An old monk once told me that we have three bodies: our physical body (the defective one that hurts all the time), our body of knowledge (things we know, things that puzzle us and invite us to learn), and our joy body (all those things that give us joy). I've been thinking about that joyful body.
Maybe, instead of trying to understand and control what is happening to us, maybe a better use of our limited energy might be paying attention to those things that make us feel better, the things that make us smile, the times when we feel better. Without getting obsessive about it, maybe it would be a good thing to notice what foods make us feel better, what type of environment makes us thrive and the kind of people who make us smile.
Lately, I've become so sick of feeling sick to my stomach that I've tried eating less and wonder-of-wonders that's actually working. The less I eat, the lighter food I eat, the more my stomach smiles. It has been very cold lately and the cold is a huge trigger for weakness and paralysis for all us Possums (people with Periodic Paralysis), so I've been bundling way more than other people around me. Guess what? It really helps and hardly anyone has noticed. Some of my favorite memories are from hanging out with the other music majors at Greenfield Community College. My migraines, food allergies and muscle problems make hanging out harder today than it was back then, but I still look for people who are smart, funny and talented. They make me smile.
Maybe following our bliss really is a better idea than taking life by the throat and making it submit.
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