Why We Stay Sick
If you google the phrase “why we stay sick,” over 40 million results come up. Everyone has an opinion on why we get chronic disease. It’s the water, the food, the environment, the healthcare system, our genetics, our karma. We’re too fat, too skinny, not spiritual enough, too spiritual, we are lacking in some nutrient or medication, we aren’t happy enough, angry enough, honest enough. The list is endless.
Everyone can agree on one thing, though; we’re staying sick because we aren’t doing something right. The opinions on what that “something” might be, are as vast and varied as the people who have them.
I’m a firm believer in the idea that what we think has everything to do with what happens in our lives. We create our own reality. We might not have control over every situation that occurs, but how we react to things has everything to do with how they affect us.
When it comes to chronic illness, that is a huge factor in why we stay sick, and even why we relapse.
Managing symptoms, doctor’s visits, and medications, along with the rest of the things we have to do in a day, is a big part of a chronic diagnosis. Sometimes it’s a challenge just to get through the day.
The problem is that we get so caught up in what’s wrong with us, that it becomes impossible to see our way out of it. We put massive amounts of energy toward the sick part of ourselves, and very little goes toward what’s going right.
What we focus on is what we receive. If I’m constantly focused on what I’m putting into my body, or what my last test results were, I’m not focusing on being healthy. My attention is on being sick. I am feeding the energy of my illness, and just like a stray cat that’s given food, it will always come back for more.
I had a conversation with a friend of mine who has horrible allergies. She spent fifteen minutes telling me all of the things that she was doing to try to get better. Her doctor tested her for this and that, she got acupuncture, she tried a new homeopathic remedy. My eyes were crossing just listening to her.
Finally, after listening to her litany of symptoms and potential treatments, I asked her, “So, when do you focus on being healthy?” She said, “What do you mean? I am! Were you not listening? I just told you all the things that I’m trying to do to get healthy. I’m focusing on my health.”
There is a big distinction between focusing on being healthy and focusing on health issues. If she had said, “Today I was able to breathe a little better than yesterday. I really enjoyed being able to smell the flowers in my garden,” that would have been calling mindful attention to what was right instead of what was wrong.
Focusing on the positive will eventually attract more positive in your life. You will vibrate at a frequency that attracts more health to you.
I understand how difficult it can be to move your attention toward the good in your life when you are in the middle of a difficult illness. I’ve been there, and it was my biggest challenge. Once I made the decision to switch my focus from what was wrong to what was right, and find gratitude for the little “wins,” my health began to turn around.
Barbara Buck is a Foundational Reconnective Healing Practitioner, writer, and teacher. For more information about her, please visit her website at www.theomancollective.com. Check her out on the Happy Empaths Twitter feed @the_empath.