Friday Inspiration – This week sees a pointer to how The Inspirational Well Being Shows are developing. Janine Love’s → article about happiness conquering greed. Two articles about perception and authenticity → weight loss and today’s article about an overwhelming, and potential life-limiting physical disaster.
No doubt this article will support many people in a moment of fear or enforced change. The words are an inspiration and evidence of the power of human fortitude.
A Magnificent Article by Jane Osbourne
Healing Is Believing In Yourself – You could say I just dropped into my healing modality when the time was right. I was blissfully unaware, on that fine, blue clear and sunny day in August 1995, when I base jumped by Cat’s Tor in The Peak District, that my life would change forever.
There’s nothing like drifting and floating along in the thermals on your parachute, taking pictures of the birds and their wingspans below. It is so quiet up there when you move with the wind, the scenery is awe-inspiring. I was well trained in the art of parachute exercises and started my hobby at the age of seventeen.
But nothing could have prepared me for when my emergency parachute accidentally deployed at 1,000 feet, pulling me backwards with such force I felt my ribs cave in. With the wind knocked out of me, and dangling on two parachutes, I knew all too well that I had little time to save myself.
Seconds later came the thermals I had so wished for previously, which rapidly swept my emergency chute forward, and caused it to collide into the centre of the main parachute. Looking up I prayed, and believe me when I say I prayed, I prayed with all my might.
It is true what they say in these circumstances, everything is defined in slow motion and your mind flashes through times and experiences. A parachute landing fall (PLF) is a safety technique that allows a parachutist to land safely and without injury, but I knew I only had six seconds to descend and was being tossed around the guides, and the wind. I didn’t know up from down.
I managed to scrunch my knees up and prepare for landing, but the speed and force of my fall caused a catastrophic impact on my body as it crumbled into the hillside. Luckily there were other hikers around that called an ambulance.
After a few weeks of being assessed, the diagnosis was not good. “You have broken your back and neck and ribs in several places and fractured many other bones. You have severe post-traumatic stress. We will send in a team of specialists who will help you to restructure your life, you need to come to terms with the fact that you will never walk again.”
From there began my journey of self-healing, rehabilitation, and forgiveness. It was long and hard, and at times broke me into tiny fractals I thought I would never recover from. Over time I progressed from a wheelchair to crutches, and then a walking stick to where I am now. Healing myself meant I had nurtured the skill to help heal others. Part of my healing involved the use of hypnotherapy as a tool for pain, which I later qualified for. As I began to grow in strength, I was able to support others going through anguish, talking through problems with them, listening to their hurt.
I understand pain, I have felt the heavy veil of depression and despair. I recognise that overwhelming feeling of total incapacity where you want to just let go and give up on life because the pain you are suffering seems infinitely unbearable. At these moments I ask you to hold onto your strength and walk your mind over the bridge of pain and look ahead.
Each, and every one of us is survival machines, and by connecting to our Inner Strength, can pull through the darkest of days. When you are ready, you will seek, when you are hungry for change, to let go of what no longer serves you, you will find new ways forward.
This could be a letting go of a lifestyle, friends and or family. It could be finding new ways to help you through the many therapies that are available. I tried everything that was put in my path. If it resonated it stayed, if not I moved on.
Eventually, you will find what you are comfortable with and move forward with your life. You will regain your inner gift to analyse and make a good judgement.
My message to you is, no matter how blind you feel or how hard it is to make the next step forward, hold on, keep going. You never know what is around the corner.
Jane Osbourne
I enjoyed this!