It’s Tuesday morning and the sun is shining. Life is so much sweeter when those rays hit the garden. I can become lost in mindfulness outside the confines of the house and escape from my fears, as well as all my To-do’s for the day. I can reframe my day with internal mantras (stolen off @YogaWithAdriene, my motivating Youtube companion – thank you kind stranger!): #IAmCalm, #IAmDeserving #IAmCapable. Personally, I’ve found these mantras work really well. Derren Brown would be proud that I’m using the insane yet awesome power of my mind to achieve a different mindset. My newest idea is to invest in some very warm outdoor gear so that I can continue my yoga and meditation outside the house even when the weather is icky, away from distractions and activities that nag my brain 24-7.
Today I am doing a freeflow blog post. I’m not even going to edit it. My heart just pushed very slightly out of my chest as I wrote that last sentence because it’s against every bone in my body…but I made a promise that I’d just write, so write I shall.
There were a few things that inspired me today to just, well, get on with it. I’ve been off social media for about 2 months now due to declining health – potentially not MS-related – and so I’ve been, to be honest, totally enveloped in that. Plus my exhaustion has taken on a new level. Quite rightly, I’ve been prioritising rest and, when I get some amps from my battered and bruised battery, ensuring that I do something truly enjoyable and connecting with ‘the outside’ when I can.
But I am now in the safe hands of a Doc I trust, so I can, finally, let go. I have someone who has my back. I didn’t fully appreciate how all-consuming it was not having a person dedicated to finding out what is wrong. I felt that the responsibility fell to me. Hopefully the search for a partner in my healthcare management is over. Only time will tell.
I re-entered the world of social media yesterday evening. I deleted the Facebook and Twitter apps from my phone a while ago to ensure I only engaged in these if I had specifically carved out time for them. In other words, I would only engage if my energy allowed. It’s been working wonders, and to be honest made it all the more exciting when I did re-engage, with the time, calmness and energy to enjoy the ride.
First inspiration: my Twitter friend SMartChoice. I love her musings on her blog, navigating the plethora of emotions that we move through every day. I love her honesty and openness about striving to improve her thought patterns as well as her health, exploring the ups and the downs. And I love her thirst for knowledge. She makes me think and explore my own inner self.
She recently signed up to a 30 day Vlog challenge #SSSVEDA to improve her skillset, and it got me thinking “hey, I’ve let this slip! What happened to toning down the perfection monkey in my brain? What happened to trying to add a little satisficing?” and then some kinder thoughts (because nasty thoughts are not part of the Plan to self-improve!) “this is brilliant, it has reminded me and inspired me to just do it (Nike style?).
Second inspiration: at my last Tysabri infusion with my regular chum, we met a wonderful family. Noor was mid-way through her Lemtrada treatment, cushioned by her loving mum and sister, who were plying her with freshly-made herbal teas and creating beautiful henna pieces on her hands and feet. It became a coffee-morning with a side of MS treatment, and as always goes when you are surrounded by great company, the time flew past. Turns out Noor is also a blogger and has the same drive of empowering people, being an active participant in your own health management, and prioritising your wellness, with self-kindness. She implements meditation and mindfulness daily, which she shares through her instagram account. It’s beautiful and has helped me to commit to daily practice with a stronger resolve.
There’s something about knowing someone else is committed to the same thing you are. I find that sharing experiences and seeing from another’s perspective makes the process easier, more enjoyable and fascinating. I love to experience other’s thoughts on the same practices, it means I’m constantly learning and widening my perspective. SmartChoice’s journaling blog pieces she created whilst on a 30 day online Yoga Camp inspired me to think in new ways, or to revisit experiences from a different angle. All great fodder for my own journal.
Who are the people that inspire you, or introduce you to a new perspective on things? Have you told them the difference they make to your life? Are there any new habits or activities that you’d like to try? Have you thought about connecting with others and what that might add to your motivation or experience of these?
Moor’s blog is called http://msfistfight.blogspot.co.uk/ and she is currently blogging about her experience of choosing and taking Lemtrada treatment. You can find her beautiful meditation and mindfulness image journal on https://www.instagram.com/trail.of.light/
As always, if you’d like to be notified when a new blog post becomes available on manylemons.com, pop your email address into the box at the bottom of this page and click ‘Notify Me’.
As always Mel your writing inspires and encourages me. Hope to see you soon