Hidden Gifts in The Toughest of Times

A few weeks ago, I was doing a hypnosis session with one of my hypnosis mentors, and I was pissing and moaning about my Hashimoto's hypothyroidism. While I'm feeling better now than when I was diagnosed in 2022, I was having a terrible week managing my symptoms. My mentor listened to my tirade a bit, but what he said next stopped me in my tracks.

"What if being diagnosed with Hashimoto's was the best thing that ever happened to you? What if your diagnosis was a gift in disguise?"

Huh?

He explained, "What if your body was screaming that it needed attention, but you kept ignoring it? It had to do something to get your attention."

Well, FUCK. That is not something I ever considered. I began thinking about my life changes in the past 30 months.

After living in "my head" for years, I finally had to drop down and start listening to what my body had to say.

I stopped going out to eat every night.

I stopped eating gluten.

I stopped eating dairy.

I stopped eating soy.

I stopped eating most nightshades.

I stopped drinking most alcohol.

I stopped eating fast food.

I began taking better care of myself.

I began managing my stress differently.

I began managing my workaholism a little better.

I began letting go of my perfectionism and found peace with my 85%.

I began taking time off to do healthy things like massages, acupuncture, time in the sauna, and IV treatments.

I began making time to do things that brought me joy.

I began spending more time with people who vibrate with me.

I began letting go of "the hate" I didn't even realize I had harbored.

I began speaking my mind instead of tolerating things that deep down bothered me.

I began avoiding people who vibrate "differently" than me.

I began paying attention to my thoughts, consciously changing them when they turned negative.

I began simplifying my world and removing physical and digital possessions that are no longer useful or bring me joy.

I began loving myself.

I began forgiving myself.

I began rewarding myself.

Was Hashimoto's hypothyroidism truly a hidden gift in disguise? Yes, I think so. There was a bundle of life lessons my thyroid had been trying to teach me for years, but I didn't understand the language. I'm still not fluent in understanding everything my body is trying to tell me, but I'm much better at guessing what it's saying than I was!

As the holidays approach, look at the situations your life tossed you and see if you can find the hidden gifts, the lessons Life forced you to learn.

May you appreciate these gifts as much as the ones you receive while celebrating the holidays.