I felt off-balance, out of kilter, and confused. I finally realized my compass was off course and needed to be recalibrated. Just like a compass can get off course by being exposed to magnets, high-voltage power lines, or batteries, I had gotten off course by being exposed to something in my environment or life. To recalibrate a compass, you move it through the air in a figure-eight direction so that it can sense the magnetic intensity in all directions. In this way, the compass determines the accurate poles of the earth and can point in the true north direction. Now I needed to look in all directions in my life so I could recalibrate myself.
It wasn’t hard to think of exposures that could be pulling me off track. It is almost incomprehensible to list the stressors all of us are dealing with: the pandemic with its life-shattering effects on health and security; climate change effects with massive fires and extreme weather events; social unrest as we grapple with racism, poverty, income inequality, and lack of access to healthcare; and, painful political polarization.
To deal with all these stressors, I try to follow the same advice I offer you about prayer, mindfulness, exercise, and so on. But, I realized something else was also going on with me. In her book, Thoughts Matter: The Practice of the Spiritual Life, Sister Mary Margaret Funk writes, “Direction is peace.” Something about my Serenity and Health work felt off. I wasn’t at peace. Was I going in the wrong direction?
““Direction is peace.””
When I founded Serenity and Health in 2014, I wrote “Find your personal path to peace of mind, health, and God.” A central theme as described on my website is: “Health of body, mind, and spirit is interrelated and connected to God, all as a package deal.” I stated that I wanted you and me to be co-travelers on this journey of life … so we could learn and grow together. I relied on my blogs, small groups, and in-person workshops and programs to accomplish these goals. It felt right. I felt confident I was answering God’s call.
Now two things have changed. One is the pandemic and my resulting need to rely more on social media, online programs, and Zoom to get my message out. The second is that I have almost completed the book I’ve been writing for six-and-a-half years.
The virtual world offers a connection to the world that I am grateful to have. But, before too long, I found myself feeling like I was being sucked into a vortex that felt very unhealthy. The first symptom was checking Facebook more and more frequently to see if I had any likes, new followers, comments, or shares. I started checking others’ statistics and comparing them to mine. More worrisome was finding myself, as I created content, thinking about what would draw the most likes and shares—instead of zeroing in on my authentic message. I wasn’t far off course, but it didn’t feel right. I was chasing numbers instead of sincerely offering my message in good faith…and then letting God be in charge of the outcome. As Jolee Paden said in one of my recent Pop-Up Conversations, I needed to concentrate on being faithful, not necessarily on being fruitful. The fruit part is up to God.
““Concentrate on being faithful, not necessarily on being fruitful.””
As to the second change, yes, I’ve been writing a book, my first, and it’s almost finished. It is a spiritual memoir, although it started out as a self-help book about achieving serenity and health. After I had worked on this project for several years, I realized I could express my message most authentically as a memoir. I am so glad I made this change, as I have learned a great deal about myself in the process. I hope my personal story will be compelling to readers. Now I am sorting out my options for how to get my book published—which is why I have been thinking about the business side of writing, publishing, and promoting a book. This has created a storm of pressure and a swirl of unanswered questions: Is my book really finished? Who will publish it? Who will read it? How will people know about my book? What will people say? Let me share with you that this is very scary.
It is clear I will have to recalibrate more frequently to be sure I stay on target, never forgetting my call and my mission: to help others find their personal path to peace of mind, health, and God. I enjoyed a detailed recalibration during a recent visit to Shenandoah National Park— I could feel my body soften and my mind clear as I enjoyed the forest, mountains, and sunset.
Suggestions:
1. Ask yourself if you need to recalibrate? For most of us, the answer will be yes. What will be your recalibration process? Prayer? Savoring nature or music? Walking? Art?
2. Is it time to reevaluate your use of social media or the internet? I recommend to you the new book Reconnect: Spiritual Restoration from Digital Distraction by Ed Cyzewski. Ed “offers a well-formed Mertonian argument; namely, the digital distractions of our modern age often operate as noisy distractions from divine love.”
Help! I need your feedback!
During my recalibration, I realized I need more information about what YOU want and how I can best connect with you.
What do you think? Do you desire any specific content or format? I would be very grateful if you would answer these questions.
Questions for you:
Please consider the following and leave your feedback in the Comment section below.*
About Facebook: Are you on Facebook? Do you have experience with Facebook groups, and, would you participate in a Serenity and Health Facebook group community?
Would you subscribe to a podcast or regular conversation series if I offered it?
Are you more likely to watch a live program than a prerecorded one?
What topics dealing with health of body, mind, and spirit do you want me to cover more?
Do you belong to any church, organization, or other groups that would be interested in a specific Zoom program, such as dealing with ACEs or faith-based stress reduction?
Do you have other thoughts or specific methods of connecting that appeal to you?
Know that I’m always thrilled to get feedback from you in any way!
* Some have had issues with the Comment feature—go to Comment, chose Guest, ignore the request for your website URL, and then add your comment. Or, if you prefer, email me at dc@serenityandhealth.com, or respond on Facebook, @serenityandhealthdc, @donnachacko.
I hope you are staying well and finding coping strategies. God bless you all.
P.S. Don’t forget to sign up for my monthly blog or follow me on Facebook or Donna Chacko on Twitter. If my message helps you in any way, please consider sharing it with others.
Dr. Donna Chacko promotes health of body, mind, and spirit through her website (serenityandhealth.com), her blog, and programs at her church. She is the author of the award-winning book and Amazon best-seller Pilgrimage: A Doctor’s Healing Journey (Luminare Press, 2021). You can read her full bio here.
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