How Do I Contribute?

A huge question that I searched to find an answer to was, how do I contribute now that I have physical challenges.  I'm sure everyone can relate to this question on some level.  Even if you don't have a chronic illness, you've had the flu or broken a bone or maybe even allergies.  These things force you to shift from how you were in the world to contributing in another way.  It isn't easy to be a productive citizen then find yourself in bed for a few days...or more.  Many of us have even been taught to 'tough it out'.  I know that when I was in the work force, I had to be on my death bed with sickness before I would dare call into work.  Even if I had accumulated three months worth of sick days, my boss would always make me feel as though I was either faking it or taking advantage.

There are so many emotions that come up when we are derailed and laying in bed.  There's the guilt of feeling as though you must complete something.  There is the feeling of not having time to be sick. In reality, we probably get sick because we didn't take the time to care for ourselves in the first place.  Then there's the feeling of letting people down because they were relying on us.

Are you relating to any of this?

Now lets look at those of us with chronic illness.  We find ourselves on a downward spiral.  Metaphorically, we find ourselves with a cold that takes us away from our regular work and contribution in the world.  We are so struck with conflict within, that once we get use to the feeling of being sick all the time, we convince ourselves that we can still function with a bit of a cold.  It progresses to the flu that hangs around for a month then two and we begin to panic that we'll never recover from the flu.  As much as 'toughing it out' is ingrained in us, there's only so much push through the body can physically do before it collapses.  If we collapse, how and what can we possibly contribute to the world?  On a more basic level, how can I possibly support my family financially if I have the flu with no clear cure?

Our world really puts a great deal of pressure on us to make the money to pay for all the, so called, necessities to function in the world.  My experience is that we literally buy into people convincing us that we need things.  We don't need all that.  What we need is our health and to be pro-active about maintaining it.  We need clean food, clean water and shelter.  We need each other.

It is my belief that each and every one of us, no matter what our physical, mental or spiritual status is, has something positive to contribute.  It may be difficult to peel ourselves away from the expectations our society has taught us over our lifetime, but it's crucial to look beyond those misguided, possibly, well intended beliefs.  We must listen to our own voice!  It's the only way to uncover what it is that each of us is called to contribute.  I've heard many times that each of us has a gift to contribute to a thriving world as unique as our fingerprints.  No one can tell you what your gift is.  It is yours to open, discover and share.

Laying here in bed day after day, with physical discontent, I share with you words and concepts that I'm called to write down.  I offer these posts, publicly because they are my inner most journey that may just touch one life.  I have no expectation of anything in return.  Sharing my insights, intuitions, fears, hopes and dreams brings me joy!  This is my gift and my contribution for today.

Thank you for reading, forwarding and following!!!
Terri

Is Family Part of Your Wellness Plan?

There are many types of family.  There's the most obvious, the biological family.  Then the self-chosen family or the family who chose you to be family.  You may have a family of co-workers, a family of neighbors, a family of health professionals.  Or they could be considered part of your team.

Whoever you consider your family to be, are they part of your healing plan or your illness plan?  If there is a group of individuals who support you, cheer you on and see who you are beyond your illness(es), they would be considered your wellness team.  If you are surrounded by people who say they care and want the best for you, but they tell you how to feel, when to get better, that you're too sensitive or dramatic and maybe even treat you with pity, as if you are unable to do anything for yourself, they are on your illness team.

Look around.  Pay attention.  You deserve respect, love, comfort and caring.  You and only you truly know what helps you feel better and who you trust to be on your wellness team.  Not even medical professionals can tell you what will make you feel better.  They can tell you what research has shown helps the majority of those who were part of the research study, but those treatments or medications that work for some, don't work for others.  It's very important, through the healing process, to surround yourself with supporters and cheerleaders.  Put your valuable energy into people who remind you of your strengths and of who you truly are.  Chronic illness, over time, can make us feel as though we are defined by our illness.  The loving and compassionate people around you can tell you that you may be experiencing chronic illness, but you are not illness.  These are the people who will not hold you back and who want to see you healthy.

My advice...if you choose to take it...

Slowly back away from the people who are on your illness team!  They are not helping you heal.



Here's the small print.  Although, it's not any smaller print than what I typed above because I wouldn't be able to read it :)
     I'm not a medical professional and I'm not intending to tell anyone how to treat their illness.  Please consider your own personal circumstances to assess whether or not this advice resonates with you.  It may not be your best option.  For some it'll be an option to take action on.


Thank you for reading, forwarding and following my posts!!!
Terri

Completed 14 days of Juice Fast

It's been a couple of weeks now since I completed my juice fast.  I drank only fruit and vegetable juices for 14 days.  When I began, I didn't know how long I would juice for and had a sense that my body would let me know when it was time to eat solids again. I was right, my body was loud and clear when it was time to have regular food.

First, I should say that juicing was a great experience.  I've never done a fast that lasted longer than 24 hours before.  I did very well with only having high concentrated vitamins and nutrients in fluid form.  It's amazing how many carrots it takes to make a 20 oz glass of juice.  Ray and I were going through enormous bags of carrots, apples, ginger, kale and celery.  After about 3 day, we began to make up our own concoctions.  Ray was craving tomatoes, so we came up with a tomato, celery, scallion and sea salt juice.  I tried to make a banana and avocado drink, but realized very quickly that they don't juice very well.  They just squish.  It didn't taste very good either.

I especially enjoyed, and still do, picking kale from my garden to juice in the morning.  So far, my favorite juice is Kale, carrots and granny smith apple juice.  We were spending about 2 hours a day standing at the juicer to produce 6-8 20oz glasses of juice for each of us.  With one glass taking ten carrots, three apples and a handful of kale, we were going shopping every other day.  The time spent was well worth it, for me.  I was happy to be drinking juice because my digestive system didn't have to work very hard.  It gave my tummy a well deserved break.

After about 12 days, I began to get hungry.  Part of it may have been because I had a full schedule of doctor's appointments that week and kept forgetting to drink, until I was famished.  By then, some carrot juice really wasn't satisfying.  It's very important to drink juice every two hours so the body doesn't reach that point of feeling hungry.  At day 14, I had this intense craving for meat.  I didn't care what kind it was, I just wanted to sink my teeth into some protein.  That's was the sign from my body saying, "Ok, we're good now.  Can you please give me something with substance!?"

As I slowly got my body back on solid foods, I realized that I truly don't know what foods work best for my body.  Over the past two years, I've had so many health issues, I just began to cut things out of my diet with hope that I'd feel better.  I stopped eating all dairy, coffee, gluten and finally all meat.  At about the same time period, I was in touch with an old friend who had seen a Naturopath for some health issues and she raved about the treatments she received.  That's when I decided it's time to get some real answers, from a trained professional, about the foods that will work best for me and carry me to a state of optimal health.

The juice fast had its challenges and its great benefits.  I will do it again, as well as continue to have fresh juice once a day.  It seems as though this fast was a catalyst to have me look closer at the nutritional aspects of healing.  I'm looking forward to my first appointment with the Naturopath, tomorrow morning.  I'll be sure to share my experience.

Thanks for reading, forwarding and following my posts!!!