Sunday, March 13, 2011

The point of the journey …

I have this quote on my desk that is so appropriate for my current quest.

“The point of the journey is the journey itself, not the results.”

Underneath that quote is another great one by Bernice Johnson-Reagon.

“Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.”

I feel that Kennedy’s Disease is a wakeup call for me.  I was skating through life and no matter what the challenge, I could overcome it.  It just took some effort: 
  • Setting short and long-term goals
  • Combine the goals with patience and practice
  • And then keep focused on the prize
weight lifting - arm exercises

Unfortunately, Kennedy’s Disease did not seem to want to cooperate.  Initially when I was first began to see some symptoms, I did the most natural thing for me … exercise harder and longer.  It worked in the short term, but in the end it did more harm than good.

tai chi

When that didn’t work, I started practicing Tai Chi.  It was great, but Tai Chi could not slow the progression. 

After that I tried macrobiotics (my wife was involved with this at the time).  It changed me for the better, but the disease still progressed.

Qigong Medical

Then Qigong was recommended and I dove into that practice.  Qigong was the best activity that I have ever engaged in.  It changed my life in many ways.  Even though it worked wonders and is something I still practice today, the progression continued.

Each activity was entered into with one thought in mind.  I was trying to find that elixir that would miraculously change my DNA.  In the process of experimenting with these different practices I began to notice a flaw in my thought process.  I was trying to change something, because I could not live with the thought that I could not overcome (defeat) this flaw … this mutation … in my body’s makeup.

Androgen Receptor with KD

Most interesting to me was that I took up these practices mainly because I wanted to see a change.  Not positive change in general, but rather a change in this DNA defect.  In the process, however, my entire life improved in many ways.  I was discovering “who I am”.

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