As we’ve all experienced recently, life is full of unexpected challenges. And most of us at some point in time will experience a genuine crisis, be it related to health, finances, relationships or that dreaded dark night of the soul. A mindfulness practice can certainly help us in these situations on multiple levels. First, by being self-aware, we can at least recognize what we’re doing and make adjustments along the way. Second, mindfulness can help us see the bigger picture, allowing us to put a little space between ourselves and the crisis. And third, many mindfulness practices can help us calm our systems down, allowing for more clarity even in the midst of a crisis, providing us with the opportunity to make better decisions as we navigate through the experience.
Crises come in all sizes, big and small. When it’s a major crisis, such as Miguel Sancho and his family experienced, it can be a tough ride, even with mindfulness. Miguel’s new book, More Than You Can Handle, chronicles his journey through his son’s rare and deadly immune deficiency, CGD, and the five- year battle to keep him alive. Traversing cutting edge science, religious faith, alternative medicine and marital challenges, the Sancho’s struggled through what appeared to be insurmountable problems, but in the end, their son’s treatment was successful.
Miguel is an Emmy-winning journalist and television producer. With more than two decades of producing national television news broadcasts, most recently as senior producer of 20/20 on ABC. He is currently executive producer of non-scripted television documentaries and series at A&E and his most recent project, The Proof is Out There, premiered on the History Channel in January 2020. After years of investigative reporting, he turned the spotlight from others to himself, telling the compelling story of his family’s journey.
Thanks again to Miguel Sancho for sharing his daunting experience. You can find a link to his book, More Than You Can Handle, A Rare Disease, A Family Crisis, and the Cutting Edge Medicine that Cured the Incurable on our website.
I think most of us wait to change until we experience a major crisis, hit rock bottom or have no other choice. That means we’re needlessly suffering and much of it by our own doing. We get distracted with so many unimportant things in life, trivial disagreements, minor disappointments and things that are just plain out of our control. But we don’t have to wait until the suffering is immense before we shift our perspective and build our resilience through mindfulness. We can start anytime, even right now.
Until next time. We can live better lives and create a better world. All it takes to get started is a mindful moment.