Hi everyone, sorry I’m so late with April’s blog!
April is National Poetry month!
And I’ve been working on my next book, a poetry & prose book – “A Pocketbook of Poems & Prose to Accompany Dr. Liz’ Life Launch book series”. I was hoping to publish by the end of this month – but now I’m shooting for May 15th!
As you can guess from the title, all but maybe 2 poems were written during the years that my memoir/ book: Life Launch, Book One, takes place. These writings are about my struggles with love, loss and life – and represent one of the many “Healing Resources” that I list in the book – in this case: “Writing – as an outlet for our feelings”.
I’ll end my blog with an excerpt from my new book – so be sure you read ‘til the end!
Anyway, here’s a teaser of the book cover:
Wow! Where to begin for this Month’s blog?
Well, I’ll begin where I left off in March… my blog about my LOGO and it’s meaning:
ARISE! (to HOPE), through healing your mind, body and spirit
You may have noticed that after I published March’s blog, I added a “Visual Meditation on Hope”, which I created myself – I “hope” you enjoyed that, and perhaps found some inspiration and/or a renewed feeling that hope may be within your reach, if it has previously eluded you…
And also, spring has come in full swing, at least where I live, and we’ve had lots of rain…
“April showers bring May flowers”
And rain showers with sun can create a rainbow…
Remember, I shared a bit about the significance of rainbows in my life in March’s Blog? well, stay tuned for May’s blog in another week, where I will share a little bit more on Rainbows and “May flowers” and their relationship with healing –
but for now….
I want to share with you some of the reasons for my delay publishing April’s blog – because, afterall, I’m here to help everyone to find RENEWED HOPE, and to RESTORE their JOY in Life – and so, I’m going to share with you how I’ve dealt with a very challenging month for me –
First of all, I had to put one of my two miniature poodles down earlier in the month. His name was Clifford and I’m posting his picture here because I know it will warm your heart! 😉
He had become very infirm, incontinent, blind, deaf and senile, due to old age.
He has been a great source of joy for both my son and me, for the last 8.5 years, since we rescued him and his younger brother, from euthanasia. I just realized as I wrote the last sentence, that loving and caring for a pet is another “healing resource” that I need to add to my free: Dr. Liz’ Healing Resources Handbook I offer on my website: a gift for you – sharing what I’ve learned and implemented along my healing journey.
I mention this here, also, because after we said goodbye to Clifford, I received a beautiful poem about a Rainbow:
The Rainbow Bridge
There is a bridge connecting heaven and earth.
It is called The Rainbow 
Just this side of The Rainbow 
When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place.
There is always food and water and warm spring weather.
The old and frail animals are young again.
Those who were sick, hurt or in pain are made whole again.
There is only one thing missing.
They are not with their special person who loved them so much on earth.
So each day they run and play until the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks up.
The noise 
The eyes are staring and this one runs from the group.
You have been seen and when you and your special friend meet,
You take your special friend in your arms and hug them and look once more into the eyes of your best friend and trusting pet.
Then you cross The Rainbow 
_________________________________________________
Next, I attended an amazing music festival over a 4-day weekend in the Ozark Mountains on a tributary of the Arkansas River. I was “wilderness camping”, which means: tent, no electricity, no running water, no cell phone service, no wifi – so, I had a lot of time to reflect and meditate.
I enjoy doing this, as it has been something I’ve been doing with friends (not family) since I was 15 years old. This trip, however, was just me and my other miniature poodle, John Boy.
I used the time to pray, meditate and to work on my 4th Step for Narcotics Anonymous (with a physical book, paper and pen). I was so excited about finishing it – “a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves” – that as soon as I came home, I reached out to my sponsor, life-long, “brother”- friend in recovery to share it with him, and found out some terrible news….he had passed away only a few days before!!
Finding out my sponsor and long-time brother-friend passed away really threw me for a loop! I hadn’t ever realized how much I carry him with me “In the Background” (3rd Eye Blind song), every day. I was typing some memories about him on Facebook and another, old sponsor, sister-friend’s name kept popping up, as if FB wanted me to tag her….I realized this was my Higher Power telling me to give her a call and ask her to finish my 4th step with me…so we did and that was great! This is another healing principle that I use regularly in my life: Being vigilant for my Higher Power’s message and guidance through other people and means!
The next thing that happened was a couple of painful medical problems: for the previous 2 months, almost, I’ve been experiencing some pain in my shoulder and just couldn’t exercise it away. My chiropractor told me at first it was a “degenerative disc” in my cervical vertebrae – which was quite upsetting as it was! So, by the end of the 2nd month (April), I literally could barely lift my arm! And the pain was tremendous. I was quite worried that I would completely lose the use of my L arm! So, I told my chiropractor my fears and why I couldn’t believe it was just now causing pain to only one arm and from an injury (disc degeneration), which took years to get that way. So, he performed another X-ray, this time on my clavicle and where it connects with my shoulder. Then he proceeded to pull, push, and pop all areas of my cervical and brachial spine, mostly. WOW!! my shoulder felt better right away!
However, the very next morning, I woke up and my L wrist was in great pain and was swollen! So, I called and of course, went in. (Mind you, each trip to the chiropractor is 40 mins one way, so this chews up a lot of time and gas!).
He x-rayed my wrist and proceeded to push, pull and pop my hand, wrist and elbow. I went home and literally froze my wrist with ice, because it still hurt pretty bad and the swelling had only gone down about 50%. I went to sleep and woke up and the pain was almost non-existent, the swelling was gone and I had about 80% mobility and strength restored!
The reason I elaborate on this is to give you a testimonial and concrete example of how chiropractic medicine is a “Healing Resource” that I share in my book and in my free “Healing Resources Booklet”, which I offer on my website (www.drlizlifelaunch.com/healingresources). I have not had to use any pain medication of any sort, since before 1988, when I got clean. When I was pregnant and they did a C-section, I only had a spinal block – no narcotics. When I had 2 separate bunion surgeries – a total of 4 toes actually cut open, bones broken and shortened, I only used over-the-counter (OTC) NSAIDs (non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs). I’ve broken my upper R humerus and my L wrist (which required a plate) in the last 5 years – and I don’t believe I’ve used anything but NSAIDs for pain relief.
It CAN be done, people! And my mind, body and spirit remain connected to the “here-and-now”, instead of getting lost in the “ether” (narcotics).
Now, this brings me to the last part of the personal “crazies” of this month – (of course all of the national news took a toll on me as well, but that is not for discussion here on this Blog)!
I started a new consulting job in my clinical profession in mid-March, so March wasn’t so bad….but this month, I have had a great deal of work to do for the new client. So, GOOD NEWS-BAD NEWS: the good news is – I’m gainfully employed and am making more $ the more hours I work. The bad news is – I don’t have as much time to work on….
MY PASSION: using my platform as an Amazon, multi-international, best-selling author, to reach out and connect with others and share my experience, strength and hope that TOGETHER WE CAN:
#1 – Rewake Your Mind – LEARN from yesterday
#2 – Restore Your Body – LIVE for today
#3 – Revive Your Spirit – HOPE for tomorrow
Here’s the excerpt from my new Poetry and Prose Book that I will be launching next month.
Dreams for a Lifetime
Your hug is like the warm rays of the sun
Which envelope me in its stillness.
Your kiss is as soft and sweet as the petals of a rose and its luscious fragrance.
My love, when we walk hand in hand in peaceful contentment through the waters of life;
The blows are but ripples on the sweet pink water,
For you are there to calm them.
And the happy times are more enjoyable when you are there to share them.
I love you deeper than the blueness of the sky at night,
And my love for you is stronger than the pull of gravity,
which keeps my feet on the ground…
For if there was no gravity, I would certainly soar to the stars and moon,
And there forever stay until your face was no longer there to hold me up.
Love, Liz
P.S. – Don’t miss out! Claim your spot on my Book Launch Team by reaching out to me on the contact page of my website and just type: “Add me to your Launch Team!” You will receive a FREE review copy of every new book I publish, the week before I publish it, to review. I hope you will join us!!!
More will be revealed,
Dr. Liz
