HOPE FOR HEALTH No. 74

Proudly presented by p.5 I Slay the giant! How our ego-self can be detrimental to living a fulfilling life. p.7 I She’s all about support systems! Leann Moore talks about the impact of having a strong community at your fingertips. p.11 I The FPC Mastermind group is exploding with growth! Learn about the recent changes and how to become a part of this elite group. p.13 I Chicken and cauliflower tonight? … Yes, please! p.15 I From pro athlete to practice owner, Melanie Dorion is no stranger to dreaming big and getting through life’s rough patches. p.17 I Set any resolutions this year? Our reasons, rituals, and emotions play a big role in the likelihood of success. p.21 I It’s the little things that matter most. Nicole talks about how these little moments are what makes life big and beautiful. p.23 I What do the best of the best do to achieve success? According to Mindi, they fall in love! p.25 I Just because the holiday season has ended doesn’t mean we can’t continue to give… especially when the gift is FREEDOM. p.27 I Quarterly Corner- A Recap of our Fall Quarterly & 2023 information.

I’ve often prayed to God to help me dismiss painful memories, to erase them from my hard drive. Not so much those troubled memories that were simply a part of living, but more so the memories in which I created the pain. I have no idea what triggers these memories, but without fail they consistently create a feeling of emptiness or disconnection from what we would call joy. Perhaps it’s shame, which happens to be the lowest in vibration and the furthest away from love.

As I’ve grown and matured in love, I’ve noticed that these memories are less frequent and tend to impact my emotions only for a moment before I dismiss them and forgive myself for them. I do believe God chose not to extinguish them until I fully learned this lesson of forgiveness.

We all make mistakes in life, especially when we are young and immature. Often our actions, or lack thereof, hurt others and ultimately ourselves. Although it is rare that our intention is to hurt, this certainly happens with immaturity. In time, it becomes irrelevant as to the why the result of our hurt is hurt. I eventually came to the point of recognizing I am a man incapable of living a perfect life. Who am I to think I am without fault, and therefore make no mistakes and create no harm? It’s a humbling journey and one of surrender.

Surrendering and enjoying the love that embodies it comes with a price. To fully let go means to let go of you, your ego-self. That’s the one who is always trying to call the shots, who dominates your thoughts and constantly reminds you that life is painful. This is the voice of fear that readily pulls you off course, away from your dreams and into the abyss of anxiety.

On occasion, following a highly emotional conference or after listening to a motivating speaker via podcast, we dismiss this ego and pledge to reclaim our life. “Yes, this time it’s different. This time I’m moving into my promised land with courage, ready to face the giants.”

Then the giants come out to play. Unfortunately, the ego has survived and quickly takes back control over your temporary status as the courageous general and barks out orders to put you back in your place of submission.

What happened?

You never surrendered. You never died to yourself; to that crafty ego-self that thrives on pain and misery. Is it so hard to choose a life lived through faith over a life governed by fear? Have we been programmed to believe that the known is somehow better than the unknown? Have we grown accustomed to continuing this belief cycle by accepting or passing along the message “don’t take risks” or “be careful out there” or “don’t be a rebel”?

Fear bombards our senses.

As a self-proclaimed rebel, I learned at a very young age to question authority and the general narrative of “safety” over living. I’m not a red bull extremist, nor do I take senseless, uncalculated risks. But I choose to live a full life, which comes with accepting some risk, rather than simply existing and feeling “safe.”

Life is not safe, and the more we try to make it safe the more likely we are to get hurt. It’s much like the child unwilling to get the bicycle moving too briskly in fear of falling, only to get hurt twice over. Once by the tumble and once by having failed to challenge himself.

Life is very short. And it is very much worth living. Finding justification to keep things safe is simply an illusion to avoid facing our fear.

When those painful memories come, don’t be so quick to punish yourself. Forgive yourself of your past mistakes, die to your ego and surrender to a life fully lived. Without taking risks we cannot reach our potential and therefore cannot help others reach theirs. Gather your courage, go slay the giants, and let go of your fears.

By: Dr. Charles Webb