Part of the Cure or Part of the Disease

There are many things happening in America and around the world that impact us. Here are a few major ones that come to my mind: Roe v. Wade, racism, gun violence, Covid-19, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I know for me these things cause overwhelming and confusing feelings. I feel helpless, anger, and hopeless in these matters at times. We have things in our daily life that causes feelings too. Here are somethings that impact me: traffic, a disagreement with a person a care about, losing items, making a decision, and heartburn. For the most part, we get to decide how we respond to each of these things. Many times, depending on how we respond impacts how someone else, something else, or our bodies respond. When I recognize that something is impacting me or a loved one, I try to ask myself, in a non-judgmental way, “are my behaviors part of the cure or part of the disease?” and then allow myself to answer honestly. There are many situations that come to my mind that I could justify that I was part of the cure through my good intentions, but really my good intentions were more harmful. When I understand that I am part of the disease; and decide I want to be part of the cure, I make small changes while educating myself. I do more listening than speaking. I am gentle with myself as I move forward in the direction, I want to go in. When I can honestly say I am part of the cure it does not end there for me. I check in, I ask questions, and I educate myself.  To become part of the cure, it does not mean to put ourselves down. The goals are to become more self-aware of our behaviors and the reason we respond in the way we do. And to become more understanding of the thing that is opposing against us whether it is another person, a group of people, or our own bodies and minds. 

I have found that being part of the disease is much easier than being part of the cure. It is difficult to understand others when their thoughts differ from ours. It is easier to remain on the couch rather than helping our partners cook dinner. It is more relaxing to remain in bed for an extra hour instead of exercising. It feels safer to be neutral than sharing how we feel. I recognize that some of these things I mentioned can also be part of the cure like remaining in bed for an extra hour instead of exercising because the body needs the rest. We only know by questioning our behaviors and answering them honestly. I encourage you to start asking yourself, “am I part of the cure or part of the disease?” I would like to end this with a quote from Victor Frankl – “Our greatest freedom is the freedom to choose our attitude.” 

If you need help understanding if you are part of the cure or disease reach out to Halos Counseling. Finding the right therapist in Charlotte can be a challenge. Schedule a free consult with us to determine if we're a good fit for you.