During my ten years of living with ALS, I have had some difficult days both physically and emotionally. Periods of illness (beyond the symptoms of ALS) have rarely lasted more than a day or two. For the past two weeks however, I have been struggling with symptoms of hypothermia that have taken my normally cold-sensitive body to new levels of chills. No one in the circle of medical professionals, who regularly visit me, seem to have much in the way of suggestions for cause or treatment beyond what I have already figured out for myself. Compounding the situation is what appears to be a continued deterioration of my epiglottis, making keeping food and water out of my trachea an increasingly difficult process. As a result, I am experiencing weight loss, dehydration, and coughing fits that can last for more than a day. After winning a battle to clear my throat of misplaced food particles, the battle often resumes with the next meal. All of this is very draining and saps my strength and energy for operating my wheelchair, toothbrush and computer.
In previous posts, I have written about the power of choice and the human will, the concept of surrender, the importance of a positive outlook, and other lessons I have taken from my illness. During this recent challenge, the strength of my will has been tested and the wisdom of my choice brought into question. There are moments as I write these posts when I ponder how many readers find me inspiring or just full of myself. If I am anything less than honest about my struggles as well as my victories, then the guidance that I try to offer on handling adversity becomes less meaningful, if not hollow.
So, I want to level with you that the weight of current difficulties has been extraordinarily challenging. They have generated thoughts that have not pierced my consciousness for years. I have found myself thinking on several occasions, “I am going to die”. Please don’t misunderstand. I have not given up, as these thoughts are quickly followed up by the thought, “Someday”. The point is that the battle between positive and negative thinking has been fiercer and more frequent of late.
One step that I have been considering more strongly than in the past is the idea of a feeding tube. Beyond the psychological blockage of having an artificial device sticking out of my body, I have three medical issues that I need information about to make a decision. First, I am concerned about the risk of infection from long-term use. Secondly, I am concerned about the possibility of regurgitation, which could pose a greater risk of aspiration than continuing without the tube. Finally, I need to know if it is possible to continue a vegan diet using smoothies and juices through the tube, which would provide far better nutrition than the formulas normally recommended. If any of you have the experience, either direct or indirect, to offer insight on any of these issues, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
An Inspiring Role Model for Dealing with Adversity
A few days after I wrote my October 23rd posting, “An Unfortunate Case of Myopia”, a friend of mine contacted me on Facebook to ask how one would go about encouraging the sources of research funding to channel some of that money to investigating effective non-traditional treatment for ALS. At the time, I did not have a very good answer, but within a few days, as if on cue, one was provided to me. Here is what I wrote to him: You could contact ALSA and MDA and suggest that they support Dr. Craig Oster’s efforts, and/or contribute to his campaign to develop research on holistic healing for ALS directly at http://www.healingwithdrcraig.com/
Dr. Craig Oster has been living with ALS for 16 years. By maintaining a positive mindset and an unshakeable conviction that he is recovering from ALS, he has made some incredible progress with his healing. He has regained muscle (a feat claimed by neurologists to be impossible), and is currently able to bench press over one hundred pounds. His holistic program includes a focus on mind, body and spirit, and is worthy of consideration for anyone interested in improving their wellbeing, not just people with ALS.
Similar to my own experience, Dr. Oster has found it difficult to interest mainstream doctors in anything other than pharmaceutical treatment of ALS. Convinced, as I am, that he has found successful alternative means of dealing with this disease, he has pulled together a team of professionals and people with the illness to begin his own research efforts on holistic treatment of ALS. His website already includes stories of several other people who have made progress in combating this disease.
Dr. Oster’s efforts provide hope for tens of thousands of people who have been given a death sentence by the mainstream medical community bound in the belief that their paradigm is the only credible one for healing. From a broader perspective, however, this man serves as an inspiring role model of courage, perseverance, and focused determination. Are there people like this in your life? Please share your stories.
Dr. Craig Oster has been living with ALS for 16 years. By maintaining a positive mindset and an unshakeable conviction that he is recovering from ALS, he has made some incredible progress with his healing. He has regained muscle (a feat claimed by neurologists to be impossible), and is currently able to bench press over one hundred pounds. His holistic program includes a focus on mind, body and spirit, and is worthy of consideration for anyone interested in improving their wellbeing, not just people with ALS.
Similar to my own experience, Dr. Oster has found it difficult to interest mainstream doctors in anything other than pharmaceutical treatment of ALS. Convinced, as I am, that he has found successful alternative means of dealing with this disease, he has pulled together a team of professionals and people with the illness to begin his own research efforts on holistic treatment of ALS. His website already includes stories of several other people who have made progress in combating this disease.
Dr. Oster’s efforts provide hope for tens of thousands of people who have been given a death sentence by the mainstream medical community bound in the belief that their paradigm is the only credible one for healing. From a broader perspective, however, this man serves as an inspiring role model of courage, perseverance, and focused determination. Are there people like this in your life? Please share your stories.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Surviving a Perfect Storm
Tomorrow, my live-in aide, Jimmy, will be starting a well deserved ten day vacation. Knowing how difficult it can be to find an acceptable replacement, he gave me plenty of advance notice. About six weeks ago, I was lucky enough to secure the services of a former aide who was familiar with my condition and routine. Unfortunately, he backed out on me three days before Thanksgiving, leaving me with less than two weeks wrapped around the holiday weekend to find a replacement.
We pulled out all the stops and put together a variety of coverage plans. My first step was to call my care manager, Bonnie, to find candidates for the position that I could interview as soon as possible. I also put out emails to my friends and congregation looking for people who could fill in some hours, so that I could put together a schedule of potential care givers. This second option of using friends was also dependent on being able to move Lloyd’s (my afternoon aide) hours to the morning in order to have someone available who was able to move me out of bed and through my toileting and dressing routine. The third option was to temporarily move me into a nursing home, a last resort that I really hoped to avoid.
After interviewing three aides, I was unable to find one that was capable of performing both of the two most critical tasks – transferring me and understanding my “ALS accent”. Offers from friends began to pour in to cover multiple four hour shifts. Unfortunately, there were not enough people available to cover the daytime hours. To make matters worse, my good friend, Gil, who is often available to assist me in situations like this was recovering from surgery and unable to help. It is my wife’s busiest time of the year with her high school choir concerts keeping her out until late at night multiple times per week, and my children’s schedules would be keeping them out of state during the time Jimmy would be away. As if this wasn’t enough of a challenge, it turned out that there was no room for me in the nursing homes.
On the day before Thanksgiving, I was down to my last, although best option, and had one more health aide to interview. My last hope was a 19 year old Lithuanian, named Will, with only a year of experience. As it turned out, that year of experience included a client with physical limitations similar to mine, and Will was able to transfer me with ease, and understand me better than most people. I was saved, and Jimmy was able to continue with his vacation plans with peace of mind.
The most remarkable part of this experience for me was that I was able to remain fairly calm and focused throughout the ordeal, while those close to me were displaying higher levels of concern about how the situation might not work out in my favor. By staying in the moment, remaining calm, feeling grateful for the groundswell of support coming from my friends, and doing what was necessary, I weathered the storm, found the resource I needed, and averted a crisis. Living with ALS has taught me time and again how being in the moment, gratitude, and focusing on what you can control or influence can contribute to transforming difficult challenges from nightmares to miracles.
Have you had similar experiences? Please share them.
We pulled out all the stops and put together a variety of coverage plans. My first step was to call my care manager, Bonnie, to find candidates for the position that I could interview as soon as possible. I also put out emails to my friends and congregation looking for people who could fill in some hours, so that I could put together a schedule of potential care givers. This second option of using friends was also dependent on being able to move Lloyd’s (my afternoon aide) hours to the morning in order to have someone available who was able to move me out of bed and through my toileting and dressing routine. The third option was to temporarily move me into a nursing home, a last resort that I really hoped to avoid.
After interviewing three aides, I was unable to find one that was capable of performing both of the two most critical tasks – transferring me and understanding my “ALS accent”. Offers from friends began to pour in to cover multiple four hour shifts. Unfortunately, there were not enough people available to cover the daytime hours. To make matters worse, my good friend, Gil, who is often available to assist me in situations like this was recovering from surgery and unable to help. It is my wife’s busiest time of the year with her high school choir concerts keeping her out until late at night multiple times per week, and my children’s schedules would be keeping them out of state during the time Jimmy would be away. As if this wasn’t enough of a challenge, it turned out that there was no room for me in the nursing homes.
On the day before Thanksgiving, I was down to my last, although best option, and had one more health aide to interview. My last hope was a 19 year old Lithuanian, named Will, with only a year of experience. As it turned out, that year of experience included a client with physical limitations similar to mine, and Will was able to transfer me with ease, and understand me better than most people. I was saved, and Jimmy was able to continue with his vacation plans with peace of mind.
The most remarkable part of this experience for me was that I was able to remain fairly calm and focused throughout the ordeal, while those close to me were displaying higher levels of concern about how the situation might not work out in my favor. By staying in the moment, remaining calm, feeling grateful for the groundswell of support coming from my friends, and doing what was necessary, I weathered the storm, found the resource I needed, and averted a crisis. Living with ALS has taught me time and again how being in the moment, gratitude, and focusing on what you can control or influence can contribute to transforming difficult challenges from nightmares to miracles.
Have you had similar experiences? Please share them.
Friday, November 5, 2010
More on Medical Myopia and ALS
In the past 7 years, I have done a great deal of detoxifying to rid my body of all kinds of pathogens. Using chelation, the lemonade cleanse, sound therapy, dietary changes, a product known as MMS (Miracle Mineral Supplement), and a variety of other products and techniques, I have eliminated heavy metals, parasites, viruses, bacteria, pesticides, and other pathogens from my body. Traditional medical practitioners will often dismiss these invaders of the body as irrelevant. Doctors will tell you that it is normal to have a variety of these pathogens in your system. They will say that in the absence of any symptoms of illness there is nothing to worry about. It amazes me that in a country with one of, if not the highest incidence of chronic and terminal illnesses in the world, there are still so many doctors who refuse to look beyond their own medical paradigms for solutions to their patients’ maladies where their traditional practices fail.
I am currently searching for a way to eliminate a moderate candida condition (a fungal infection) in my gastrointestinal tract. Alternative treatments I have tried have not been successful. The pharmaceutical products that I have explored pose too much of a threat to my kidneys and liver. Three doctors have told me that the candida is probably not worth worrying about. The effects of candida, however, may include mental impairment, headaches, fatigue, and digestive difficulties. In patients with compromised immune systems it can even be fatal. See The Effects of Candida.
In the case of ALS, there is little conclusive knowledge about the cause of the disease, let alone the treatment. So, on what basis can a doctor legitimately claim that eliminating a candida infection will be of no benefit to someone living with ALS? From a holistic perspective, it makes sense to eliminate any pathogens that may be compromising the body’s ability to function at full strength. Consequently, I will continue to search for a solution until I find something that works.
A man named Eric Edney is one of the most successful people that I have encountered in recovering from ALS. Eric has been living with ALS for twenty years, and has managed to reverse many of his symptoms. In the “Regimen Outline” on his website, he mentions fungi (of which candida is an example) as one of the pathogens that he believes should be eliminated from the colon. See Eric is Winning. Eric is fortunate enough to have found an open-minded doctor to support his efforts to heal from his “terminal” illness.
Too many doctors, unfortunately, are still unwilling to engage in potential solutions beyond their formal training. This medical myopia is certainly not serving people with ALS and other serious medical conditions very well. With the growth of interest in alternative practice and the high rates of chronic and “terminal” illness in this country, it seems to me that it is in the best interest of the traditional medical community and their patients for them to rethink their practices. Your thoughts?
I am currently searching for a way to eliminate a moderate candida condition (a fungal infection) in my gastrointestinal tract. Alternative treatments I have tried have not been successful. The pharmaceutical products that I have explored pose too much of a threat to my kidneys and liver. Three doctors have told me that the candida is probably not worth worrying about. The effects of candida, however, may include mental impairment, headaches, fatigue, and digestive difficulties. In patients with compromised immune systems it can even be fatal. See The Effects of Candida.
In the case of ALS, there is little conclusive knowledge about the cause of the disease, let alone the treatment. So, on what basis can a doctor legitimately claim that eliminating a candida infection will be of no benefit to someone living with ALS? From a holistic perspective, it makes sense to eliminate any pathogens that may be compromising the body’s ability to function at full strength. Consequently, I will continue to search for a solution until I find something that works.
A man named Eric Edney is one of the most successful people that I have encountered in recovering from ALS. Eric has been living with ALS for twenty years, and has managed to reverse many of his symptoms. In the “Regimen Outline” on his website, he mentions fungi (of which candida is an example) as one of the pathogens that he believes should be eliminated from the colon. See Eric is Winning. Eric is fortunate enough to have found an open-minded doctor to support his efforts to heal from his “terminal” illness.
Too many doctors, unfortunately, are still unwilling to engage in potential solutions beyond their formal training. This medical myopia is certainly not serving people with ALS and other serious medical conditions very well. With the growth of interest in alternative practice and the high rates of chronic and “terminal” illness in this country, it seems to me that it is in the best interest of the traditional medical community and their patients for them to rethink their practices. Your thoughts?
Saturday, October 23, 2010
An Unfortunate Case of Myopia
When a motor neuron specialist determines that you have ALS, he or she will typically try to soften the blow by telling you something like “everyone is different … some live ten years or more… research is going on all the time to find effective treatment or a cure… don’t lose hope.” No matter how they try to sugarcoat it, the message of their underlying belief is always inescapable, “You gonna die!” The power and the impact of this message lie in how the patient chooses to hear it. Initially, the impact on me was devastating.
As I learned more about alternative medicine, I came to realize that the physicians who had diagnosed me were speaking from within the limits of a paradigm that shaped their beliefs. Eventually, I came to realize that when a conventional medical practitioner said to me, in whatever way the words were disguised, “You gonna die”, what he or she was really saying is “Within my knowledge base, I have no idea how to fix this.” Choosing to hear the message in this way opened up the possibility that another paradigm might be able to lead me to a solution.
My first exposure to alternative medicine was at the Kessler Clinic in Victorbur, Germany. It was there, under the care of Dr. Wolf-Dieter Kessler, that I first learned about functional medicine. This practice treats each person as an individual, seeks to determine the root cause of ailments rather than treat symptoms, and attempts to unleash the body’s natural ability to heal by removing obstructions and imbalances. The tools of functional medicine may include homeopathic remedies, vitamins, herbs, reflexology, medical equipment that uses frequencies to diagnose and treat pathogens and allergies and other conditions, kinesiology, and much more. If you would like to learn more about the tools and practice of functional medicine, visit Dr. Kessler’s website.
Dr. Kessler never promised me a cure, but he did express confidence that he could slow the progression, and I believe he did. In addition, the knowledge base I developed during the three-and-a-half years under his care helped me to become a better consumer of alternative health care. I am convinced that without that knowledge I would not be sitting here writing this blog. During my six visits to the clinic I met many people with various “terminal” illnesses who had given up on traditional medicine to find unexpected cure or improved health and extended life expectancy through he treatment they received there. My experiences there made me a believer in functional medicine and alternative practices as a whole.
Over the past twenty years there has been a significant increase of interest in holistic and alternative medicine. See Complementary and Alternative Medicine Facts. As a result, many traditionally trained doctors have formed complimentary practices in which they combine the use of conventional and alternative methodology. Still there are many other doctors who refuse to look into alternative therapies even when traditional approaches have little to offer. They claim they don’t have the time, or they assume that all alternative practices are quackery without even bothering to learn something about them. When they do look into an alternative approach they tend to evaluate on an all-or-nothing basis, meaning that if the technique doesn’t cure a disease all by itself, they conclude that it is worthless.
I am not opposed to conventional medicine. If I had a broken leg, I would not hesitate to seek out the services of a good orthopedist. But traditional medicine relies far too much on surgery and drugs, even when it makes matters worse, and when a more holistic approach could serve the patient much better. For a good example, see Mark Hyman, MD: Is There a Cure for Autoimmune Disease? .
Far too many motor neuron specialists are content to help their ALS patients be as comfortable as possible while they waste away. They offer them Riluzole in the hope that it might extend life a few weeks or months, if it doesn’t damage the liver first. They support research to find drugs that will do more than Riluzole, but I have not found a single study examining the common therapies (conventional or alternative) that might provide some insight as to what is keeping the few hundred of us alive who have been living with ALS for more than ten years. This unfortunate case of myopia is costing people quality of life, longevity, and possibly life itself. It’s time to wake up and start using some of the research money where it may do some immediate good. It’s time to try some new approaches, and challenge conventional wisdom. People’s lives are at stake!
What do you think?
As I learned more about alternative medicine, I came to realize that the physicians who had diagnosed me were speaking from within the limits of a paradigm that shaped their beliefs. Eventually, I came to realize that when a conventional medical practitioner said to me, in whatever way the words were disguised, “You gonna die”, what he or she was really saying is “Within my knowledge base, I have no idea how to fix this.” Choosing to hear the message in this way opened up the possibility that another paradigm might be able to lead me to a solution.
My first exposure to alternative medicine was at the Kessler Clinic in Victorbur, Germany. It was there, under the care of Dr. Wolf-Dieter Kessler, that I first learned about functional medicine. This practice treats each person as an individual, seeks to determine the root cause of ailments rather than treat symptoms, and attempts to unleash the body’s natural ability to heal by removing obstructions and imbalances. The tools of functional medicine may include homeopathic remedies, vitamins, herbs, reflexology, medical equipment that uses frequencies to diagnose and treat pathogens and allergies and other conditions, kinesiology, and much more. If you would like to learn more about the tools and practice of functional medicine, visit Dr. Kessler’s website.
Dr. Kessler never promised me a cure, but he did express confidence that he could slow the progression, and I believe he did. In addition, the knowledge base I developed during the three-and-a-half years under his care helped me to become a better consumer of alternative health care. I am convinced that without that knowledge I would not be sitting here writing this blog. During my six visits to the clinic I met many people with various “terminal” illnesses who had given up on traditional medicine to find unexpected cure or improved health and extended life expectancy through he treatment they received there. My experiences there made me a believer in functional medicine and alternative practices as a whole.
Over the past twenty years there has been a significant increase of interest in holistic and alternative medicine. See Complementary and Alternative Medicine Facts. As a result, many traditionally trained doctors have formed complimentary practices in which they combine the use of conventional and alternative methodology. Still there are many other doctors who refuse to look into alternative therapies even when traditional approaches have little to offer. They claim they don’t have the time, or they assume that all alternative practices are quackery without even bothering to learn something about them. When they do look into an alternative approach they tend to evaluate on an all-or-nothing basis, meaning that if the technique doesn’t cure a disease all by itself, they conclude that it is worthless.
I am not opposed to conventional medicine. If I had a broken leg, I would not hesitate to seek out the services of a good orthopedist. But traditional medicine relies far too much on surgery and drugs, even when it makes matters worse, and when a more holistic approach could serve the patient much better. For a good example, see Mark Hyman, MD: Is There a Cure for Autoimmune Disease? .
Far too many motor neuron specialists are content to help their ALS patients be as comfortable as possible while they waste away. They offer them Riluzole in the hope that it might extend life a few weeks or months, if it doesn’t damage the liver first. They support research to find drugs that will do more than Riluzole, but I have not found a single study examining the common therapies (conventional or alternative) that might provide some insight as to what is keeping the few hundred of us alive who have been living with ALS for more than ten years. This unfortunate case of myopia is costing people quality of life, longevity, and possibly life itself. It’s time to wake up and start using some of the research money where it may do some immediate good. It’s time to try some new approaches, and challenge conventional wisdom. People’s lives are at stake!
What do you think?
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Mercury, Heavy Metals, and ALS
When I was just beginning to explore alternative treatment for ALS, a practitioner recommended that I have my amalgam fillings replaced with a compound that did not contain mercury. His reasoning was that there was a well established link between mercury poisoning and neurological disease, and amalgam fillings are a key contributor to mercury poisoning. I took his advice.
The motor neuron specialist I was seeing at the time was less than encouraging about my decision. Since removal of mercury from the body had not cured or visibly slowed the progression of ALS in the studies he had read, he saw no value in replacing the fillings. His response is typical of the myopic view taken by many motor neuron specialists – if it isn’t a drug or surgery, it’s not worthy of their attention.
From a holistic perspective, my decision was a no brainer. It doesn’t take a medical degree or a genius to figure out that someone with a neurological illness should be diligent about avoiding and removing mercury. Telling someone with ALS to ignore their mercury levels is like telling a person with lung cancer not to stop smoking, because the degree to which the smoking is contributing can’t be determined. Yet, the doctors continue to ignore it. I even attended one neurology clinic where they served tuna sandwiches to their ALS patients for lunch! For those of you who may not get the irony, tuna has one of the highest mercury contents of any fish on the planet.
Following my first heavy metals urine analysis test, I was shocked to discover how much mercury, lead, cadmium, and other heavy metals I had been carrying around. It took about two years and three different approaches to get it all out. I used intravenous EDTA, oral DMSA, and sound therapy. Of the three, I found the sound therapy to be the quickest and most effective. Unfortunately, it is hard to find a good practitioner, it is expensive, and insurance won’t cover it. Was it worth it? I can’t prove it, but I doubt I would still be here, living with ALS for more than 10 years, had I not removed these toxins from my body. If you still need convincing about the ill effects of mercury and other heavy metals, check out this link: "Neurological Effects of Mercury Exposure". The article cites numerous studies linking heavy metals to ALS, Parkinson’s, MS, autism, and other neurological illnesses.
Please share your thoughts and experiences on this topic, and if you happen to know a good motor neuron specialist who is open to alternative and holistic practice in or near the central New Jersey area, please let me know.
The motor neuron specialist I was seeing at the time was less than encouraging about my decision. Since removal of mercury from the body had not cured or visibly slowed the progression of ALS in the studies he had read, he saw no value in replacing the fillings. His response is typical of the myopic view taken by many motor neuron specialists – if it isn’t a drug or surgery, it’s not worthy of their attention.
From a holistic perspective, my decision was a no brainer. It doesn’t take a medical degree or a genius to figure out that someone with a neurological illness should be diligent about avoiding and removing mercury. Telling someone with ALS to ignore their mercury levels is like telling a person with lung cancer not to stop smoking, because the degree to which the smoking is contributing can’t be determined. Yet, the doctors continue to ignore it. I even attended one neurology clinic where they served tuna sandwiches to their ALS patients for lunch! For those of you who may not get the irony, tuna has one of the highest mercury contents of any fish on the planet.
Following my first heavy metals urine analysis test, I was shocked to discover how much mercury, lead, cadmium, and other heavy metals I had been carrying around. It took about two years and three different approaches to get it all out. I used intravenous EDTA, oral DMSA, and sound therapy. Of the three, I found the sound therapy to be the quickest and most effective. Unfortunately, it is hard to find a good practitioner, it is expensive, and insurance won’t cover it. Was it worth it? I can’t prove it, but I doubt I would still be here, living with ALS for more than 10 years, had I not removed these toxins from my body. If you still need convincing about the ill effects of mercury and other heavy metals, check out this link: "Neurological Effects of Mercury Exposure". The article cites numerous studies linking heavy metals to ALS, Parkinson’s, MS, autism, and other neurological illnesses.
Please share your thoughts and experiences on this topic, and if you happen to know a good motor neuron specialist who is open to alternative and holistic practice in or near the central New Jersey area, please let me know.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Did I Go Too Far?
Recently a friend flattered me with a request to incorporate my August 13 post, The Power of Will in Handling Adversity, into her monthly newsletter article. She raised a concern, however, that some of her readers might find a particular point offensive, and asked me if I’d be OK if she modified it. Her query got me to wondering if I had perhaps gone a bit too far in stressing the importance of power and will.
The section that gave her pause was the following:
“the bottom line is that both (power and will) are required for success. This is not just an issue for people with serious illnesses. People who live in a mentality of wishing, hoping, and wanting to lose ten pounds never achieve their goal until they commit to a change in behavior. The same holds true for the unemployed in a bad economy. Those who succeed in finding jobs are most often the ones who believe in their ability to do so, and are committed to doing what is necessary to achieve their goals.”
Her uneasiness stemmed from the possibility that someone who was out of work might feel as if they were being blamed for circumstances beyond their control. After kicking it back and forth a few times, we came up with the following alternative:
“the bottom line is that both are required for success. The good news in this observation is that there are people out there demonstrating what it takes to succeed in difficult times. A choice can be made to learn from their techniques, adapt new approaches, and achieve more success. Whether it has to do with fighting an illness, losing weight, winning a job, or confronting some other challenge, choice and will are always at play. They can define the limits of our success, or the potential of our opportunities.”
As we wrestled with the issue my response to her included the following:
“My life's work is largely about waking people up to their potential, and the possibilities beyond their self-limiting beliefs. ALS has taught me something about my own self-limiting beliefs, and it has pushed me to rise above them. Sometimes people need to be challenged. Sometimes they need to face the truth. "Choice" and "will" are more than just words. They are about responsibility and commitment to change. They are what make the difference. As long as people allow themselves the "out" that circumstances are "beyond their control" they set themselves up to abandon their responsibility and their power. The issue of a circumstance being beyond someone's control is irrelevant. The only thing that makes a difference is how one chooses to step up to the challenge.”
While writing these words, I felt a surge of emotion that amplified for me just how strongly I felt about making commitments and exercising choice and will. In living with ALS, I have had to commit to practices that many would shy away from in order to preserve my life and maintain the possibility of recovery. During my career as a management consultant, I met a wide range of people, some of whom were as strong-willed as I, and many who were not. As part of the work, it was often necessary to provide emotional support to people trying to implement or respond to difficult changes. Whether my clients were strong-willed or not, it was always a balancing act to be sensitive and understanding while challenging them to reach higher and accomplish more than they thought possible. It was in this spirit that I wrote the original words in the August 13 post. Do you think I went too far? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
The section that gave her pause was the following:
“the bottom line is that both (power and will) are required for success. This is not just an issue for people with serious illnesses. People who live in a mentality of wishing, hoping, and wanting to lose ten pounds never achieve their goal until they commit to a change in behavior. The same holds true for the unemployed in a bad economy. Those who succeed in finding jobs are most often the ones who believe in their ability to do so, and are committed to doing what is necessary to achieve their goals.”
Her uneasiness stemmed from the possibility that someone who was out of work might feel as if they were being blamed for circumstances beyond their control. After kicking it back and forth a few times, we came up with the following alternative:
“the bottom line is that both are required for success. The good news in this observation is that there are people out there demonstrating what it takes to succeed in difficult times. A choice can be made to learn from their techniques, adapt new approaches, and achieve more success. Whether it has to do with fighting an illness, losing weight, winning a job, or confronting some other challenge, choice and will are always at play. They can define the limits of our success, or the potential of our opportunities.”
As we wrestled with the issue my response to her included the following:
“My life's work is largely about waking people up to their potential, and the possibilities beyond their self-limiting beliefs. ALS has taught me something about my own self-limiting beliefs, and it has pushed me to rise above them. Sometimes people need to be challenged. Sometimes they need to face the truth. "Choice" and "will" are more than just words. They are about responsibility and commitment to change. They are what make the difference. As long as people allow themselves the "out" that circumstances are "beyond their control" they set themselves up to abandon their responsibility and their power. The issue of a circumstance being beyond someone's control is irrelevant. The only thing that makes a difference is how one chooses to step up to the challenge.”
While writing these words, I felt a surge of emotion that amplified for me just how strongly I felt about making commitments and exercising choice and will. In living with ALS, I have had to commit to practices that many would shy away from in order to preserve my life and maintain the possibility of recovery. During my career as a management consultant, I met a wide range of people, some of whom were as strong-willed as I, and many who were not. As part of the work, it was often necessary to provide emotional support to people trying to implement or respond to difficult changes. Whether my clients were strong-willed or not, it was always a balancing act to be sensitive and understanding while challenging them to reach higher and accomplish more than they thought possible. It was in this spirit that I wrote the original words in the August 13 post. Do you think I went too far? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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