‘Why?’ Series: Awoken

By Paul Garcia

Now, you might be wondering why I titled it ‘Awoken?’ Let’s dive straight into this.  Here is my journey.

In August 2013 I was bitten by a tick and I contracted Lyme Disease.  I was healthy, strong, and an unstoppable machine in my mind. That all changed. For the first time in my life I was sick beyond belief. Lost 25 lbs in a few days, with my nerves on fire. Not to mention I simultaneously contracted mono. It would take five months to regain some control and i thought I was cured.

Fast forward one year to 2014: weight gain, nerve damage, and brain issues related to Lyme. This time i knew it was affecting my mind. From mood changes to memory loss…this wasn’t good.

I.
Wasn’t.
Good.

I knew i needed help and I needed a change.

My journey to recovery began when I was introduced to my health and wellness coach, Erin Belle Sinard, who runs Whats Up Wellness. I was referred by my ex-wife. I couldn’t be more thankful for that introduction. With Erin’s guidance and her advice, I slowly healed my body. I went from 265 lbs to 219 lbs in one year. I also healed the nerve damage in my knees.

Most importantly, my brain fog disappeared. 2014 to 2015 was about getting back to a semblance of “normal.”

Starting in late 2015 and through the beginning of 2016, I felt i needed a change and i needed to heal my body completely. I dove into scientific studies, debates, exercises, youtube, and everything i could get my hands on. I decided to give Veganisim a try, due to my desire to permanently heal my nerve damage.

Halfway through January 2016 I started to make the transition. It was amazing. It healed the nerve damage in my elbows and I actually felt better than I ever had. It took some trial and error and I experienced several setbacks along the way; I’ve had to change and modify my food intake several times.

Through my journey with Veganism and healing my body, I awoke, while accomplishing my fitness and strength goals for the year. The real change…the real healing…happened inside. In 2016, I went through a change internally and awoke my inner self.

Through my thirst for knowledge and learning.
The self-help I had to drive myself to change.

It’s that inner strength that we hide…the inner self we push back…and the inner self that makes us who we are. There are others who have had it worse than I, and journeys that are similar, while others are quite different.

I want to make a change.

I want people to see that inner beauty, wonder, and the strength they possess.

That the belief systems they adopt hinder them; they need to let themselves shine.

YOU have this inner strength to accomplish what you want.

I’ll conclude with one of my favorite quotes:
[blockquote_with_author author=”Lao Tzu”]“Mastering others gives you Strength, Mastering Oneself makes you fearless.” [/blockquote_with_author]

 

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