This week I was at the clinic having my pic line redressed as I do each Thursday. The nurse who was changing my dressing was professional, skillful, compassionate and easy to talk to. We chatted about all the feelings that go along wih chemo side effects and how they can take over your life. We agreed that it is easy to fall into a hole of sadness, fear, pain and loneliness. I then told her about the fact that I was writing this blog and that it was inspired by my shine and shiny people. So I do hope that it is all right that I share with you the story I shared with her about shine and shiny people.
This all started more than twenty years ago. At that time I was managing a shelter for women who were survivors of domestic violence. During our weekly programs, we often discussed new and innovative ways to manage our feelings and emotions. One week I brought with me a large
glass pink ‘diamond’. It looked like the one just above. The conversation revolved around the beauty of this pink ‘diamond’; that it made us feel happy and we could feel it inside. The truth is we all have this shine inside us. We are born all shiny, inside and out but as we grow and age, things happen, harsh words are said, unpleasant things happen to us and our shine gets covered up. But it is still there! We have to find it and break up all that darkness that covers up our shine. That pink diamond became the focus of many sessions for all of us and we worked to find its shine inside us.
Now about two or three years ago, I was having a conversation with my ten year old grandson and he ws talking about his fear of the dentist. It had become such that he could not even make himself go to the office. We talked about our shine and that his shine was inside him making him brave and overcoming his fear of going to the dentist. I made him his own ‘shiny person’ that will be his reminder of the shine he carries inside him. He and his shiny person now go to the dentist cheerfully and confidently.
This is what he does to find his shine – in five steps:
- Take a deep breath in and out to the count of four
- Think about your shine inside you
- Tap right in the middle of your chest while saying “I’ve got shine”. You can also personalize it with, “I am brave” “I feel good today with shine from the inside out” “I’m going to be okay” . I recommend tapping 4 or 5 times and repeat that 3 times more. Tapping on the middle of your chest is tapping between the nipples. This is helpful if you feel stressed, nervous or have anxiety. Tapping here relaxes and opens the chest. It can release emotional distress creating new energy. Tapping her while concentrating on your inner shine is motivating, energizing and inspires new feelings.
- Take another deep breath, in and out
- How do you feel? If you don’t feel any better, repeat.
Well it didn’t take long before I realized that tis was helpful to me as well and I have used it many times as I struggle with cancer, chemo and all that goes with it.
This shiny person lives within use and we can break up all that dark stuff that threatens to take over. Tap, break it all up, release the shiny person and let it expand throughout your body.
After I shared my shiny person story, my nurse was inspired to feel her own shine and wants to share it with others. I am sending her these pages with her own shiny person but along with that I want to thank her with a huge thanks. I had allowed myself to forget that I had shine, cance can’t cover it up unless I let it. She remindd me of this and for the last couple of days I have been tapping into my shine and I feel so much better. This is just proof that feeling, showing and sharing our shine will inspire others. And isn’t that what it’s all about?
FEEL YOUR SHINE!
SHOW YOUR SHINE!
SHARE YOUR SHINE!
