Self Healing: Finding Joy in the Journey

Saturday, October 22, 2022

Welcome friends, to Dr. Brainerd’s B.R.E.A.T.H.S. Saturday’s Health edition of my blog. For the month of October, I have shared the steps of my self-healing journey I started in the middle of 2018. Each year since, I have focused on combating a different metaphysical cause of pain. In week one, I shared my first lessons on love with the use of positive affirmations on the main areas causing me pain: anger, fear, and lack of joy (See chart below, Hay, 1982).

Targeting Pain

With Louise Hay’s “Heal Your Body” book, I charted all the dis-eases in my body and discovered all of my metaphysical causations were due to lack of love. However, I was able to go a little deeper with each of the three areas that keep showing up in my body (see chart above). So in week two, I discussed the second part of my self-healing journey focusing my anger issues using a  forgiveness cleanse I created. Then in week three, I shared how I gift myself with G.R.A.C.E. when faced with any fears. This fourth week of my self-healing journey, I discuss the final pains I am targeting that deal with lack of joy. 

 

How I Selected the Steps

The process occurred naturally as I am starting to listen more attentively to each of my pains, but I will start from the back and work my way to the beginning steps. I chose the lesson in finding joy last for several reasons. First, while I have a few more pains than anger and lot less than fear, the pains associated with lack of joy are the most tolerable for me. Next, anger had less to deal with than the other two, but the pains were the most intense, so those had to go first, which made targeting fear my second step. My first step was realizing all of the aforementioned pains have to deal with one problem: lack of love. 

Finding Jaime’s Joy through F.L.A.W.S.

After exercising forgiveness and grace, my heart was opening to more love, but my body was still hanging onto some pains associated with lack of joy. Last year was the first year to exercise Jaime’s joys by taking a closer look at my F.L.A.W.S. What do I mean? Flaws are imperfections, lack of love. We are all born perfect out of love. Then throughout life, our imperfections buildup and cause disease in our bodies. I wrote down the necessary steps for surviving diseases, things you cannot live without: food, love, air, water, self-care; and my next lesson appeared with me finding joy in my F.L.A.W.S:

Food – from all over nourishes me with nutrients and love. I created a favorite foods list from my two year tour of 49 states staple cuisines, I found 12 restaurants and a bakery that bring me ultimate joy (see list in tips below) 

Love – God, Self, people, animals, plants, Earth, Sun, Moon, stars, and all the universe

Air – gives me life, calms me down, sends prayers to Spirit, enlightens me with awe, skydiving, hot air balloons, airplanes, helicopters, parasailing, zip-lining, and gliding

Water – dew, hydro-flask, shower, sprinkler, weather, swimming, wading, soaking, boating, paddle boarding, kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, and yachting

Self-care – music, art, reading, baths, SongPop, parties, home facials, massages, traveling, education, being in nature, Mcmenamizing, and time with loved ones

Conclusion on Finding Joy in the Journey

When I was on this part of my self-healing journey of finding joy, I discovered I didn’t really know what brought me joy, so the first step was making a list. Next, I categorized the list and this F.L.A.W.S. acronym came up. Not all my steps have acronyms, but I like them because they help me to remember the lesson easier. I made self-care a priority and so it became one of my B.R.E.A.T.H.S. blog topics with Self-care Sundays. That is why I have so many links to my documented activities to remind me of what brings me joy. I am still a work in progress by continually practicing all my lessons in love, forgiveness, grace, and joy as tools to conquer my pains. 

Joyful Tips

BREATHE (I include this step in all my posts since it’s the most important). Joy is our birthright. Be clear on what brings you joy and make lists (I keep mine on Google Drive). Travel to new places, meet new people, listen to new music, taste new foods, and seek out new joyful experiences. Wear things that spark joy and release things that do not. Pray to experience awe in everything you do, that whatever you eat will nourish and bless you, and that joy will fill your heart in every situation. 

Here is that list I promised! Bon appétit!

Thank you for reading. I am praying for your health. Sending you extra love, light, and peace. 

PS – Before this journey, I was self conscious of my weight, and picky with the food I put into my body (that is what society taught me). Now that I listen to my body when it is in pain, talk to it with only loving words, and love all kinds of foods. I indulge with the cuisines my body desires, although I do it in moderation (that is what I learned through self-help). The result is that I feel great with less pain, I have more energy, my body seems to love me right back without allergic reactions, indigestion, or weight gain/loss, and I feel free to try anything at least once if I think it will bring me joy (that is true self love). 

Reference

Hay, L. (1982). Heal your body. Louise Hay, Inc.