A Fundamental Mindset Shift I Had to Embody for Healing

Chronic Illness Often Brings Hopelessness

If you’ve been feeling stuck in your healing process, wondering why nothing seems to work while others appear to recover, I see you.

I understand your frustration and the heavy burden of hopelessness because I’ve been there too.

For decades, I felt trapped in a cycle of trying "everything" and getting nowhere.

I deeply empathize with my fellow wellness practitioners in the audience who are navigating the challenge of balancing their healing practices while embarking on an entrepreneurial journey in the wellness industry.

This is a significant endeavor, and often, it’s much easier to assist others in their healing than to focus on our own.

Here’s a snapshot of my story, and perhaps a glimmer of hope that can inspire your own path.

The Downward Spiral

My descent into severe ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) began at age 26.

I was newly married, building my career as a high school teacher, soccer coach, and at-risk counselor.

At first, I was “high-functioning sick” with bouts of severe crashes—pushing through fatigue and illness—but year by year, my health deteriorated.

Eventually, I burned through every ounce of energy and options available under conventional and holistic medicine (that I found to this point).

The diagnoses piled up, adding to the fear and overwhelm.

ME/CFS, chronic Lyme disease, POTS, and mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), to name just a few.

To make matters worse, I discovered a large parasitic cyst in my liver that required invasive surgery.

While the surgery solved some issues, it left me even more depleted.

I saw countless specialists, tried endless treatments, and invested hundreds of thousands of dollars seeking answers.

Instead, I ended up burned out, bedridden most of the day, and utterly defeated.

My body was broken, my spirit crushed, and my hope nearly extinguished.

The Turning Point

At my lowest point, I faced a choice I never imagined having to make: leave my teaching career and focus entirely on my
survival and healing.

It was during this time that I had my BIG breakthrough realization:

No one else or outside method could heal me but myself.

Practitioners, programs, and protocols could only support me on my path.

The responsibility to remove obstacles and create an environment for healing rested with me.

I stopped chasing the magic “fix” and shifted my focus.

Rebuilding Through Discovery

What followed was a painstaking exploration into the root causes of illness.

I discovered hidden factors that had gone unnoticed for years:

✅ Toxic black mold in my home

✅ Chronically infected root canals poisoning my system that conventional dentistry had missed

✅ Severe gut dysbiosis and intestinal permeability worsened by food poisoning and C.diff infections

✅ Biomechanical issues such as upper cervical instability and myofascial dysfunction (from armoring against life for so long)

✅ Unresolved trauma (that I had been blind to up till now)

Addressing these underlying causes while managing ME/CFS symptoms became my new "full-time job.”

But even as I cleared medical hurdles, I still wasn’t healing in the way I’d hoped.

That’s when I discovered the potential of brain retraining and nervous system regulation.

The Role of Mindset and Brain Retraining

I immersed myself in programs like Gupta, DNRS, and ANS Rewire.

While they provided me with fantastic knowledge and valuable tools, none were my ultimate solution.

However, I found ANS Rewire to be the most helpful and soothing.

It was a tough pill to swallow, but I had to accept that no single program or approach would be my saving grace.

Instead, I decided to build my own path, combining what resonated from brain retraining, functional health and lifestyle medicine, transformational psychology, psychoneuroimmunology, trauma healing, and more.

Most importantly, I completely shifted my mindset.

👉 I stopped focusing on recovery and instead started focusing on building wellness.

👉 I created a vision of the vibrant, healthy person
I wanted to become and made daily choices aligned with that vision.

👉 I detached from specific outcomes and embraced the process, trusting that my body, mind, and spirit would heal once I provided the right tools and environment.

Living My Vision

Healing wasn’t linear or quick, and it was filled with setbacks.

But small changes began to add up by implementing this holistic, proactive approach.

Day by day, step by step, my body and mind started to recalibrate.

Now, I'm not without some challenges if I push beyond my capacity (which I have a tendency to do), and I'm still working on healing some nerve damage in my gut, but I live a full and vibrant life.

Here’s what that looks like today:

🙌 I wake up each morning by 7 a.m. after a restful sleep.
🙌 I'm active from sunrise to sunset with work and life tasks.
🙌 I exercise and meditate daily to nurture my mind and body.
🙌 I cook 2 nutrient-dense meals for myself and my husband.
🙌 I've built and now manage a thriving entrepreneurial business that aligns with my purpose and values.

Most importantly, I feel free.

Free from the constant cycle of grasping for recovery, free from the feeling that my circumstances dictate my life, and free to focus on wellness and joy.

Key Takeaways for Your Healing Journey

If my story resonates with you, here are some lessons I’ve learned that might help guide your healing process:

1. You can’t untangle a knot by pulling harder. Healing often requires a gentler, more intuitive approach instead of desperately trying to find the “fix.”

2. The capacity to heal is within you. While external supports matter, the true power comes from within. Trust yourself.

3. Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all or linear. It’s a deeply personal, often unpredictable trial, error, and growth process.

4. Remove interference, and healing follows. Whether it’s toxins, stress, or unhelpful patterns, identifying and addressing what’s holding your body back makes space for healing.

5. Detach from outcomes. Putting all your hope and energy into the “next big thing” can leave you feeling defeated. Focus instead on building daily habits and practices that nurture wellness.

6. Whether at the beginning of your healing marathon or somewhere in the messy middle, focus on building wellness by taking small, purposeful steps.

Your body, mind, and spirit are far more capable than you may believe.

You’ve got this.

P.S. This is my sidekick, Tader -- he's a jack-russell, rat-terrier mix, and owns me.

First published on May 12th, 2025. We update accordingly as new information and insights emerge.