Blog Archives

Good News/Bad News....who knows!!!

3/18/2015

Our society is so busy being reactive and judgemental about things that often the moment gets missed. Now....I'm not saying that all moments are wonderful. For example.....my computer died recently. : ( And computers, for me, are .....well.....not my favourite thing. (Getting stuck in traffic is often preferable! lol!!!) HOWEVER....I am aware of the fact that it's inevitable demise brought with it many, many good things. First of all, I was able to switch to a laptop so I can take it with me when I do presentations! Secondly, I got a Chromecast so I can play movies, tv shows and documentaries on my smart TV. Furthermore, I am learning new programs and systems as a result of the change. And while I hadn't really wanted this to jump to the top of the priority list, I am aware that all of this new learning is helping me to prevent Altzheimers. Also, I was conscious that this experience was providing me with excellent mindfulness training. It is easy to stay present to things that are enjoyable. It takes more self discipline and focus to stay present with things that don't come easily. So the next time you want to react and collapse into 'ain't it awful'......look for the lessons or benefits. That perspective might help you to get through the situation and support you to stay in the moment. And that's how we actually LIVE our lives.

10 Minute Guided Relaxing Meditation
https://youtu.be/xoYnqvadurg

You are not your illness!

3/11/2015

The usefulness in diagnosing something is that it helps you to figure out what treatment may be most effective to get RID of the symptoms! If you have a cold then the symptoms will often be that you are sneezing and coughing and have a runny nose. If you get more rest, take Vitamin C and take whatever naturopathic or mainstream medicines that you use then it is likely to go away faster. But your cold is not WHO YOU ARE! When I had hypoglycemia I had headaches, cold hands and feet, serious mood swings when I needed food, etc etc. I learned that sleep, protein, exercise and managing stress would level my blood sugar and now that I do those things, I no longer have hypoglycemia. I believe the same is true for mental illnesses. I was talking to someone who had been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. She said that since she has been practicing mindfulness she is able to focus and manage her reactivity much better than she ever believed she would. I’m not advising you to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Diagnoses and medication are helpful for some people so they can level out the chemistry in their bodies so that they can actually think and behave differently. When you behave and think more positively, then you feel better and it becomes easier to, in turn, behave and think more clearly. When you don’t think of yourself AS the label but experience it as something you are working on overcoming or living with in a healthier way then there is more separateness from it as your identity internally. Then you will find that both you and others will see you more clearly as the whole person that you are. In the movie “A Beautiful Mind” the main character struggles with Schizophrenia. I’ve attached a clip from the last scene of the movie where he talks about love having saved him. They show him noticing the voices that used to control him and he ignores them and walks away with his wife. Love yourself. Surround yourself with people who are loving towards you. Love is, and always will be, the only thing that heals mental illness.

A Beautiful Mind, ending scene
http://youtu.be/i82jqGq_tio

It’s a knee jerk response!

3/4/2015

Whenever we are in crisis we will all revert back to our most primitive coping mechanisms. It’s important to know what these are and how they impact upon us and those around us because this will continue to be true throughout your lifetime. I believe that people can change and that new habits can be formed. I wouldn’t be in this business if I didn’t believe that. So the important thing is to notice how you behave when you are grounded and how you behave when you are triggered. As we mature we become more aware of how our coping impacts upon others. With maturity also comes the ability to take responsibility for our shortcomings and ‘knee jerk’ responses. If you practice mindfulness then you will become less reactive and more choiceful about how you ‘respond’ rather than react. It’s a discipline but one that is well worth cultivating. And it will continue to need to be cultivated because life will continue to throw it’s curve balls!!

Good News/Bad News....who knows!!!

You are not your illness!

It’s a knee jerk response!

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