Life is rarely a straight line, sometimes in a “good” way, sometimes in, what at least at first blush, may be perceived as “bad.” It twists and turns, has its ups and downs, and sometimes shifts dramatically and often in surprising ways.
Recently I talked to someone about his trajectory from being a chemistry college major to working in technology sales. Asked how it happened, he laughed and said, ”Not sure, but I love what I do now. ” Health issues can also bring about such shifts, as Jane Brody writes in a recent NYT article, “When Life Changes, Embrace the New Normal.“ You have to shift and adapt lest you hang on to the past and your old self.
My daughter loves animals and loves to write. She wanted to study zoology and creative writing. But a diagnosis a few years ago got her heavily, and with growing interest, involved in medical and dietary research, interested in the body’s recovery process, and especially in a holistic approach to the healing arts. Only through this unfortunate diagnosis did she discover her deep interest in, and ability to easily comprehend, the body’s biochemical processes, and the relationship between inner psychological life and outer expression in the form of symptoms. She now wants to go to medical school to help others in their healing journey.
“You never know when a silver lining may appear,” Wendy Harpham observes in that article. The new normal can be better than the old normal. Please regard a previous post on how healing is shifting.