LESS IS MORE
I have always admired those who take a long breath when hard news comes. I think I can say with humility that I am one of those people now. Hard news in repetition has honed this skill, the ability to listen to myself.
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If you ask me, I will tell you that making space between knowledge and decision has become my superpower—
To ask that the news be repeated,
To pause and take it in,
Then to make friends with something that feels [at first] like panic, then allowing it to morph into something malleable, something mine to do with as I will.
This is the art of listening to a different voice than we have grown accustomed to. This is the art of listening to what is spoken within.
Once people discover I have cancer the conversations nearly always digress to, “Have you read,” and “Did you know.” Our insatiable appetite to "be an expert" has eclipsed our desire to simply “be.”
As in the homes I design, I find myself craving the absence of more—
More opinions, more expertise, more advice.
Here is what I long for—
just you and I stripped of posturing and pretense, breathing in the kindred experience of a complicated life.
Does it seem counterintuitive to walk away from all the voices [even the most qualified and well-meaning] and to listen to yourself?
He fasted for forty days and forty nights and afterwards...he. was. hungry.
This is the most profound line ever written about changing the trajectory of our lives.
The temptation is to giggle at the obvious nature of the second part of the verse.
But ask yourself, “When is the last time I was hungry?”
The answer may be surprising. Even profound.
Without the void you may not even recognize what You are hungry for.
To be willing to walk away from things that bring you comfort,
to be willing to be emptied so you can be filled—this is the space between the human and the heavenly, the space where we are healed.
Over the past eight months, I have become living proof that what we allow in our lives and in our bodies can be the difference between life and death. Less is more. Not cliché but exquisite, simple, fact.
In response to the encouraging results of my recent CT and lab work, one of my dear friends and prayer partners shared—
These kinds of [metabolic] therapies demand more ownership than Chemo or Radiation. They require commitment, discipline, and determination to follow through—
For me, not following through isn’t an option.
But what about you?
If something you know you should do is laid upon your heart,
If it's chronically popping into your head,
If it’s something you’re curious or convicted about but haven’t done,
If you pretend to be an expert but aren’t applying it to your own life…
Maybe it’s time to make a shift.
Contrary to everything we think we know, less is more. In abundance.
NOTES ON FASTING: Steadfast. Strong. Fortified. These three words not only define the word [Fasting] but have become my way of life. Nutrition has always been central to my being. But I confess there have been seasons when my knowledge eclipsed my willingness to apply its principles to how I lived. Enter cancer. The metabolic approach to my disease cannot be disputed or ignored. "Compelling" is the word that describes what I've learned. What compels you to make decisions in your life? Eight months ago I began fasting. Not some days. But every single day for at least 16 hours, and twenty four hours once a week. My faith has framed fasting as an act of obedience, drawing those who believe closer to the Lord. For me, fasting is this but SO MUCH MORE. The Creator of all things admonishes, "When you fast..." [Matthew 6:16]. There is no "if" in this verse. The One who Created us knows precisely how we were engineered, body/mind/spirit. This is why I consider, "When you fast," to be a prescription for my health. One of the most empowering and life giving things I have ever done is to become increasingly mindful about what I allow in my body and when. Along with our spiritual connection, our physiology is strengthened through approaching the concept of “nourishment” in a completely different way. What we devour [food, words, entertainment, relationships] becomes us—It alters our thinking, our strength, our emotions, and our rest. It changes the productivity of our every-days and the trajectory of our lives. Did you know when we deprive the body of food, our cells activate toxic clean-up processes that are not typically stimulated when a steady stream of fuel is present?Fasting promotes revelation—we begin to see things in new ways. Fasting awakens self-control—we discover an untapped power in restraint. Fasting activates deliverance—we uncover our ability to restructure our situations and our very selves. When we begin to value what doesn’t go into our bodies as much as what does—Our grief [empathy for others] becomes more vivid. Our minds become more clear. Our bodies are detoxified. Our entire system is reenergized. Our bodies are refocused on healing rather than merely being satiated. Our blood sugar is regulated. Our inflammation is decreased, we feel lighter and less tied to pain. Our heart health is enhanced, both physically and emotionally. Our fat decreases while maintaining muscle mass. Our metabolism speeds up and we have more energy to really live. Our immune systems are strengthened. How do you know it’s working? 1. How do you feel? In spite of my Cancer, I haven't felt this good in years. 2. What do your labs say? [find an integrative doctor who knows precisely which labs to run and how to put results in context of whole body health]. One lab does not a whole picture make! 3. Buy a KetoMojo and use it every day. This miraculous little device tells me if what I am eating is therapeutic relative to my cancer [and can tell you how your eating is impacting your life] www.ketomojo.com ABOUT THE IMAGE: There is nothing more extraordinary than growing food. In my garden in Napa Valley vegetables grew in abundance...sharing what we grew with our neighbors was not only delightful but common practice. In the months head I will be joining forces with organic farmers here in Coeur d'Alene to create The Cancer Garden, dedicated to growing nutrition explicitly designed to fight specific disease.Look for The Cancer Garden as a break-out topic on this site.Related posts I think you will enjoy—https://www.sanctuaryliving.life/the-mystery-of-ourselves/ https://www.sanctuaryliving.life/wild-ride/https://www.sanctuaryliving.life/accessing-the-heart/