Julie Genovese was born with degenerative arthritis and spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, commonly referred to as dwarfism. In her book, Nothing Short of Joy, she describes a childhood filled with humiliation and heartache, causing her to constantly feel “not good enough.” She describes how the messages she heard during her early years, including from bullies and some friends caused her to believe she would never find happiness. Yet her personal pain enabled her to find meaning and appreciate her gifts despite her physical handicaps. Although many would consider her situation tragic, she believes there is “such richness in the way life asks you to be more than what we are.”
After her difficult childhood, she became increasingly frustrated with the traditional medical system, who labeled her as “disabled and deformed”, including at a Center for Birth Defects, a place with a name that became part of the negative self talk she would tell herself. Over time, she has learned to become an advocate for herself and find her own deeper truth within herself. She shares some of the holistic techniques she used to help “heal” herself for a condition from which she will never be “cured.” For example, her ability to creatively express herself through art and writing was tremendously helpful in her healing journey, even after she lost the use of her right arm in her early 30s.
Visualization was also a key part of healing her spirit. She discovered she was able to “go within” and use her imagination to visualize herself engaging in various activities after several surgeries. She shares a wonderful story that demonstrates how visualization helps her in everyday life. Gratitude, affirmations and examining her beliefs are other practices that help her cope and enable her to live as fully as possible. For more information please visit http://www.nothingshortofjoy.com/get-an-autographed-copy-of-nothing-short-of-joy/