Vlog: Sitting On Symptoms

Hi!  I hope you had a nice Easter yesterday.  How was it?  Ours was quiet.  Just the two of us this year.

Yesterday also was April Fool's Day.  We didn't play any pranks on each other, though.  How about you?  Did anyone play a prank on you;  did you play a prank on someone else?

Has humor helped you handle your health issues?  If so, how?  I have always tried to find the funny in hospital stays, doctor's visits, life in general.  I have to admit, although I do have a sense of humor and like to find the funny in chronic health issues, I do tend to be serious.  Slapstick, juvenile humor and the like just annoy me.  I love poker-faced humor and great comedic timing.  

Something else I want to talk about today is sitting on symptoms.  You have mysterious symptoms.  Or maybe symptoms that you've had before.  You know what's going on in your gut.  You may think, "Oh no, not again."

Yet, you don't take action.  You don't do anything about it, whether it's mysterious or it's happened before.  

You get more and more nervous, grouchy, tired.  The more that happens the worse the situation gets.

You may try to solve the problem on your own.  Try what worked before, perhaps.  Eat differently.  Take vitamins.  Get more sleep.  But it doesn't work.

I've been there.

So, what should you do?

• Take time out to see your doctor.  I don't care how busy you are with work, home, school, kids....get to your doctor.
• Take time to rest
• Take your medications on schedule.  If you haven't been diligent about that, it could be messing with your system.  
• Be good to yourself.  If you make a mistake, if you haven't had the problem checked out, don't beat yourself up about it.  We all mess up sometimes.  Concentrate on now.  Not what you've done in the past; what you're doing now.  Take care of the issue now.  Be good to yourself.  Forgive yourself.  Take positive action.
• Find the answers.  Finding the answers could help you feel better and able to live your life more fully, healthfully, happily.  You could be living a more fulfilling life.  
• Get on it!

Vlog: Reacting Out of Fear

• Do you avoid doing things like trying a new activity or traveling?
• Do you lash out at friends and relatives?
• Do you avoid going out in public or hanging out with friends?
• Do you think of everything that could go wrong?

Why?

Is it that you are afraid?  And, if so, what are you afraid of?

• That you will look foolish?
• That you will make a mistake?
• That you will get hurt?
• That your parents or spouse--your rock, your primary sources of support--will die?
• That you will never have any friends?
• That your spouse will leave you because he/she is tired of the medical bills and health crises?
• That you can't keep up with others?
• That your parents will give up on you?  Not let you try anything else because you failed?  So you won't even try.
• That you'll lose a friend over your disabilities?  Your friends will get tired of you?
• That your surgery won't go well?
• That you will die from your health problems?

I get it.  I've been there.  It's a desperate feeling.  

So, what can you do about it?

• Be honest with yourself
• Communicate your concerns to others

Be honest about what you feel and why.  Why are you lashing out?  Why are you concerned that you'll never have friends?  Then act to solve the problems, ease the stress, and calm down.  You can do that by communicating with those people who are associated with that feeling of fear.  You may also consider consulting your health care provider if your fear is getting in the way of your living your life, going about your daily routine. 

Do you react out of fear?  Have you been able to reduce those fears?  If so, how?  If not, try the suggestions above.  And, let me know how it goes.  Thanks.  Take care.

Guest Post by Janine Kathleen Shapiro: Chronic Illness and Mindset

Hi! Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend.

Today, I am thrilled to welcome Janine Kathleen Shapiro, RN,RM,Dip Psych Personal Life Expansion Coach, as my guest. Her post is on chonic illness and mindset. She offers so much positive and helpful information. I hope you enjoy it and find the information useful.

Chronic Illness and Mindset

Definition

mindset

ˈmʌɪn(d)sɛt/

noun

The established set of attitudes held by someone.

What shapes our mindset?

• Childhood and Life Experiences
• Pain
• Societal norms
• Thoughts- ours and others
• Emotions - ours and others
• Desires
• Perceptions and Paradigms- positive and negative
• Personality and Love Languages and how we allow the mix to work for us

What we consistently think about, the emotions we respond to circumstances with, and the degree with which we allow societal norms (allied with past experiences) to control us -  all play a vital and impacting role on our mindset, our attitude and our responses to happenings in our lives and bodies.

The most important thing I would like you to leave this article with is:

YOU are in control of YOUR mindset, your emotions, and your reality.

You have total control over your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs, no matter what has shaped it in the past and what is happening on a daily basis.

Change and growth are scary and necessary to living a fulfilling and confident lifestyle.

It takes looking at our deep and ingrained beliefs to see what is truth, what is reality and what no longer serves our current reality.

Beliefs and mindset

A belief is something you have had repeated to you and you have repeated to yourself, over and over until your subconscious has internalised it and taken it as a truth, even if it is a lie and not serving YOUR best interests.

The difference between Helen Keller and others with hearing and visual impairment, besides her companion, was her belief that she could and would achieve, despite her circumstances.

I watched my daughter decide to be a dancer, despite unrelenting pain and other physical challenges.

Her total belief and focus allowed a solution to appear.

Then she chose to put in the time and effort despite starting at 16 years of age when the other children had been dancing since the ages of 3 to 5 years of age.

Subsequently, her purpose shifted to the next level of her life and her choice was to allow it for her greater good.

It takes a decision and a choice to shift our paradigm of what is possible and what CAN be possible.

CHOICE is the most vital aspect of adopting a positive and empowering mindset.

It is actioned, one thought at a time, one situation at a time.

It takes reframing a situation to assist us to move forward rather than staying stuck in victim mentality.

You choose to create your reality

It is so sad to see people OWN their disease, disability, or challenge in life.

They tell me, “Oh I am a diabetic you know.”

My inward response “Well you look like a person, not a disease to me”

We all have different roles in life that make up who we are, it does not make us that role, it is part of the composite us.

Various roles change as we move through the seasons of life, so does that steal from us or add to our ultimate and total worth?

THAT is the decision we need to allow for.

Are you choosing to be a health challenge, a disability, a victim?

Can you choose to be the best person with a great mindset and positive reality?

Would you be prepared to put the work in to shift your mindset for your greatest good, highest of intentions and with the deepest of love?

Action steps

Journaling

Journal and journal your perceptions about emotions, situations, and realities.

Avoid criticising yourself, another.

Avoid judgment.

Be real about your emotions and experience and see how you can reframe looking at it from another angle.

Ask at all times why did something happen, how can it be used for good and growth. I use the phrase “Why has good come from this?” Do not answer it, just allow to flow out and the answers come and are always for our good.

Thank your pain, tiredness, feeling of helplessness and allow to flow onto the paper.

Thank your limitations and see where you can change into a strength for yourself and for others.

Keep checking for the “Woe is me” syndrome, release it and replace immediately with gratitude for what is good and great in your life.

Great questions to ask are:

• How am I feeling today?
• What is an issue I am facing?
• What can I do about my most recent problem?
• What lesson is hidden in a situation I am facing?
• Why do I keep having these thoughts?
• What do I feel the need to change or improve about myself? (Why?)
• Am I being self -compassionate?
• Am I seeing the bigger picture?
• Where am I allowing false perceptions to colour the situation?
• In what ways can I be more mindful?
• What mistaken beliefs am I buying into?
• What is my plan of action to set intentions, work out goals and set tasks to achieve where I want to be?
• What setbacks and obstacles am I facing?
• Are they true or are they limiting beliefs?

Visualization

Visualize what you want in detail and with emotion.

Alter your reality and change your point of focus from what you have to what you would like

Reading and podcasts

Wash your mind daily with empowering and inspiring stories.

Allow others to lift and inspire you to be the best you are able to be.

Mindfulness

Be present at all times to ensure you are in a state of gratitude and choice.

Having a negative moment?

Great.

Thank it, learn from it and replace it with an emotion of something you enjoy and take delight in.

Acceptance

Accept what you have today, acknowledge it and work on what you want for tomorrow.

With health challenges some days are great and others need a little work.

Allow yourself to flow and effortlessly work towards what you need, your reality and release the expectations and beliefs of others.

Let their problem be their problem, not yours.

If they have expectations of you, again, that is their reality.

You know you are stretching and going that extra mile within the framework of self-love and self-compassion and that is OK.

Be in creation and release competition.

Why?

You are awesome as you make empowering choices and rest on the days you just, absolutely, can’t!

Have a day filled with love, joy, knowledge, empowerment, freedom, and appreciation.

These 6 emotions will take you further than any other.
---------------------

Bio for Janine Kathleen Shapiro

Janine Shapiro, a Personal Life Expansion Coach and Intuitive Healer started out as a

qualified registered nurse, midwife and psychiatric nurse. Her personal experience with

severe health challenges, led her to expand her healing practice to exclusively using

integrative, holistic healing modalities. Janine empowers you on your journey of

becoming the expert on your body, emotions, and purpose, helping you overcome

fatigue to regain energy and spark in your life to live a zestful, confident, fulfilled lifestyle.

Contact Janine at jaro@tiscali.co.za.

Vlog: Fresh Start and Birthday News

Hi!  I hope you had a great weekend.  Mine was full of birthday stuff.  It started out on a rough note.  I was in a funk.  But it was good overall.  I also talk about making a fresh start in 2018.  I cover all my priorities, what I've started taking action on, and what plans I for the year ahead.

I took time away from the Internet over the weekend.  I have to admit, it was difficult because I've made so many great friends online.  I missed you all!  But I know that it is important to unplug now and then, and especially over this birthday weekend when we had so many plans. I wanted to be 100% focused on the people around me and the events taking place.  

Are you making a fresh start in 2018?  In what way?  Are you planning to take time to unplug from the Internet at all?  Email me about your plans or comment below.  Thanks!

Vlog: In A Funk? Try This Exercise

Hi!  It's a brand new week, and a holiday week here in the US.  For some of us, the holidays trigger the blues.  And, for some of us, chronic health issues can trigger the blues as well.  I have been in a funk for a bit for these reasons.  I know I can't hurry a funk.  I have to work through it.  But it has hung on for awhile, so I decided to do something about it.  At least try.  

I have started a daily journal exercise.  Each day I write down three good things:  observing someone paying it forward, someone paying me a compliment, someone trusting me with deeply personal thoughts, etc.  I also write down three not so good things or things I'm worried about:  my foot pain, my knee pain, having trouble losing weight, for example.  Then, I write down one thing I can do for each of my worries to ease them.  I don't have to fix the problem, just take action to make it less stressful.  

And, it does make me feel better!

I encourage you to try this exercise if you're in a funk or going through a tough time.  Journal about it and see if it helps relieve some of the stress you're feeling.  See if you can come up with a resolution to your problem, or at least take steps toward a resolution.

If you try this exercise, I would love for you to share your results with me.  Either comment below, or email me at amy@acnlifecoach.com  Thanks!  Have a great week.  I will catch you back here on Wednesday.

Start Where You Are Now

Do you feel stuck?  Do you wonder what career you should pursue?  Do you want to make friends but you're unsure how to go about it?  Have you experienced a major life change and you just don't know how to restart your life?  

Years ago, I read "Three Feet From Gold," by Sharon L. Lechter and Greg S. Reid.  In it, they talked about combining what you love with what you're good at to be more successful.  That concept has stayed with me ever since.  I truly believe that if you do what you love and combine it with what you're good at, you will succeed at whatever you set out to do.  

Try it.

1. Start where you are right now.  Really feel, hear, touch, taste, and see your surroundings.  Be present. What do you experience?  What makes you want to change?  What things would you like to change regarding your current situation?  
2.  Take a notebook or open a new document on your IPad or similar device, and make two columns.  Label the first column, "What I Love."  
3. Ask yourself what you love or love to do.  What brings you joy, excitement, satisfaction?  List them all in this first column--as many as come to mind.
4. Label the second column, "What I'm Good At."  
5. Ask yourself what you are good at.  What skills, knowledge, abilities do you have?  List everything you can think of in the second column.
6. Compare the two lists.  What do you see?  Can you combine one or two items from each column to make a career, find friends, restart your life?  For example, say you love to teach and you're good at playing the piano.  Could you possibly combine the two and give piano lessons?  Or, you love animals and you're good at organizing.  Could you volunteer to be on the board of the local animal shelter and help organize fundraising events as a way to potentially meet new people and make friends?
7. Once you've picked at least one item from each list, start thinking how you can make this new venture a reality.
8. Make a new list.  What tools do you already have?  
9. And another.  What tools do you need?
10. And another.  What potential roadblocks could you come upon to keep you from following through?
11. Another list.  Who could help you conquer these roadblocks and accomplish what you set out to do?
12. What timeframe will you give yourself to accomplish this goal of a new career, new friends, new lifestyle--whatever new endeavor you chose?
13. Another list.  What three things will you do in the next week to kickstart this new venture?
14. And one more.  What will you do to celebrate little victories along the way, and that big victory when your goal is accomplished?

So, what do you think?  Is this exercise something you're willing to try to get yourself unstuck?  If you do try it, please let me know how it turns out.  I'd love to hear about your journey.