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Alchemy presents the beautiful image of transforming lead into gold, suffering into beauty. Alchemists sought "The Pearl of Great Price." The pearl starts as a grain of sand, an irritant inside the oyster's shell. The oyster deals with its pain, by covering the grain of sand with a luster, and continuing to do so, day in and day out, until the grain of sand becomes a pearl. The oyster transforms its suffering into a beautiful jewel.
So it is with our symptoms. Our pains and our struggles may be the seeds of our greatest treasure. These seeds may blossom into healing beyond our wildest dreams. We must befriend our symptoms and our circumstances. They are not the enemy. Our problems are a gift from God. They are here to help us and to teach us. I never treat symptoms. I only treat people.
When I was in ninth grade I wrote a career booklet on Physical Therapy. I called it "Coward Take my Coward's Hand." I wanted to be a physical therapist because I had been inspired by the book called, It's Good to be Alive by Roy Campanella. Mr. Campanella was the catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1958 a tragic automobile accident left him paralyzed. He spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair. I never knew Mr. Campanella personally, but I knew him in my heart. He was a giant to me. His story and his positive attitude toward life moved my soul. He was my hero. I wanted so desperately to help him. I have spent my life in my own quiet way trying to help the Roy Campanellas in my life.
As a teenager I was also moved by The Diary of Anne Frank. I remember most her belief that people really were "still good at heart" even if they did evil things. Both Roy Campanella and Anne Frank found a way to rise above their circumstances. They both found their "Pearl of Great Price."
Is your pain the seed of your pearl? Is that thorn in your side a friend, not a foe? Is the illness that's troubling you really a blessing in disguise? How can you transform the very thing that's at the heart of your suffering into a beautiful jewel? Only you know the answer to this question. If your life were a book, what would the title be? What chapter are you on right now? Remember, only you can write the next chapter.
What did you come here to do? What is missing in your life? Can you do anything about it? If you could wave a magic wand, how would you use it? This book is meant to inspire you to greater heights and challenge your greatest fears.
This book is my personal invitation to get to know who you really are, to accept yourself, to fall in love with life again, and to experience the alchemy of turning your suffering into gold.
If I could wave a magic wand right now, I'd wish for you a miracle...
Amber Rose
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