Dear Joshua,

I’ve recently recovered from anorexia and substance abuse, and have used the law of attraction to manifest so many more amazing things in my life. It’s astounding how much my life has been healed with good vibes!

Except for one thing.

I’ve had awful health issues ever since recovering, namely digestive symptoms that cause me pain every second of every day. I ignored them for a year, convinced they would go away – but nope. No doctors, nutritionists, or natural healers have been able to help. I’ve had to quit my singing career and day job because the symptoms are too debilitating. I spend my days in bed, and am desperate to finally get to do all the things a normal twentysomething does! I’m really lost, and have one big question: Could this be something I’m meant to suffer? Or should I only be focusing on health, and have unwavering faith that I will be healthy again some day?

Here’s the thing: being ill has made me grow spiritually so, so much. That’s why part of me wonders if it was meant to happen.

But I feel like I’ve learned what I needed to, and I can’t take any more of the suffering, not after so many years of addiction and mental illness. I feel like I’m weak already from the big battle I had to fight. I’m in such need of inspiration!

Thank you,
Tammy

Dear Tammy,

Another word for spiritual growth is expansion. All life experience causes expansion. However, expansion is meant to be joyous.

You do not need to gain spiritual growth through pain. While pain may indeed lead to spiritual gain, pain is never necessary. Pain is a side effect of your feelings which have manifested in your reality.

Anorexia is the attempt to alter the physical condition of your body. You do not like your body so you try to change it. Changing the conditions leads to pain. Loving the conditions as they are and purposely feeling for what you desire leads to changes that occur using the leverage of universal forces. Fighting against what is and taking uninspired action to change your conditions causes pain.

Drugs are used to alter your feelings. You feel bad and the drug causes you to feel differently. Now that the drugs are gone, your bad feelings have manifested into pain. Pain is the physical representation of how you have been chronically feeling for a long time.

Your life has unfolded perfectly to bring you where you are at this moment in time. You are now open to new possibilities and the Law of Attraction has brought you to the brink of a new possibility. You have found interest in spiritual growth and this interest is leading you to learning about universal forces and the mechanism of physical reality. You are meeting people who understand that there is more to this reality than meets the eye. You have arrived at the beginning of a new path.

Nothing that has happened in your past need affect your future. The fact that you are here now is what you might appreciate. This is a feeling reality. How you feel is the only thing that really matters. You have control over how you feel as long as you practice and exercise your mind. You can choose the thoughts you think. You can choose to look at things you like and feel appreciation. You can expect to feel good. You are supposed to feel good. Start right now demanding to feel good and do not allow yourself to dwell on thoughts that feel bad.

You intended to grow spiritually in this lifetime, but you intended to do so joyously. You are as worthy as any who has ever lived. You are unique to all the universe and this fact proves your worthiness. You have been given free will and can do, be, and have anything you want. You can choose to feel good or bad. Your reality is simply the reflection of your predominance of thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. You choose all of these. You have power to change them all. Decide now to feel good and make this your only work.

You are loved more than you can imagine,
Joshua