Soul searching…

Choices.  Decisions.  The things that can change your life.  If you know in your soul what you have to do, just do it.  Don’t drag it out my friends as you are setting yourself up for failure…or worse.  Stress.  Stress is the stuff that blocks your path both figuratively and literally.  It makes your head ache, your neck tense and your back hurt.  If you had to stop and give a friend advice about your situation, what would you say?  I know it doesn’t seem that easy, but it can be.  Are you over-analyzing the situation just a wee bit?  Chances are…yes.  Yes you are.  So trust your gut.  That’s right.  That little thing called intuition…well it’s there for a reason.  Now go forth and do that thing you don’t want to do.  Be weightless.

 

Talk Radio…

So this week has been interesting with the launch of The Wellness Universe website…being asked to write for all kinds of different pages.  And getting a phone call that shall remain a mystery for now.  But this, this is not going to be kept a secret…

Authoress Tonya Wilson of “The Time Is Now” sheds light Issues Of Addictions, Recovery & Deliverance. On Sunday, January 25, 2015 @ 7:00 PM EST. If You Need Inspiration, Answers, or Support, The Time Is Now! Her Guest Panelist This week is, AIMEE H….Aimee H. is a fighter of invisible diseases (namely her own). She is the Writer of the Blog “The Burned Hand”. She is also the Owner and Operator of Vitalize You. Both are now a part of The Wellness Universe Directory. Join us as she shares an all natural approach to wellness and recovery, The recorded playback is here blog talk radio.

I have connected with many people over the years and I feel most strongly connected to people with illness.  But recovery can be many things to many people.  It can be drugs, alcohol, pain killers, but it can also be recovery from internal conflicts.  Depression, fertility issues, things people cannot see and in no way shape or form have the right to judge your path.  So please take a moment to listen in if you have time.  If not, I will probably come back and drop a link in this post later with the recording.  We’ll see how I sound first.  Wink.  P.S. Ihaveneverdonethisbeforesodontbejudgingme

But I know you will be cheering me on!!

Crab Mentality…

Dear support system,

You are not crabs and for that, I thank you.  Insert obvious, what is Aimee talking about, thought.  I have been fighting extremely hard to get out of the bucket.  Each time I get closer, a thought pulls me back down.  Just like crabs in the bucket.  This metaphor was used this weekend.  Individually, the crabs could easily escape from the pot, but instead, they grab at each other in a useless competition which prevents them from escaping and actually making it out.  Hmmm.  Sound familiar?

So I took this and spun it while reflecting on what Warren Barfield said.  You see my problem is sometimes all it takes is one crab.  Just one.  A doctor telling me that there is no cure for autoimmune, fibromyalgia, etc.  A friend telling me no, they are not interested in my business, which is their choice by the way, or someone speaking negative thoughts in my ear about how I won’t be able to grow my business.  These thoughts become like crabs in my head and they pull me down.  Over and over again.  Until now.

I am going to succeed in my personal business, Vitalize You, and I am going to change lives.  I am not promising you anything you can’t already achieve, but I am promising you guidance on your journey.  So to all my customers and fans, thank you for believing in my adventure.  For lifting me out of the bucket when I needed it instead of pulling me back down…because believe me, I do enough of that on my own.

See tab Vitalize You for more about why I started my business.

Here’s to you…

Hey there friends.  I’d like your help.  We are working on a way to change ourselves.  Really and truly in the New Year.  Not resolutions that can be broken, but a plan.  A real plan.  On my Facebook page for the blog I am making a few posters about ways to help yourself, but I want you to sit quietly and think about all the ways you are blocking yourself from your greatest potential.  Whether it is weight loss, healthy eating, negative thinking, depression and/or anxiety, excuses for why you don’t leave the house, excuses for why you don’t exercise, well you name it, you and only you know how to change yourself.  The fact is, we can go to all the therapists in the world, but until we are ready to make that change, that commitment, we are simply going to continue hoping what they tell us will work one day.

Wake up and open the curtains.  Remember my last post about getting more light?  Hint, you had to watch the video I posted.  Clean your room and get rid of anything you are not using.  It makes you feel better.  I don’t know why or how, but it does.  Make ROOM in your life for things you need.  You are getting rid of things you no longer need in your life.  I guess it could be the symbolism, but it really does work.  Fluff your comforter, change your sheets.  Go to bed earlier.  I personally know how hard this one is.  I am erm a night owl.  Nevertheless, I am going to be shutting down 30 minutes earlier and working on a new routine.

Get your refrigerator ready for good food.  Throw out the Christmas fruitcake…no not your relatives, the sweets you still have.  Wash and prep veggies for the week.  Make your list of smoothie items or simply use these greens I use everyday.  I use berry but you can try orange or whatever you like.  It actually is cheaper than buying all the veggies to throw in the blender.  I also take my supplements for my pain and drink turmeric milk or tea.  I immediately change my thinking even if I am in pain to thinking that the tea or whatever I am using is helping me.  It really is helping but I try hard not to concentrate on what is wrong.  I work daily at this.  Do NOT dwell in the negatives.  Let the negative thoughts pass by, but don’t stay there.

My Facebook business page Vitalize You is working on a plan to help my customers, so if you are interested, feel free to PM the page.  I am also working on a yoga plan as well as a getting out of the house more plan.  This is very important if you have fibromyalgia and tend to sit too much.  Stop dwelling.  Just stop.  Make a plan.  If I can do it, you can too.  So let’s go.  2015.  It’s almost here.  Move more.  Eat better.  Do good things.  No resolutions you won’t keep, but goals.  Gather your supplies, your buddies, if you don’t have buddies, get out of the house and make some.  NO excuses!  Ok, pep talk over…and today wasn’t even Motivational Monday.

 

Moody Monday…

I don’t know what’s going on over at your house as it gets closer to Christmas, but at my house, well, let’s just say we could use some positive thoughts, prayers, fairy dust, and the opposite of “If you don’t behave, I’m taking back one present a day” said no one ever.  If we could vent in some sort of “Happiness Fog” into my 13 year old’s room, I would appreciate it greatly.  So I had to take the situation into my own hands the other day and thankfully that was the day Gifts That Matter arrived at our house.

If you are not familiar with Momastery, I first heard about the catalog there some time ago and ordered one for my family.  So we sat down and went over what it’s like to live in other countries, what food costs, and what certain amounts of money mean to those people.  Later we made 8 bags, my teenager did not grumble, of emergency clothing, hoodie-style jackets, and books for children.  I am hoping to deliver to a school that one of my friends said needs the items.  Lastly, I reminded them both about the work I did in November of delivering 55 pounds of food to the Food Bank, going to the local Rescue Mission in a part of town that people pass by and probably don’t notice, and the shelter for women and children of domestic violence.

I do not want to raise children who do not understand the value of money…especially erm, since we don’t have tons of it, but we have enough to get by and that’s more than other people have.  So I want to raise children who think of others before they think of themselves.  So that’s my “Moody Monday”, and by the way, my daughter came home singing today.  Humming.  And singing.  I have done well.  It’s a great sign.

Motivational Monday…

Sometimes I meet people and I think, if only there was a way I could change their thoughts.  Well, the truth is, they have to want to change their thoughts.  I asked a friend for a suggestion on her favorite positive affirmation video, and she sent me this link.  I think you will enjoy it, so just watch without any negative thoughts entering if you can:

So, ignore the part about “Law of Attraction” if that isn’t your thing, but seriously, positive thoughts do change your day.  Get to the part about 2 minutes 50 secs in and think about what things you have appreciated today.  If the answer is none, well then, you just basically solved my question.

30 days of thankfulness…

Last year at this time, I wrote all about my past teaching experiences, but I didn’t tell all the stories.  I think sometimes people go about their day-to-day lives and they don’t realize how hard it is for “others” to acclimate.  Let me explain “others”.  Others are the people who have seen more.  War veterans, drug users come clean, homeless, recovering alcoholics, people from poverty, cancer survivors, empaths, police detectives, people who live with invisible diseases, counselors, teachers and many, many more.  “Others” try to blend in, but it’s really hard sometimes.  They carry around the knowledge that there are bad things out there…bad things that perhaps normal people don’t notice.

So for my 30 days of Thankfulness on my, ahem, slightly larger Facebook Fan page,  I have paired with people from all walks of life.  Yes, all of the above types of people and I dearly LOVE them all.  They have the biggest hearts of anyone I know and they also hurt the most when things don’t quite go as expected.  The funny thing about the inspirational page owners is that we are people too, and sometimes, real life tries to kick us when we are down, but because we know, just know, others are counting on us to get up again, we do.

So I made a post and kicked off my 30 days yesterday, and the one word I used was “Life” because I am very thankful for it even though it does not always go as planned.  I am also thankful for my readers here because you guys have been with me for a while.  You know more than my FB fans do, because to them, it’s just pretty quotes.  But to me, and you, we know there are always stories behind every quote.  Always LIFE behind every quote I make.  So here’s to the life behind the quotes.

Tune in Thursday all month long for Thankful Thursday here on the blog.

 

Transcendental Tuesday…

Practicing Trancendental Meditation is said to be a good way to relieve stress.  The TM technique involves the use of a sound or mantra and is practiced for 15–20 minutes twice per day.  For example, let’s say you are dealing with people who just don’t get “it”.  Whatever it is.  You can close your eyes while speaking to them and begin your meditation.  I had to do this today when speaking with someone who deals with medical things.  I had to explain that genetic conditions such as mine do not have magical “cures”…that basically that’s why the gene was inherited.  If it did have a cure, I think I’d know about it by now as I would love to stop having pints of my blood taken every 6 months.  So, in order to deal with this yet again, I had to go to my happy place.  My place where my mantra was “Don’t slap the stupid people. Ohmmmmm.  They can’t help it.  Ohmmmmmm.  They don’t know any better.  Ohmmmm.”  Repeat.

I have had to go to this place often in the last 17 years.  When I then had to call the next doctor’s office to schedule my phlebotomy, the nurse said they needed to do more blood work.  I said, no actually, you don’t.  I just had blood work done, and the doctor told me if I was experiencing problems to call back and make a phlebotomy appointment.  So, here I am experiencing “problems”, calling you to get things straight.  Well, this went on for a while because she insisted he said I had to have more blood work done before I could have my pint taken.  I calmly explained that it appeared I was breaking out in porphyria bumps and that most people with hereditary hemochromatosis don’t have the two fold warning system like I do to let them know it is time for the vampire visit.

By the time I was done with this, I had worked myself up again.  I called my husband and my mom to vent because it’s either that or throw things…or cry.  Which gets me absolutely no where.  Then I am reminded of other people who are worse off and I feel bad about getting upset, but it can’t be helped.  I thought back to my earlier conversation with a lady I just met.  Her daughter has one of my conditions, fibromyalgia, and can’t work, get out of bed some days or drive a car.  I am one of those people who really tries to think of other people when I feel bad.  I really do.  It makes me want to push harder to show these people that life can be lived.  There is hope.  There is a way out of this, and we just have to believe.  Sometimes, we are going to have to put up with the “stupid” things in our lives.  Whatever that is.  Irritants, things that challenge us.  Make us feel frustrated, mad, or ready to throw in the towel. Push past that to the other side.  You can do it.

 

Motivational Monday…

When they tell you not to bite off more than you can chew…you need to listen.  The problem is, maybe “they” have never been broke.  Maybe “they” have never been in debt.  And I’m definitely thinking “they” don’t know what it’s like to worry and/or stress over whether or not you will have enough to pay for groceries.  Sometimes, people have to do what they must in order to survive.  Even if this means adding to their stress.

Ways to survive this type of stress are to take breaks during your work day.  I read recently that you should set a timer.  Every 50 minutes or so.  Ha.  But I think that would help me out with my current craziness because then I would realize I have not eaten lunch…that e-mail can really wait.

Go to yoga.  I say this quite frequently.  But seriously.  Either that or learn to meditate…unless having some type of wine port attached is legal.  I don’t think it is yet.

If I was the boss, wait I am the boss of myself, sort of, I would make mandatory no work after 5 p.m. ever.  No work on weekends, ever.  And that sort of thing rules.  I really wish I could do that to myself.  Why is it people who work from home end up working more???  Someone forgot to mention that to me. 

Someone smart in your company needs to streamline the processes for other people.  I really liked to make things easier on other teachers when I was a teacher.  I liked group planning because IF it ran the way it was supposed to, oh yeah it didn’t, but if and when it did on rare occasions, you would really come out with like a version of the easy button.  EVERY company needs this.  I can’t stand it when there is no version of something that everyone needs to use.  I end up creating my own documents for future reference.

So that’s my motivational tips for today.  If there is an easy button, use it folks.  Just use it.

Motivational Monday…

I began re-blogging my series from this past November.  I have more stories to tell, but mostly, I think it’s difficult for some people to see any other side but theirs.  Their point of view.  Their preferred news slant.  Their life.  Their religion.  When I am able to take a step back from all of that for just a minute, I see things from all perspectives.  I don’t like to read about what’s going on in the news because invariably, it has some slant to it.  Not only that, it make me sad.  Period.  I am pretty much sad for humans these days.

I think everyone needs to get over themselves, the hate, the distrust, the ignorance of other cultures or people, and just stop talking.  Stop talking.  Just stop.  Listen.  What message are we sending right this minute?  If we went on a media blackout for some reason, is it at possible that some of this would get better?  People are complaining and re-circulating bad news.  Don’t watch this video I am about to post.  Don’t make me post this ignorant view of this hate crime that I already posted to spread more hate.  Don’t make me tell you all about my hate for these people who hate my religion so I’m going to hate theirs right back.  Ummm.  Hmmm.  Maybe in this instance you should stop.  Think.  Is it harmful?  Yes.  Don’t post.  Is it helpful?  Yes.  You can post. 

I know some people are even complaining about the ice water challenge, and I get it.  I do.  But here’s what I have to say about that.  You don’t have to do everything someone tells you to do.  For example, you could make your own video and say, hey, that is a really great cause and I appreciate being nominated, but today, I am going to make a video about ending hunger.  Or today, I am going to spotlight this other really obscure disease, hemochromatosis and I am going to tell you about how this disease is hereditary and what to look for.  Or maybe even, today, I am going to give to cancer research, Alzheimer’s organizations or the food bank in my area instead.  It’s more about raising awareness for a good cause.  To educate yourself more about the cause and the money it has already raised though, you may go here.

So the point of today’s post is just to promote something positive, if at all possible, in a world filled with so many negatives.  Whatever your positive may be.