Finding happiness while living with chronic illness

Finding happiness while living with chronic illness

Author: SGI-USA March 19, 2021 Duration: 35:59

On this episode, we discuss living with chronic health challenges, be it physical or mental health. Jenny Ohrstrom, who has been seeking treatment for Lyme disease for nearly 8 years, shares her story of learning how to find happiness despite living with painful, unpredictable symptoms.


While everyone's experience with illness is different, for chronic illness, the battle is as much about managing the symptoms and seeking treatment as it about finding a way to value your life on daily basis, especially when you feel no hope. 


Key takeaway: Tapping into Buddhability can simply mean tapping into real, deep, courageous happiness, in the face of pain. Unlike positivity, sustainable happiness comes from cultivating a life state that enables us to never give up or give in to hopelessness.

CHEAT SHEET


1:38 Introduction to Jenny and her Buddhist practice

4:28 How she found out she had Lyme

14:40 Why it was so bad

17:07 How chanting helped her navigate the journey

23:32 What the doctors told her

24:38 How she defines recovery

27:18 What happiness means on a daily basis

33:02 Advice for anyone feeling defeated by chronic or long-term illness


It’s easy to lose sight of our own strength when life gets complicated, but what if that inherent clarity and capability never actually left? Buddhability explores that very idea through the lived experiences of everyday people. Host Cassidy Bradford guides genuine conversations with a community of practicing Buddhists from SGI-USA, who share how they navigate real-world challenges. You’ll hear personal stories that touch on everything from mental resilience and physical well-being to navigating career shifts and personal relationships. This isn’t about abstract theory; it’s a practical look at applying Buddhist principles to uncover a more confident and compassionate way of living. Each episode of the podcast feels like a thoughtful dialogue, focusing on how to reconnect with that inner resourcefulness-your Buddhability-amidst the stress and clutter of modern life. The discussions are grounded in the belief that enlightenment isn’t a distant goal, but a potential we can all access right now to improve our own lives and positively impact the world around us. Tune in for honest reflections and discover how this perspective can transform the ordinary into something extraordinary.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 244

Buddhability
Podcast Episodes
Tips & Insights: Approaching the new year one day at a time [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:02
“Tips & Insights” is a miniseries in which we’ll introduce one Buddhist concept each month and how it can be applied to your life.Today’s is: winning in the present.References:True Cause: The Spirit of Always Moving Forw…
Healing family rifts when you don’t share beliefs [October 2021] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:30
Today we’re talking about family and what to do if you just can’t reconcile differences with them.Our guests are sisters Lauren and Molly Leebove from Michigan, whose intertwined stories of beginning their Buddhist pract…
Transforming my family through my own agency [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:49
Today we're addressing how Buddhism can help us tackle family dynamics. Our guest is Brian Angulo, of New York, who shares how, in just a few years, his Buddhist practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo enabled him to tr…
Navigating Career Setbacks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:16
Today we’re talking about navigating job challenges, an aspect of life that be universal difficult, whether you are facing job loss, trying to find a job, navigating a tough industry or having a hard time believing in yo…
Tips & Insights: Human Revolution [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:13
“Tips & Insights” is a miniseries in which we’ll introduce one Buddhist concept each month and how it can be applied to your life.Today’s is: human revolution.References:Human RevolutionWhat Does Human Revolution Look Li…
How To Do It All, With Dr. Gitima Sharma [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:18
Today we’re talking about how to do it all when you have a full plate. Whether you are an overwhelmed parent or caregiver aspiring to build a career you love, or lacking the support you wish you had to care for yourself…
On Buddhism and Appreciation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:54
Today we're talking about appreciation, which is central to Buddhism in so many ways and yet, easier to talk about than truly practice, especially when it comes to the tougher circumstances in our lives. Our guest is Dor…
Overcoming the need for approval [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:34
Today we're talking about how to stop seeking the approval of other people, which, on the one hand, is a normal human desire, and on the other, can cause us the deepest suffering when we don't receive it. It can be espec…
Tips & Insights: Earthly Desires are Enlightenment [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:30
“Tips & Insights” is a miniseries in which we’ll introduce one Buddhist concept each month and how it can be applied to your life.Today’s is: earthly desires are enlightenment.References:The Wisdom for Creating Happiness…
How I Found My Purpose: Nuclear Abolition Edition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:05
Today we're talking about unlocking our own agency when it comes to peace-building efforts and protecting our planet. Our guest is Emma Pike, of Boston, who is an activist in the field of nuclear abolition, an issue that…