How do you Trust?

How do you trust?

Excerpt from James Callner’s up coming book on OCD

“It’s a Matter of Trust - Spiritual Prescriptions for OCD”.

This first prescription is the basis for all of the following prescriptions. It’s the hardest one to answer. I had to look deep into my heart and soul to come up with any kind of reasonable answer to a question that is so hard to fully answer.

In my search for an answer to ‘How do you trust’ my mind shot off a rocket of thought to a sub- question; Whom can I trust? I’ll make my list and I you encourage you to make your own. It will help in the process.

Who or what can I trust?

1 My Parents?

2. My siblings, brother, sister, aunts, uncles, etc?

3. My friends?

4. My therapist?

5. My family doctor?

6. My medication?

7. My body?

8. The books I read?

9. Television? Movies? The Media?

10. Newspapers?

11. Politicians?

12. The President?

13. Our Government?

14. The Internet?

15. The Weather?

16. My fears?

17. My phobias?

18. My compulsions?

19. My obsessions?

20. My Source, Universe, God?

I think you get the idea. The list of whom or what you can trust is infinite. And, can be really depressing if you let it be.

Here’s a new way to reframe to the question.

Who or what can I trust will teach me the most about myself?

Heavy question isn’t it? I have found that all people and things on the list above are my greatest Teachers.

My family has taught me about trusting patience and tolerance and love.

My friends taught me about trusting that I’m not alone and my extended families and friends can be a powerful source of healing and comfort.

My therapists and doctors and medications taught me to trust that there are options for treatment of OCD. Thank God, there are options.

My body teaches me something everyday. If I’m feeling anxious I need to take actions to soothe the anxiety. If my body let’s me know I’m hungry I pay attention. Many times I pay too much attention to my hunger feelings. Your body includes your mind, which is like the traffic light. It gives you direct signals to give it attention. It’s your choice to listen carefully and choose the thought and/or action to soothe it.

The books, newspapers, movies, television, Internet, teach me to trust there is something in this Universe called inspiration or as a great teacher of mine Dr Wayne Dyer would say in his book ‘Inspiration: Your Ultimate Calling’, Inspiration means In-Spirit. I’ll talk more about that in another prescription. The media is a wonderful teacher in creating an understanding that if you are not inspired by what you see or read you can walk away. You have that power. You have that choice. Trust it. Only feed your spirit those things that lift you up give you energy. I personally try to avoid the negative media and put my energies toward the inspiring educating spirited media because it makes me feel empowered and I trust empowerment.

Government and Politicians teach me that I can trust my own beliefs. If a specific political issue comes up that really turns my hair greyer, I trust I have just been taught that I have values and a strong intuition that I need to pay attention to.

Here are two personal examples:

1. Global warming. I have been taught via politicians that they need to pay extreme attention to this massive issue. Most have not. What this teaches me is; if they won’t pay attention I will. I’ll take action to not only help environmental causes but also vote those politicians out of office.

2. Mental health. All those reading this book know that mental health care in this country is a political and moral issue. Is our government doing enough? You already know the answer. But, what does that teach you? It teaches me to trust that I can do something. I can be an advocate for mental health education. I can join an association or foundation to help the cause. I can become pro-active. I can stop the complaining and act!

Many of our politicians can and have done wonderful things to help individuals live their lives. AND, they are wonderful teachers for us to know when something is going aerie.

The weather teaches me about my body. If I don’t get enough sun I feel a level of being depressed. Too much sun burns me up. I can trust that weather conditions are many times a guide for my inner balance. It also teaches me what kind of climate conditions help me heal. For me personally, too much heat seems to crank up the OCD symptoms. Then again on a cooler day I have far less symptoms and more peace. It teaches every body something new. You can trust that.

My fears, phobia’s compulsions and obsessions: Let’s just call that OCD. Believe it or not it’s taught me the most. It’s taught me humility, gratitude, and hope.

I know and trust that Fear is: False. Evidence. Appearing. Real. I know and trust that compulsions and obsessions is part of the disorder and can be treated. I know and trust that OCD is a biological and environmental disorder that has to do with letting go of control.

I know and trust I am NOT the OCD.

I trust that this disorder has taught me about patience and compassion for not only others but myself. Sometimes our teachers hit us with a ton of bricks, as in OCD, before we learn the lesson it is trying to teach us. But, if we are willing it will teach us life lessons.

Lastly, can I trust there is a Source, Universe or God that I can trust? Yes.

Did this Source give me OCD because I did something bad in my life? No.

Source or God does not judge contrary to what some organized religions may have taught you. Source is and infinite creating system. It created you as well as planets and solar systems and every part of your being. It simply creates and loves. A problem arises when we are disconnected to our source. When our belief is that our source has left us alone.

I talk more about this, later in the book, in the prescription Law of Attraction but here’s what I’ve learned to trust since my own illness hit so many years ago.

God or Source is not only outside of me but inside of me also. I am a piece of it. We all are. When I learn to trust the God within I get my answers very clearly. It’s the disconnect from that inner God or Source that disrupts my balance and trust. I’m not talking religion here; however if that’s a path for you to reconnect with Source or God, use it.

The greatest lesson or teachings I have learned is that God created it all. Including, the medications, therapists, doctors, researchers, treatments and spiritual guides to help you heal from OCD. Find ways to reconnect with that Source within you and trust will come to you. Get back In-Spirit.

Read the books; listen to the tapes and CD’s that teach you to reconnect with something that you were born with, the healing loving God inside of you.

The belief in reconnecting to your own Source leads you to healing action that leads you to reclaiming the trust in yourself.

So, how do we trust? It’s an inside out job. We ALL have the capacity to trust our instincts, intuition and that strange feeling of knowing without knowing. Everything is a piece of God or Source including YOU. When OCD hits we stop trusting for a while but Source doesn’t. And, we are part of that Source. Reclaim it however you can.

We trust by learning the lessons, recognizing the teachers that teach us about ourselves and ultimately… connecting to our healing, loving, peaceful Source that never left us.

Trust That: The opposite of fear is not always bravery or courage but something even more powerful and healing; it’s called… trust.

How do we trust? By tapping into our Intuition, by paying attention to our internal guidance system that will never let you down if you quietly listen. And, we trust by changing the way we look at people places and things, including OCD. Look at them as our teachers. They will always help us and guide us back to trusting ourselves.

Excerpt from James Callner’s up coming book on OCD

“It’s a Matter of Trust’ - Spiritual Prescriptions for OCD.

Copyright 2008, by James Callner MA.