The Concept of Rebirth

Illness of any kind can have us questioning our identity. IBS is no different. We go through life collecting things that we feel make us who we are. We become our jobs, our relationships, our patterns, habits and ultimately; our illness. Once we begin believing that our illness is part of what defines us as human beings, we begin to suffer. I know that there are those of you out there that take the stance that you are a proud survivor of an illness (maybe IBS). Perhaps you believe that accepting illness as a part of you is important because it is helpful to recognize the bad, as well as the good vibrations within you. I have no quarrel with any of this logic. For me, and perhaps for some of you, I choose to focus on the core traits and values that make me who I am. I choose to look at the negative or the obstacle as peripheral when it comes to deciding who I am. Who I am, who you are, is very important in the quest to gather strength. We need this strength to combat the various negative feelings that life presents to us. This is where the idea of rebirth comes in. I don’t want to talk today about reincarnation in another life. I want to talk about re-invention or ‘rebirth’ in this life.

You have the power

Everyone has heard the term, ‘born again.' This phrase may bring to mind someone who is not happy with their life and has chosen to re-define themselves, usually through some type of religious awakening. I would like to look at it another way for the sake of our discussion about illness. I have noticed through my struggles with a variety of illness, that I begin to become weakened and unclear of my substance, simply because I have to manage this illness. I’ve had to change so many things in my life to manage. I’ve had to let go of things that I like, things that I thought were a part of me to manage my illness. I’VE HAD TO CHANGE MORE THAN I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO. Now, this change that I’m referencing…it’s obvious that I’m not happy about it. So what about positive change? What if I realized that all of the important things that make me who I am are still there? What if I discovered that right now, regardless of the fact that I have an illness, I could be anything I want to be? Call it re-defining, re-birth, born again or whatever you like. The important thing to realize is that you have the power to be the person you want to be at any moment. Shed the things that burden your mind. Take action to relieve some of your pain. And through this metamorphosis, you will find yourself more empowered to define yourself in a the most positive light you can.

Discover who you are

I suppose there is a certain part of me that wishes I was never diagnosed with IBS or anything else for that matter. Sometimes I think I want things to go back to the way they were. But…they can’t, can they? No, the only thing we can do is just a bit of soul searching to discover who we really are right now. It is necessary to address the negative aspects of your life as it exists in the current moment, so that you know where to take action. Action is required to be the best you, you can be. So, make the effort, look inside and see all the positive things inside you. You will be much better prepared to weather the storm should you decide to accept yourself as the wonderful person you are. And you are…