I had a stroke on June 20, 2013 at the age of 36. I was in the shower when all the sudden I felt a jolt of pain shoot down the left side of my body leaving me with the feeling that I could not move my left arm or left leg. I was terrified because I knew something was wrong and I did not understand what was happening to me. I was later admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with having had a stroke. The morning of my stroke was like any other normal day, except, I vividly remember having this thought: “what if I suffered a major illness or accident, would I survive? Would I be able to handle something like that?” I remember thinking to myself, no, I don’t think I would be able to. Then, just hours later, I was in a hospital bed unable to control the movement in my left leg. Amid facing and adjusting to my new unwelcomed reality, I learned a lot about myself, and the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.
Prior to my stroke, my entire perspective on health was solely based on the number on the scale. I spent most of my young adult life on fad diets. I had never seriously considered the impact that living with that type of short-term view on health could have on lasting wellness. While the experience of having a stroke was shocking, the impact has changed my life for the better. Here are three important things I learned: Wellness is a marathon, not a sprint. Inner peace comes from having more trust in the universe and that there is a sense of being supported in life that comes from embracing spirituality.
Wellness is A Marathon, not a Sprint
The key step in my journey towards lifelong wellness was shifting my mindset and letting go of just focusing on weight, and the habitual eating patterns of “dieting”. I became intentional and mindful about food and exercise and established a more balanced lifestyle. I began to look at everything I put in my body as either a step towards health or towards disease. The more I educated myself on the impact of what I was putting into my body, the easier it became to make better day-to-day choices. I no longer felt prisoner to that constant inner battle over everything I was eating, because that struggle was being overpowered by a deeper desire for real wellness. I now live with the comfort of better health because I no longer focus on short term goals.
Trust in Life
Having a stroke taught me that I am not always in control of everything that happens to me. I began to realize that believing I was in control of everything, had been unhealthy and robbed me of a lot happiness. During that time, life seemed difficult and I always felt like a fish swimming upstream. When things weren’t working out, I thought the answer was just to try harder. And when trying harder did not work, I felt like I failed. At that point in my life, it hadn’t yet occurred to me that these experiences that I saw as disappointments were truly opportunities. I was surprised that I was surviving and managing changes that I believed I would be unable to handle. I developed a sense of trust that the difficult experiences I faced allowed me personal growth. The seemingly unfair events I now could see were nudges or wake-up calls from the universe that the direction I was trying to go was not serving my greater purpose. I felt happier and lighter, like a burden had been lifted. Accepting that I couldn’t control everything and that I didn’t need to have all the answers, relieved a lot of pressure I had been putting on myself. Having more trust in life and in the universe allowed me to flow more with life, live with more ease, and be more open minded.
Embracing Spirituality
I think of spirituality as the vastness of teachings, beliefs, tools, ideas, vibes that inspire positive change and bring a greater sense of peace and well-being day-to-day. Through becoming more spiritual, I discovered a richer and more meaningful way to live. Instead of my old “go it alone” way, I now ask for guidance, sometimes through prayer, or mantras, or meditations when life seems overwhelming or I feel confused about what I should be doing. It is amazing how answers show up, sometimes in mysterious ways, but always providing me with faith that I am being supported by the universe.
https://supportnetwork.heart.org/blog-news/jessica-diaz-three-important-lessons-i-learned-from-having-a-stroke/
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