Well. I can’t believe it’s mid-March already! Where does the time go?
My inner-child drawing challenge for February was such fun. Learning that drawing is something I can do was truly a transformative experience. It’s difficult to explain, but shedding that identity unlocked something in me, and I suddenly find myself more loving and accepting of myself—flaws and all. Who knew that a few sketches could have such a deep impact?
And now on to March’s challenge.
This month’s challenge is a bit more “woo” and a bit more physical. For the month of March, I’ve decided to listen to, trust, and follow through on guidance I believe I’ve received from the Universe.
In this bustling world we live in, it’s so easy to ignore—or frankly not even notice—the guidance we receive after posing a problem to the Universe that we want help solving. I have a couple of instances in my past—one where I listened and one where I didn’t—that help set the stage for the activity I’ve started for March.
Let’s travel back in time… pretty far back.
I was a senior in high school when I suddenly came down with a very itchy case of scalp psoriasis. Now, anyone who suffers from psoriasis knows how irritating, persistent, itchy, and painful this ailment can be. Did I mention embarrassing? I couldn’t wear dark colors because it looked like I had a medical-grade case of dandruff. Friends would come up behind me and brush off my shoulders (so cringey!). I tried everything. Saw all the doctors. Tried all the creams, ointments, and shampoos. Some would help for a little while; most did nothing at all.
I lived with psoriasis every day for about 15 years.
Then I got engaged and decided I didn’t want to be standing in front of all my family and friends scratching my head incessantly. Nor did I want to showcase a raw, flaky scalp if I decided on an updo. In short, I didn’t want to be embarrassed on my wedding day.
I started by making yet another appointment with a new doctor—this time an allergist. Perhaps I had a mild food allergy that was causing my psoriasis? I’d heard somewhere along the way that psoriasis is always triggered by something, and until you find the root cause, you’re only treating the symptoms. Maybe an allergist would be able to help me uncover it.
Well. That appointment was a disaster.
I left sobbing because the doctor told me I was wasting his time. An allergy, he said, gives you anaphylactic shock and can kill you. What I had was not an allergy.
Now maybe he was right. Maybe I was wasting his time. But no doctor should ever make you feel the way he made me feel.
In retrospect, maybe his demeanor was exactly what I needed, because after that terrible appointment I decided to take matters into my own hands.
I started researching and decided to try Paleo, eliminating some food groups to see if that helped. It didn’t. If anything, it made things worse. So I kept researching and eventually stumbled upon an article linking nightshade vegetables—potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants—to psoriasis.
I immediately stopped eating salsa and potato chips, my beloved condiment and snack food of choice, respectively.
Within one week—ONE WEEK—my psoriasis was gone.
Gone.
Not improving. Not a little better. Gone.
In one week.
Did I emphasize that enough? 😊
So how does this relate to listening to and following guidance from the Universe?
Here’s the interesting part.
Once I stumbled on the nightshades article, I vividly remembered my high school hairdresser telling me that nightshades can cause psoriasis. I had been given the exact right answer FIFTEEN YEARS before I ever did anything with it—months (possibly even weeks, but definitely not years) after my very first symptoms.
Imagine if I had actually listened to that life-changing advice all those years earlier. All the time and money saved. So much less irritation and embarrassment.
What I wouldn’t have had, though, is the character-building and the life lesson that came with it. Or the deep knowing I now carry that we are always being guided—whether we recognize and honor that guidance or not.
Is there anything you’ve asked for guidance on but haven’t truly listened for the answer? Or perhaps you’ve received the guidance but haven’t taken action because it feels like too much work—or because conditioning tells you a different path must be the “right” one?
I have a new problem that I’ve asked for guidance on. And I believe I’ve been given the solution.
That’s what I’m working on this March.
Dedicating myself to the solution to see if it resolves the issue. It’s a lot of work—which makes it easy (and tempting) to ignore. But I’m committed to seeing it through in the hopes that I don’t spend another 15 years dealing with something that could have been resolved much sooner had I listened and followed through.
I’ll keep you posted—and I’ll share much more detail if it works.
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