For the first time in my life, I am hoping that a strange, reclusive sea creature can help me. I never thought that I would pray to the gods of the sea, meet Ursula the many-tentacled witch, let alone have personal dealings with Mr Cuttlefish, my potential savior. But here I am, putting my trust in his eight arms and two tentacles.
The story is this. I have been feeling a little bit under the weather lately (the weather in question being “temperate coniferous-mixed forest zone with cold, wet winters”, hahah!). I hate to be under the weather. I’d so much rather be over it already.
Anyway, our western MDs with their white coats and haughty dispositions got nothing for me. Zip. It is obvious and disconcerting at the same time to realize that there are common ailments that modern medicine knows diddly squat about. I’m talking about stress-related heartburn, but I could just as well be talking about so many other things.
Having finally come to the inevitable conclusion that there is no precision pill, no quick fix, no easy way out, I have had to to take matters into my own hands. Take charge. After months of careful study and excruciating self-analysis, I have realized that my problems are not specific, they are SYSTEMIC.
In fact, now that I think about it: MOST PROBLEMS ARE. How many real problems do you have that are just ripples on the surface of your inner wellness pool? If you have a real predicament, it is most probably a systemic thing. If it is not systemic, it is most probably not even a real problem (in which case, you should just forget about it!).
Most importantly, I have realized that systemic problems are fixable, but not with speedy, lightweight methods. Oh no, sir.
Isn’t it one of the signs of our times that we expect there to be a speedy resolution. Some detour to which money grants access?
Well, prepare yourself for a shocker. Even if there exists a detour, you should NOT take it.
If you have a problem (work, self, health, family, money …), and you are tempted to fix it with something that is easy and convenient. Don’t do it, because …
1. Speedy methods will never ever fix the problem, they will disguise it and enable you to live with the problem even longer, thus making it worse.
2. You must take responsibility for yourself. Nobody else will. Commit to solving your problem. Don’t expect others to do it for you. If you keep waiting for others to fix your issues, you are placing your one precious life in the hands of others (who may not get round to fixing it).
3. The process of fixing the problem the right way, no matter how long it takes, is probably one of the best things that can happen for you. You will learn new things about yourself, and about the people around you. Plus, your capacity for empathy will double in size & you get free karma points.
Enter Mr Cuttlefish, i.e. SEPIA C30.
Alternative approaches to medicine attempt to cure the entire system, not just provide band-aid solutions (see point #1 above). Yes, I’m talking about homeopathy. And yes, I have heard the joke about how diluted/deluded the homeopathic meds are 😀 Personally, I like to entertain a delusion or two per day. It keeps me sane. Well, one of the pretty round pills I got from a local practitioner contains SEPIA, the special “secret weapon”of Mr Cuttlefish. I find this fascinating. But more about Mr C-fish in the next blog. For now, it is sufficient to state that I find it both amusing and intriguing that I should need help from this salty creature.
The IDEA of treating the system appeals to me and echoes everything I have read about stress-related heartburn. At the same time, it stands in direct opposition to the approach of every doctor I have met.
Of course, a systemic make-over is not just about homeopathy. It’s about changing almost every aspect of my life. Mr Cuttlefish is just my backup. Yup, he’s got my back … wait … did he just puff out a cloud of ink and disappear on me?
Fixing the system requires a complete reboot. I now find myself on a lonely stretch of “the high road”, which happens to also be the long and winding road.
- I am learning to cook from scratch and eat the right stuff (according to invaluable advice from a couple of nutritionists).
- I am learning to see the world in a new way (how the chase for profit has made this world unhealthy for humans).
- I am learning mindfulness and balance (with the help of Andy, the creator of the Headspace app).
- I have abandoned every indulgence I have ever had (sugar, caffeine, alcohol, gluten, and red meat).
- I have had to accept that I will not feel healthy for some time now (systemic problems take the same amount of time to heal as they took to develop in the first place).
And even though I recommend it, I must admit that it is taking everything I have.
It is also, the only way.
“Just keep swimming”, said Dory to Nemo. Right now, that’s the best damn mantra for me. You know, sometimes, when I walk among the people in a busy street. I imagine myself as a fish, just swimming along, with no deeper meaning or thoughts. It gives me strange comfort.
Who knows, maybe I crave the life of the cuttlefish. Maybe they will help me, one of their own kind.