Lynn Serafinn's Cosmic Journey

How Getting the Flu Was the Highlight of My Week

How Getting the Flu Was the Highlight of My Week
By Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC

Author’s note: I originally wrote this article on 13 October 2008, but in light of the recent outbreak of “swine flu”, I thought it might be especially relevant. I also feel it can help us reflect upon what true “strength,” “wealth” and “wellness” are, as well as what we consider to be “lucky” and “unlucky” in life.

I am a workaholic. I don’t seem to stop. Ever. It isn’t funny. I even have made up a name for my workaholic “gremlin”. His name is Bonzo. Bonzo has a very loud voice. My intuition speaks more softly. When Bonzo shouts so loudly that I cannot hear the voice of my intuition (or I hear it but choose not to listen), the inevitable outcome is that I make myself ill.

A week ago Friday I was co-leading a very large event in London… a community day for about 70 life coaches from various parts of Europe. I had been working on it for 6 months with a team of 3 other great coaches. That day, the weather turned really cold and I knew that I was catching a chill but I kept going. The day was a great success, but it was an enormous amount of work, both over the past months and on the day itself. In the back of my mind, I could hear my body saying, Slow down. Create some space for yourself.

On Saturday, the day AFTER the event, I presented at a wellness fair here in Bedford. It was a freezing cold day and they had the doors open all day during the event. I shivered all afternoon. I kept hearing my body screaming, “Slow down, woman!”

On Sunday, the day AFTER that, I walked half an hour in the pouring rain to meet up with a new business contact, and then later I had my daughter over my house for the night because she needed to talk and get some loving care. We were chatting until well after midnight.

In my head, all I could hear was, Lynn, you keep saying you want to slow down. So, why are not stopping?

SO…

The day after THAT, which was last Monday, I woke up (surprise, surprise!) to find that I had come down with the flu. High fever, chills, aches, sore throat and really swollen glands. I felt like death warmed over. I couldn’t even get out of bed. At first I contemplated whether or not I had the energy to coach my clients (I had a full roster every day this week). Then, I realised that this was absolute insanity. I started calling my clients to cancel. All I had the energy to do was sleep. Because I live alone, and work for myself, my mind kept resisting the “down time” because I am used to taking care of myself and couldn’t see how I was going to pay the bills, do the shopping, etc.

But then, the most amazing thing happened. My clients, family and friends starting calling me, asking how they could help.

On Monday, one client (who sells Aloe Vera products) posted me a tube of Aloe Vera jelly for my throat and some bee propollus and Echinacea for my immune system.

On Tuesday, after receiving the parcel of Aloe Vera, another client (a homeopath) brought me some homeopathic medicine and took a deposit to the bank for me so my bills would get paid on time.

Later that day, another client (a Reiki practitioner) went shopping for me and brought me back loads of soup and juices which I spent several days guzzling down with great delight.

On Wednesday, my son-in-law went and got me some medicine for a massive headache I had had since Monday.

On Thursday, still another friend/client (a cranio-sacral therapist) came over to my house armed with apples, juices, macaroons (yummy) and toothpaste (I was completely out).

And as each person came with supplies, they also stayed for a chat and I felt better and better just for their presence. When I went to bed on Thursday night, I was astonished that in less than 4 days I felt about 80% recovered, whereas the previous flu I had had about a year before developed into lingering chest infection and cough that lasted 6 weeks.

I slept soundly, and when I woke up on Friday morning my flu was 95% gone (personally, I really do credit the Aloe Vera with curing my swollen glands).

I felt so good when I woke up Friday that I went into London to attend a course called “Awakened Wisdom” with one of my favourite mentors, Patrick Ryan. The course uplifted me that final 5% I needed to feel completely well again, and by Saturday morning I was 100% recovered. On Sunday, the last day of the course, I stood up in front of the class and made some very powerful commitments about becoming “visible” as a spiritual teacher through my writing and my work. Today, as I write this, I have to tell you that some of these commitments have already started to unfold. But beyond that, I not only feel completely restored in body, but the experiences of the past week have also healed my mind and heart as well.

A year ago, none of this would have happened. Why?

Two reasons:

The first reason is because a year ago, I didn’t know any of these people who came to help me (apart from my son-in-law of course). All of the local people who came to help me are people I met over the past 6 months through the Global Wellness Circle (GWC), which is an educationally focussed community project group dedicated to promoting a natural and holistic approach to health and well-being at all levels of mind, body and spirit. Sounds like a great organisation, yes? Well the best thing about GWC (for me) is that I myself started it in April (2008). I started GWC in response to the isolation I kept hearing so many other holistic therapists expressing, and which I also shared. I wanted to create a supportive community that would not only help us just grow our businesses, but also help us thrive as human beings with a common value base. It is extremely gratifying to find that this “Wellness Circle” provided me with a circle of people who helped me feel well when I was ill and overworked. I can only assume that this kind of behaviour is going on amongst other members of the Circle. It makes me more and more convinced that “Communities create wellness” (which is the motto of GWC).

But the other reason why none of this would have happened a year ago is because I myself am a very different person from who I was back then. A year ago I was in a state of mind where I felt I needed to support everyone else, but I would rarely (if ever) allow others to help me. I used to think this was because I didn’t want to “burden” others, but I now know this was simply a rationalisation. In truth, I believe the real reason why many of us do not ask for help is that it makes us feel vulnerable. We want people to see us as “strong” people, so we tend to hide what we judge as our own weaknesses. But actually, it is only we who judge ourselves to be weak. The truth is, it takes more strength and courage to show our vulnerability in public than to be stoic and alone. Quite opposite to how I used to think, I have learned that being vulnerable and asking for help is actually the bravest and most empowered thing we can do.

And here’s the surprise bonus—when we ask others for help, we actually empower them too. We allow them to give us their love, strength and wisdom. Just imagine if we lived in a world where nobody needed anyone else. We might falsely imagine such a place would be a world full of powerful people, but actually it would be a world full of lonely people who had no purpose to fulfil.

Allowing my vulnerability to guide me when I had the flu was a fantastic voyage of discovery, surprise and gratitude. So now, I am continuing to allow all the nurturing that exists around me to enter into my life… and I am really enjoying the ride.

This time of year, a lot of people get the flu. If you are one of the “lucky” ones, use the time to slow down and surrender to the process your body is craving. Then, dive deeply into the resources you have around you and ask for help from those around you. Always remember that we are actually giving a great gift when we allow others to show their love for us.

Anyway, that’s why getting the flu was the highlight of my week, and how much it made me aware of what real “health” (and wealth) in life is.

Lynn Serafinn
13 Oct 2008

Tags: flu, Global Wellness Circle, healing, illness, Inspiration, reflections, Wellness