There are a lot of motivational and inspirational posts out there. I remember when I was in the midst of my health struggles thinking, that’s great, but I can’t even move right now so how can I make that relevant to my life?!!!! When I was at my lowest either physically or mentally, honestly, reading “how to” posts by a healthy person really pissed me off! Not their fault I know, just the place I was in.
Please know, anything I am about to say is from a place knowing there are health issues bigger than what I lived with. I’m not speaking for all illnesses and conditions here, I speak from my own lived experience, to any similarities you may feel with your own health.
When you are struggling with an illness, health issue, diagnosis or a label given to you, it’s all consuming. As you navigate your way, to seek answers and cures and look for hope, it’s so easy to become your “label” and forget who you are.
When I was initially diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia many years ago, I fell into the trap of it defining me. I became my “dis-ease”! I equally rallied to get rid of it and surrendered to living with it, knowing I had no idea if or when it would end.
What I found important and it might help you too is, remember who YOU are first and foremost. You may have a condition but it does not define you. You are not your illness or disease. You are still you.
After allowing myself to feel all I felt with the struggles of it, I chose a mindset of; being as well as I could based on the day; looked for what I was grateful for; what filled my tank with happiness; a tweak here n there to make positive changes 🙌 and then let go and did my best in that moment.
It’s a tough slog, and you’re not always gonna manage it and that’s ok too! I know it’s not easy to focus on joy and vibrancy when you’re in the midst of health struggles, honestly it sucks to feel so unwell and it’s hard to think of anything else!
Loving and accepting yourself as you are right now today, will add to improving your health in your mind and soul, and your body will feel it too. Step by step, moment by moment, you’ve got this.
Honour your strength, your courage, your vulnerability, your heart. And remember:
You are braver than you believe
Stronger thank you seem
Smarter than you think
And Loved more than you’ll ever know
