I took a big risk and I’m so glad I did!
Risks and choices keep life exciting!
Today I am six months postop from my shoulder surgery. I have been cleared by my surgeon. I am free!
But this is about so much more than my arm.
A lot has changed in the past six months.
I went from going to therapy for almost a year prior to surgery to deciding to have surgery during a pandemic for a variety of reasons.
First of all, we were not sure what would happen to my husband‘s job, and our insurance is through him.
Secondly, we were spending money on therapy to maintain my range of motion and function, so our deductible was met or close to met already. Due to the long-term therapy, my pain was well managed, and really so was my use of my arm, which happened to be my dominant arm.
But the bottom line was, It was not going to get any better without surgical intervention. As a matter of fact, it would continue to get worse, and could potentially have become suddenly much worse, leaving me in pain all the time.
Last but...
The best Christmas gift for you!
Give yourself a gift this Christmas. Love yourself. Accept yourself. Flaws and all.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t things you want to change and improve.
It doesn’t mean you are stuck with certain aspects of your life.
And it's not selfish. As a matter of fact, it's biblical! (see below)
You can love yourself, accept yourself, AND believe you deserve more.
Notice the difference - it's not about not being enough as you are. It's about deserving to be the BEST version of YOU that you can be!
Sometimes we berate ourselves and compare ourselves to others. And you know what? There will always be someone better than you in one area or another of life.
But it’s just as likely that there is some area where you are KILLING IT – and that they are a little envious of you too.
The only one you should be comparing yourself to is YOU. And even then,...
Sometimes you need to be self-centered
When we are surrounded by chaos and uncertainty, it can feel selfish to focus on ourselves, but I believe that’s exactly where we need to start.
I had a question posed to me - if I had a magic wand and could change anything, what would it be? I said that I would be able to focus and prioritize quickly and consistently. And compared to some of the other women’s answers, which were more focused on global or seemingly magical things, my response could have felt self-centered or too small.
But even after further reflection, I wouldn't change my answer. Here's why.
I believe that I have a mission and a purpose for being here on this earth and to live out that purpose I need to be very focused and intentional, which does not come easily for me. But one of the women present during this conversation in our Healing Circle yesterday labeled what I was describing as "causing a ripple in your own pond". Even the smallest stone will cause ripples...
Friends and vulnerability
Lack of connection, insecurity, loneliness .... it's real. Women need women, but sometimes we're not nice. But it can get better.
I recently had an opportunity to spend time with some incredible women. Our lives and experiences are not identical, but they do share common threads. We have:
- made mistakes
- loved big
- been hurt
- lost important people
- been lonely
- felt insecure
- had great achievements
- struggled with weight issues
- battled mental and physical illnesses
- been vulnerable
- loved God and (most of the time now) let ourselves be loved by Him
Those last two? I believe they are the big ones. The ones that really matter, now and for eternity.
Because here’s the thing. Life is tough. We screw up. There are always people better than us at certain things, and there will always be people that want to make us feel “less than”. Don’t let yourself be one of those people.
And if the people you are around most often make...
New Year, New You
Dreams for the New Year
What do you dream about? If nothing comes to mind immediately please, please stop and take a few minutes to think about that. Dreams give us purpose and they can move us forward when we are tired, when we just don’t feel it.
For the past year or so I have been working part-time on building my coaching business, working around my regular nursing jobs, my anti-aging/health and wellness business, and some newer crafty endeavors. Here is a recap of some things that I have discovered throughout my own journey:
· people crave connection
· fear holds a lot of us back
· prioritizing ourselves is rare
· small changes can make a huge impact
Let’s dig into these a little more.
We are “connected” 24/7 via technology, but many people that I talk to report feeling like their real support system is small or nonexistent. I personally love technology in general and social media...
Why I am better than you
Why I am better than you...
I recently turned 44. The funny thing is, I had thought that I was 44 for most of the year that I was 43, so it was a relief to finally be the right age! I’m not sure why I had to stop and think about it, but every time age came up I had to take a moment and do the math. I know some people struggle with getting older, and there is a part of me that wishes I had my 20-something body (and metabolism!) but overall I wouldn’t trade the younger me for the current me. My 40’s have been the best so far, and I fully expect it to keep getting better. I still have a bikini pic from about 15 years ago to encourage me to dream big (or small), but when I look at this younger version of me, I feel bad for her. I am able to tell her “I am better than you”. You see, she really struggled. She always felt like she didn’t measure up, like she was not quite good enough, a little too heavy (she wasn’t), a little too loud, a little/lot...
