My journey with meditation had a lot of false starts and it was definitely a skill that once I started with the right intentions and reasons, I haven’t stopped and it has become the most valuable practice in my life. Read more about my meditation journey here:
Category: Change
Musings & Meditations – January 7 2021
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.” – T. S. Eliot
The Daily Project That Sustained Me During My Most Difficult Year
I started the year with ideas and dreams for a project – but the year had other plans for me and my project.
A Healthier Way to Review The Year
It’s pretty hard to look back on a disappointing year, when nothing went your way and felt like a struggle to get through. From my experience from many tough years, here are a few things to keep in mind when reviewing the year.
Musings & Meditations – December 24 2020
The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances. – Martha Washington
Book Therapy – Notes On A Nervous Planet
Matt Haig is a brilliant writer and human being who is constantly investigating and questioning the effect of modern life on our mental health. He is a huge advocate for mental health wellness, and has shared his experiences through his multiple fiction works and his non-fiction books.
Musings & Meditations – December 3 2020
When I Am Among the Trees When I am among the trees, especially the willows and the honey locust, equally the beech, the oaks and the pines, they give off such hints of gladness. I would almost say that they save me, and daily. I am so distant from the hope of myself, in which…
Musings & Meditations – November 26 2020
This is the power of gathering: it inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful: in a word, more alive. – Alice Waters
Musings & Meditations – November 19 2020
Look on each day that comes as a challenge, as a test of courage. The pain will come in waves, some days worse than others, for no apparent reason. Accept the pain. Little by little, you will find new strength, new vision, born of the very pain and loneliness which seem, at first, impossible to…
Maybe She’s Born With It
So often we can fall into the trap of assuming that someone is naturally gifted with skills, habits and traits. But what if they weren’t born like that and worked hard to be that person?
The Danger of Setting Completion Dates For Things We Can’t Control
I have learnt that time and expectations are two very dangerous things to try to predict and manage. Now we are all learning that with COVID-19 too.
Reading Gives Us Someplace To Go When We Have To Stay Where We Are
When life gets too much we can retreat into familiar places and stories that give us comfort, and which feel better than the place that we are currently living in. Escaping into a book is the perfect balm for a tired soul in need of rest from yourself, your life and the world.
Managing Both A Chronic Condition & An External Crisis
Being in pain or managing a chronic condition while also having an external crisis play out in front of you, can really add to the stress and therefore the symptoms that you manage. From my own experiences, here are my suggestions for managing both a chronic condition and an external crisis.
Musings & Meditations – October 15 2020
The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis’. One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger – but recognise the opportunity. – John F. Kennedy
The Chronic Condition Emergency Plan
We never know when something could go wrong or we need additional help, and the best way to manage this is to be prepared and have a plan. Here are my tips to cover all bases!
Musings & Meditations – October 8, 2020
In order to love who you are, you cannot hate the experiences that shaped you. – Andrea Dykstra
Sharing Your Story With The Right People At The Right Time
Knowing who and when to share your story with takes skill and awareness, and can be incredibly supportive and rewarding.
Progress Is Not Linear
Once we have taken care of the immediate issues, diving into medical investigations can make it hard to work out if you are making progress.
Welcome To… The Unexpected
How do we navigate it?
How do we understand it?
How do we explain it?
How do we accept it?
How Someone Looks May Not Be How They Feel
We all just want to be seen and heard for how we really are.
Clothes Can Change Your Mindset
Clothes help us to transition into different states of being and doing, and can transform your mindset and mood in an instant.
My Biggest Game Changer: A Health Diary
One of the most transformative things that I have implemented in my medical journey was to start a daily diary.
Taking Care of Yourself First
As the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup.
Uncertainty & Being Uncomfortable
Hey Readers,
If you have ever experienced a crisis, a medical condition, a major change or been impacted by the current COVID-19 situation, you may probably have noticed the secondary effect of a level of uncertainty and discomfort. I wish I could wave a magic wand and help it disappear for you. Instead I have hard truths and some hard work to practice, which is well worth the effort for your mental and emotional well-being and for those around you.
Everything is Temporary
Take heart, you will be ok.
When the Minority Becomes the Majority
We are all going through a time of big change.
Intentions & The Unknown
Hello Readers,
I have wanted to support the chronic medical conditions community for some time and highlight the accomplishments and challenges that come with managing chronic conditions and the lifestyle that usually comes with a new normal.