Healing From The Inside Out

The True Story of Ranee Folk

Years ago I read a book by Deepak Chopra called QUANTUM HEALING - EXPLORING THE FRONTIERS OF MIND/BODY MEDICINE. The gist of the book was that self healing is no miracle! Clearly we each have the ability to heal wounds and sickness in our bodies and the source of this ability, Chopra claims, is exactly the same source that enables a certain few people to "spontaneously" heal from debilitating injuries and terminal diseases. The fact that even a few people are able to miraculously heal is evidence that we all have the "potential" within us. The mystery seems to lie in how to trigger the healing (or does it?). The mind is a very good place to start!

My friend Ranee Folk is a living example of quantum healing. After spending 9 years in and out of the hospital, today she's completely transformed her health and her life, and it all started in her mind. This is her story.

Ranee was sick throughout her life. It started at the age of two when she had to wear casts on both legs for arthritis. After being molested by an Uncle around age four or five, she recalls just completely giving up her power. She remained in this state of weakness throughout her childhood, always feeling tired (and often anemic).

Growing up, Ranee didn't believe she had any control over her body and didn't think it was something she could change. She just thought it was her lot in life to accept that she'd always be sick (and if she was going to be sick, she needed to be the sickest person around!).

Her sickness became severe about 10 years ago after the birth of her first son. She lost 50 pounds in four months (from 140 down to 90 lbs!!), was diagnosed with Crones Disease (an inflammatory disorder) and underwent surgery to remove a portion a her small intestine which had become blocked.

For eight more years, Ranee "bought into" the fact that she was sick, but she didn't buy into the fact she couldn't do anything. She had two more kids, did counseling for others and kept herself busy. She was in hospital an average of six or seven times a year (for over a month on two occasions) and she was continually medicated with Prednisone (a steroid which produces adrenaline for you) and Methotrexate (a Chemo drug that suppressed your immune system). The drugs gave her stomach aches and chronic diarrhea. It became so painful at one point, she had to walk around with a hot water bottle under her shirt.

Being sick actually fulfilled many needs for Ranee. She got love and connection because everyone took care of her ("The Doctors cared about me so much!"), it made her feel quite significant ("I was sicker than everyone else"), it enabled her to contribute and feel valuable ("I did support groups and helped others with Crones"), it gave her plenty of certainty in her life ("I knew I was sick") and at the same time offered her plenty of variety ("I never quite knew when I'd get sick.").

So what idea or distinction enabled her to see the light and heal herself?

Ranee saw Tony Robbins speak at a Discovery Toys convention and said to herself, "If he's capable of all this energy and endless possibilities, I can do it too! I just need to tap into that energy I have in myself and get the tools to do it."

One statement Tony made really stuck. It was something like, "To decide in Latin means to cut off all other possibilities" and that's exactly what she knew she needed to do. She was fed up with being sick and "decided" she really needed to make this change happen. Being sick wasn't the way she wanted to get her needs met anymore.

She started thinking to herself, "People overcome obstacles all the time. People down the hall from me are dying and I'm just sick! There's no reason why I can't go out and overcome this! If anyone's done it, so can I!"

"I decided I couldn't live like that anymore," said Ranee, "and I believed I could do it! No other possibilities! Thinking back, it was kind of extreme, but I got to a point where the pain was too much and it wasn't my identity. I could see how great the rewards were to be who I really was and not let my body stop me from doing what I wanted." It's been clear sailing ever since!

When I asked her how she is today, she responded vibrantly, "I'm wonderful! Right before attending Tony Robbins' Lifemastery seminar, I went off the drugs without telling my doctor, started walking everyday, joined a ballet class, and totally changed to an alkalizing diet - vegetables, salads, almonds, almond butter, fruit, green drink, multivitamin, spelt, no sugar, no dairy and sometimes date sugar, a lot of deep breathing (in for a count of 10, hold for 40, out for 20), plus lots of water."

When asked what advice does she has for others who are sick or facing chronic illnesses, Ranee responded, "I would say find in yourself whatever it is that you need to make yourself so angry and so fed up with what you're giving yourself, and "open your eyes" because the answers are right around you, and just do it! It's simple really."

"Now I get significance from being healthy and feeling strength from that internally - giving it to myself. Yes others are "wowed" by it, which does it too, but it's more about me."

"Now I receive Love and Connection because I feel totally connected with myself. I can love myself and I have more love to give because I'm connecting with people because I'm healthy, not weak. Plus I'm connecting with stronger people!"

"Now I have certainty that I'm healthy and have even more wonderful opportunities to contribute because I've been able to help so many people, sick or not, just by talking to them about my experience, my diet etc. I just feels like there is growth all the time now because I know anything is possible!"

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Drew Kossoff is a passionate motivational speaker, trainer, coach and philanthropist and the owner of ZenerationX.com - A FREE inspirational web site that teaches you how to unleash your potetnial to create a more successful and fulfilling life! Check it out http://www.zenerationx.com

To obtain a weekly reminder when new columns are posted or to offer feedback, advice, praise, or criticism write to me: paul@schindler.org

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