Towards emotional clarity (while eating cake!)

There are things you can’t control and there are some things you can. The art of coming to terms with Parkinson’s is to choose the ones within your grasp and leaving those beyond your reach. Image a two-layer chocolate cake but only one layer is edible. If you cut a piece of cake and eat both layers at once you will confuse what is and is not controllable and end up spitting out both; you control nothing by trying to control everything. You must carefully separate the layers.

When I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, an arctic wind blew in and frosted up the windows from which I view the world. I have made some progress in defrosting those windows by recognising which layer of chocolate cake to eat; I can’t eat the Parkinson’s layer (my symptoms will decline of their own accord) but I am nourished by the ability to choose my reaction to Parkinson’s. This is the basic ingredient that makes the cake edible. I’ve also added other ingredients to add flavour to the cake: an openness and willingness to challenge entrenched negative perceptions; recognising the possibility of choosing an alternative thought, emotion or behaviour and not being led by the nose by the negative; making that helpful choice. This is empowerment in the face of infectious disempowerment and the road towards emotional clarity.