Dear Patient,
“I wish I had tried this sooner.”
I hear that line a lot. Acupuncture is often the last resort of the desperate. People try it only after nothing else has worked.
The same can be said for a lot of things in life, especially things that we suspect will help us in some way, but they require effort, or they’re intimidating, or we’re just fearful for some reason. We’re not always ready to take that scary first step into the unknown. And we’re not always ready to receive the benefits either.
I started taking ballet in my 40’s. Sometimes I wish I had started sooner—I’d probably have better turnout, or stronger ankles, or I might not get so dizzy doing turns. But I wasn’t ready for ballet when I was younger—the discipline it requires, the stamina and focus it builds. I didn’t need ballet then like I need it now.
It’s the same with any form of self-care—you have to be ready for it, you have to need it to fully appreciate it. Otherwise you’re just going through the motions, and it’s easy to quit. But when you get to that point of desperation, when you’re ready to try anything, like let someone stick a bunch of needles in you, that’s when self-care becomes something more like survival. That’s when it becomes self-love.
So don’t waste too much time wishing you had done something sooner. You weren’t ready. Just be glad you’re doing it now.
Love and gratitude,
Your Acupuncturist