Real Pain, Real Peace

Real Pain, Real Peace A Journey from Pain to Peace

Jillian Lambert   Contents Real Pain - Section 1: Demolition Chapter 1 Bugs Coming Out of My Skin! A Dream Money Fear Chapter 2 Bare Necessities Poor Man’s Diet Spammin’ It Humility Chapter 3 Exchanging Dreams Prostitution? Or Fair Trade? Chapter 4 Physical Chaos Mental Chaos Power of Fear Home Sweet Fear Jamaica Mon’ ‘Looking Good’ Chapter 5 I Want to Go Home Blessings in Disguise Acceptance Being Alone Little Miss Independent Chapter 6 Feeling Like a Freak Acid Bath Chapter 7 Breakdown Fill in the Blank Syndrome Chapter 8 Letting Go Reprioritizing Values Hang on to the Light Chapter 9 The Attachment Healing Serenity The Magic of Nature Chapter 10 Judgment Chapter 11 Homeless Success Connection Chapter 12 Surf’s Up! Coyote Calling The Sacred Tent Chapter 13 Feeling Safe Feeling Different Self-Acceptance Getting Grounded Chapter 14 Closing on a Dream The Last Night Chapter 15 Losing Your Best Friend Real Peace - Section 2: Cleanup Chapter 16 Getting the Boot? Moment to Moment Relapse Everybody Needs Somebody Sometime Chapter 17 Payback is Heaven Where to Next? Section 3: Reconstruction Chapter 18 Freedom Gypsy Jillian Body Signals Hit the Beach Running Self Value Chapter 19 Time To Go Dreamer vs. Do-er Go For it! Out of Your Head, Into Your Heart Compassion Chapter 20 ‘Rock Bottom’ Moment Judgment Road Mirror, Mirror on the Wall Chapter 21 A Place to Land Light, Happy and Free Tiki Island External Voices Sands of Silence Chapter 22 Finding Peace Saying Good-bye We Are All One Chapter 23 It’s A Calling Chapter 24 Living in the New Chapter 25 Bless and Prosper One Another What’s It Feel Like? Beach Release Sand Angels High as a Kite In the Moment Chapter 26 Manifestation Creating a New Life Beach Bum Biker Chapter 27 Rivoting Relapse Symptom City Four Letter Word Self-Care Chapter28 Tears of Joy Chapter 29 A Simple Life The Joy Factor Selfish? Or Self-Full? Embracing Gratitude Chapter 30 Snuggle Close A Journey from Pain to Peace How Can You Know This, if You Don’t Know That? Real Peace  Real Pain, Real Peace is dedicated to those in pain, searching for peace. Real Pain, Real Peace is also written in gratitude to the one and only Prince of Peace.

Introduction

Life is full of pain. Pain is defined as physical suffering or discomfort caused by illness or injury. Is pain associated with only the physical? Is it caused only by illness or injury? What about the pain of a broken heart? Financial ruin? Or the loss of a loved one? There is the mental pain of fearful thoughts or, at the extreme, mental illness. There is the emotional pain of a breakup. There is the financial pain of losing all you have. There is pain of professional failure. There is social pain of not being accepted. What about the pain of humiliation? Or the loss of a best friend? Last but not least, there is spiritual pain, the absence of God, being totally and completely alone. We’ve all experienced pain. Pain can take many forms: physical, mental, emotional, financial, professional, social, and spiritual. One pain is not more painful than another, just different. Mental or emotional pain can be just as tortuous as physical pain. When it comes down to it, pain is pain. All pain hurts. Although we may not see it while experiencing it, pain can be our friend. Pain is a great teacher and motivator. Pain teaches us to change our ways and motivates us to do things we wouldn’t normally do. Pain helps us change for the better. Pain helps us grow. Pain also helps us see ourselves. Pain opens our eyes. Pain brings old behaviors to a halt and helps initiate new behaviors. The one thing I think we can agree on is how much we appreciate peace after experiencing pain. Peace means “freedom from disturbance, quiet and tranquility. There is peace and quiet in the physical sense, but there is also peace of mind, a peaceful heart, and a peaceful soul. When people share something in common, they connect. When a painful experience is shared, the connection deepens. One thing that makes pain more painful is going through it alone. For those of you in pain, I share my deeply personal journey to let you know you are not alone. My life has consisted of both pain and peace. Real Pain, Real Peace is about painful life challenges and finding peace. The following true story consists of personal experiences that most people would not reveal to the public. I share this journey as a message of spirit, as I believe we are all one. When one feels pain, we all feel pain. When one feels peace, we all feel peace. May your pain be healed. May you feel real peace.  Chapter 1 Bugs Coming Out of My Skin Bugs coming out of the pores of my skin. Pinprick sensations, as if something were biting me. Crawling sensations throughout my body. Sores that heal slowly. Coarse, black-pepper particles, off-white plastic pieces, plant particles, and little black fibers, all coming out of my skin. What was going on with my body? I was fifty years old and one of the healthiest people I knew. I had practiced fitness, holistic nutrition, and wellness for twenty-five years. Like most people, I did not always practice perfect health every day of my life, but I have been pretty disciplined for the most part. So why was my body freaking out? Stress. Stress can manifest from so many different things. Chronic stress can be dangerous if experienced long term. What is stress? Fear. I’ve been told the letters stand for False Evidence Appearing Real. Or is it? What is real? If something is not real, then is it imagined? I had experienced stress in many forms over the years, but nothing like this. A Dream It started with a dream. Passion, risk, courage, and a dream…