Standing in the Presence of Challenge

 

"Ignore those that make you fearful and sad,

that degrade you back towards disease and death."

Rumi

A commonly accepted belief is that the mind, body, and spirit are connected.  The mind experiences stress, real or imagined, and if not appropriately addressed, the stress can cause discomfort or "dis-ease" in the body.   When the stress is not released from the body, our spirit can become fragmented or depressed.  This has the potential to occur like a chain of events or a domino effect.

 

Recently, I met with a woman who was a previous counseling client. I was eager to see her and hear of where she had journeyed in her life.  The woman who always appeared to be so vibrant, now seemed to be drained of all energy.  Once very animated, this delightful spirit had become dis-spirited.  With permission to share her story, the connection between mind, body, and spirit grows very apparent:

"Dorothy" had been single for years, not necessarily by choice.  She was very active in her community and dedicated to her job.   She was very athletic, enthusiastic, and down to earth.  In the process of buying a small home, she met a lawyer who was handsome, sophisticated, and wealthy.   When she moved into her new home, the attorney sent her flowers.  She was very surprised and assumed it was a professional courtesy.  She called his office to leave a thank you expecting to speak only with his secretary, but the  secretary immediately passed her off to the attorney. He proceeded to ask her out on a date.

A whirlwind romance took place and the weeks flew by.   Her life time friends were eager to meet the mystery man. They all met for a drink after work, and the attorney was as charming as ever.  The new couple felt  things had gone well, passing the hurdle of meeting the friends.

Within a day, the friends approach Dorothy with an intervention.  They tell her this lawyer is just using her; she is out of her league; his arrogant lifestyle will never bring her happiness; and she is not being realistic.  Dorothy's confidence is shattered and she feels as though she needs to trust her friends.  Entirely confused, she calls the lawyer and without explanation cancels their upcoming date and refuses all forthcoming phone calls.

As the story continues to unfold, Dorothy has been left miserable.  She deeply regrets trusting her friends and not giving her self more time with her decision about the attorney.  It takes her a week to gather her courage, but she contacts the man in question at his home.  He listens to her apology and explanation, but states he has been deeply hurt, and at this point cannot forgive her.  He thanked her for the month they shared, and then hung up the phone.

In the months that pass, Dorothy never sees the attorney, and it is as though he has disappeared.  She has developed strange symptoms in her body that doctors cannot quite diagnosis accurately.  She submitted to endless testing, expensive drugs, and medical bills.  She has taken a leave of absence from work, is no longer active in her community, and her friends don't call.  She is left feeling hopeless and suicidal.  She sighs saying, "I feel as though the gnarly tentacles of life are squeezing the very breath out of me."  She acknowledges the need for addressing not only  her medical needs, but her mental and spiritual as well. 

 

One of the ways of maintaining a healthy mind, body, and spirit is to be purposefully connected in personal relationship with the Divine. When we acknowledge the presence of Divine Spirit, we come to know our gifts, and talents more accurately. We become aware of our own areas of darkness and endeavor to extend light as well as listen to our inner voice.

In having a strong sense of 'self', we are in a much better position to cope with negativity in our personal desires, relationships, and environments. We become masters of  standing in the presence of challenge, reflecting empathy, compassion, and unconditional love for the self as well as others.