Dealing or healing?

“How are you” my yoga teacher asked last night as I arrived for class. She knows of a particular challenge I have been having recently with my left wrist. “Fine” I responded “Except I am still dealing with my wrist”. She quipped “Not dealing: healing”.

What a difference a letter makes! From “d” to “h”: the moment she said “healing”, I had a mental shift from seeing my wrist as a problem which I had to solve, to seeing it as already in the process of healing and being whole. I saw, and continue to see, my wrist as perfect. There was nothing to deal with, just healing to accept.

So often we look at our problems and believe that we must deal with them. In a state of dealing, we focus on the issue and believe that the solution is up to us. Of course, what we focus on, we inevitably attract more of. So, it is no wonder that we are constantly having to deal with whatever we consider we are dealing with. “Dealing” thoughts will inevitably create dealing experiences. When I am dealing with my wrist, my wrist complies by constantly presenting me with a problem (pain) for me to deal with.

When I am in a state of healing, it is a totally different paradigm. Now I am focused on wholeness and health. And my wrist responds with less (or no) pain and discomfort, which has been my experience during and since the yoga class.

Our words are never “just semantics” – they are powerful expressions of our mental state, and determinants of our individual reality. Being observant and aware of our words is a way to become aware of our thoughts and therefore, the true cause of our experiences. Once we are present to our thoughts, we are in a position to change them, and thus change our experiences.

Today, I am healing rather than dealing – not just my wrist, but my entire life!