gina drellack

It’s time for the gloves to come off

Posted on May 15, 2019     2 Comments

As we travel along on Life’s journey, we face challenges. It’s just part of the deal. What challenges have you experienced? Divorce? Diagnosis? Death? What challenges are you living right now? Maintenance and repair of home? Maintenance and repair of relationship?

It’s awesome when we work through, overcome. Life experienced turns to lessons learned turns to spiritual leveling-up turns to more Life experiences. And the wheel turns.

“And how did you enjoy yourself?”

“Magnificently! But not at the time.”

I wish I could remember — or find — who said the above. I stumbled across it years ago, and although someone like Mae West comes to mind I just haven’t been able to find out for sure. If you solve this mystery, please share with the rest of us!!

But if I identify with overcoming my challenge, do I accidentally keep it near me? Am I holding the struggle in my back pocket, like a handy glove? A glove fits like a second skin and is a layer of protection.

Twenty years ago I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Oh. That explained some things! I embraced recommended medication but declined the subscription to an arthritis lifestyle magazine and membership in a community support group.  (I am not a doctor, and I am not making medical recommendations for ANYBODY. I am simply sharing my own experiences.)

Now, everyone is different and we embrace our challenges in our own way. In this case, mine was to go inward instead of outward. I sat down and had a little chat with RA:

“Hello! I see you. You seem to have a lot to say.

You are welcome to be here, and I will always listen to you. You can absolutely stay — as long as you behave. If you are not going to behave, then you need to leave. That’s the deal.”

And then I went on about my life.

I faithfully took the prescription, not to kick RA out but to enhance comfort and embrace ease and joy. When it spoke up I listened and responded accordingly. Again, comfort, ease, and joy. I can see now that what I did was invite a partnership with my challenge rather than fight and overcome my challenge. (“Magnificently, but not at the time…”) 

I did not keep an RA glove in my back pocket, wearing it as a second skin and protection — for myself, from myself, from this challenge, from the world.

I just went about my life, in partnership as host with this guest.

And I forgot that I had RA.

Of course, this was not all fully mindful on my part at the time. I do have clarity in hindsight, however — now that the doctors are telling me twenty years later that I do not have Rheumatoid Arthritis.

I’ll let them continue to muddle over whether I was misdiagnosed (positive bloodwork markers aside!), or whether remission has turned into mystery disappearance. I know my Truth:

RA wasn’t an attack, it was an invitation. It had a lot to say, and what I initially thought was about it being heard for itself was really about it having messages for my highest good.  And apparently I finally truly got the messages for the long haul, because my guest no longer needs to stay.

All along I thought I was here for my challenge guest, when in Truth my guest was only always here for me.

Magnificently. But not at the time.

Do you identify with Life’s challenges, or do you evolve with them?

Think of a past challenge. What is one small hint of a possible partnership that this might have been, with messages on guiding you toward becoming your Highest Self? What is a current challenge you are experiencing? Can you see it differently, while you are in it?

What if our guardian angels are not helping us through our challenges, but are showing up as our challenges? Does that change how you feel about what you are experiencing? Do you feel more cradled in your process?

Holy Wow.