Living the Gift

 I came across a video of Kris Carr describing her journey living with a rare form of terminal cancer.  Once diagnosed, over ten years ago, she embraced more nurturing ways of approaching her life - through meaningful work, relationship, cooking and food.   Though healthier, evidence of her cancer remained unchanging - until recently.  

In the video, she tells of her anxiety and fatigue going to doctors to check the tumors, inspiring her to take another look at her thinking.  She recognized that until her health was declared perfect, she believed she was broken.  She decided to stop chasing "perfect" and start living fully for herself.   Her next doctor's appointment showed remission.

I've struggled and thought I was struggling with things that made it hard to like life.  I thought if I could change those things, I would want to be here more and life would feel better.  But it's not enough to want to be here for specific conditions, others, work, achievement or approval, we must want to give the experience of Life to ourselves.  

A gift is a gift only if we want it and so too is what we sometimes refer to as " the gift of life".  And it is how we perceive the gift that determines whether it is experienced as such.  Perceived through the lens of having to prove wholeness and rightness, it is impossible to fully embrace life.  If we want to receive the gift, we have to recognize life for its underlying truth: the energy of love.   For me, this is worth showing up for - essential life - always well, regardless.

Love,
Jen