I know that those with chronic non-life threatening (in most cases) illnesses have had to face this predicament on a daily basis. I now from our experience that doctors, for example, dismiss the patients insights to the detriment of both. We lost 3 pregnancies because people dismissed my wife's statements. Only one apologised, and he was an intern still young enough to care.
I had a moment recently when I did just that, gave my life away despite knowing differently and allowed it to adversely affect. I won't go into details, suffice to say I have recognised the truth of something I say to my students everyday - trust your experience and knowledge and do not blindly abandon it to others, especially those we are told are the arbiters of truth, be that the church, science or peer groups.
How do we do that:
- Know your self. Be aware of who you are, what you have learnt from your life and experience and value it all. The world and God does not waste experiences, they all have a purpose. Our task is to allow that purpose to be revealed and stay faithful to it.
- Value your experience. Value what you have seen, felt, touched and been touched by. What you have experienced at you deepest centre will hold you in a world that wants to mould you like play doh into it's own image. You are of such importance to the world community that your experiences are life-giving to the world in which you live.
- Value what you know. There are things you know about yourself that others can not prove by science or diagnosis. These are true regardless of what the professionals say. Hold onto those despite the pressure to let go and become one of the herd. (See my earlier post on 'Rhinoceritis').
- Hold to what is true for you. This is not about being the centre of the world but about knowing and valuing yourself. It is about adding to the world community's experience and knowledge bank, it is about remaining firm to those values and experiences which have been life giving and empowering for you. Hang on!
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