside and rest. I am finding it also can “hold back” when things go wrong and people don’t perform. It “sees” things differently. It doesn’t “react” as violently as my other, more worldly self might.

That’s the part of myself I want to function from. That’s the part of myself I want to live in.

Similarly, my friend, through her seeming “setback,” was able to discover the part of herself that can “enjoy” life — as she sets aside the part of her that tends to get obsessed with doing things perfectly.

 Life. That’s what life is all about. Evolving to better spaces, higher dimensions of oneself. It is discovery and exploration that makes life oh-so-beautiful.

 Over the weekend I saw Starting Over Again, a movie that stars Piolo Pascual and Toni Gonzaga. I loved it. I liked the script, the acting. I find Toni so funny! I like the part in the end when Piolo is talking to Toni and shares how he has found this other part of himself, and how Toni in the end also finds another part of herself that can go on. It’s doing really well at the box office. It was amusing to see the cinema packed and the audience so enthralled with the movie.
In closing let me share with you another tidbit of wisdom my friend has discovered: “More important than actually accomplishing something is the intention with which we do it. A good life is a life that is loving, natural and harmonious — a life where we allow things to flow.”

“Loving, natural and harmonious.” That seems to me like a foolproof recipe for perfect health and a joyful life. No one lives forever. We take on life. We learn how to navigate with our principles intact. Life is what we make it. The choice is ours.

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I can be reached at regina_lopez@abs-cbn.com.