#rediscoveringlife

[rediscoveringmichelle]

Rising on up - Recoveries Small Wins

Sitting here eating my lunch with the sun from the window resting on my back, I can feel the drips of sweat starting to trickle out from the sweat glands under my arms and down my back. Stripped down to a pair of shorts and a string top rolled up to expose my back, with a fan blasting in my face. I think back to how only last year I would likely have been wearing full length trousers and a cardigan or sweatshirt, shivering in this 27-degree heat. Back then no amount of sun could save me from the extreme cold I was suffering thanks to being well under my ideal weight. The aches and pains I would feel through every bone in my body, stiff, sore and unable to concentrate. Unless you have experienced what it feels like to be vastly underweight, you will never appreciate the joy of sweating, the joy of not needing to strap a hot water bottle to your stomach in the middle of summer. Glancing back over the list I created of all things I wanted to gain back, I realise just how far I have come.

First up was the night sweats. I would wake in the middle of the night drenched as though someone had poured a glass of water over me in my sleep and it had seeped into the sheets. The sheets would smell of stale sweat. I remember the fear of going on holidays and having to share a bed with a friend in case they would wake up and see or smell me. I would be terrified of having a guy to stay over, so much so that even after 2 months dating, I would send my boyfriend home every night he came back to mine. Although I sweat now during the day, even on the warmest of nights I never awake to wet, sweaty sheets and only rarely even wake up warm in the middle of the night.

Then my sex drive, or lack thereof. I remember feeling uncomfortable and on edge as my boyfriend would cuddle me in bed, terrified he would want sex. I couldn’t remember what it felt like to want it, to feel interested in a person in that way. After the rejection I had suffered a few years previously, that in part triggered the weight loss, I vowed to never let myself be this hurt again. And for a long time, I managed to avoid this. I became a cold and distant person, uninterested in anyone but myself and certainly not interested in sex. In both ways, no one could hurt me because I wouldn’t let in anyone that wanted to get me know me or show me any affection or desire. It didn’t take long for this desire to return after I had gained some weight. Partly because I had the brain space to think about something other than food but also because my hormone levels had started to return to somewhat normal levels.

My god the peeing, I would go to the toilet, and not a minute later would still need to go. I would wake every hour in the night to go to the toilet. I was never able to enjoy any length of time out of the house without needing to find a toilet. I would need to google public toilets in the area before I agreed to meet someone. I vividly remember coming back from my art class in Clapham one evening and finding myself in sheer panic, running home from Elephant and Castle station, in severe throbbing pain as I clenched my bladder. Looking down every alley and side street in case I needed to duck in and pee in the street. The pain would last hours even after I had made it to the toilet. Now I find myself leaving for my art class at 6.30pm on a Tuesday evening and not returning until 9.10pm, not needing to pee the entire time.

Feeling like me again. I do mourn my thin body, how in control I felt for a time. How desired and accepted I felt. Looking back at photos and feeling pleased at the clothes I could wear and how much I looked like the images I always envied. But then I have to remind myself that this girl was alone, weak, tired and cold. I don’t think I laughed for three years. A fake laugh maybe, but not a real belly laugh. The one that echoes through a room, infecting those around me. I missed the girl who makes silly jokes and puns, the girl who is not afraid to put herself out there and try something new. Who loves to spend time with friends, especially when it involves a really deep conversation. For so long, I found social occasions hard to engage in, because my thoughts were fixed on when I would never eat or move. Now I get to fully embrace every moment. Days spent watching a movie on the couch, out having lunch with friends or a few relaxing days away. I’m so glad that girl has returned.

[journey4theseason]

7 Reasons Your Vision Board Has Not Worked Effectively!

You have spent hours looking, cutting and pasting the pictures onto your board. There are pictures that represent what you want in a desired lifestyle - your vision board. The days, weeks and months pass and nothing on that board has become real in your life. Why? All you hear is how Vision Boards are a step toward dreams, obtaining goals, etc. Why not for you? Did you miss a step? Probably not!

There are 7 main reason you vision board has not worked effectively:

1. Lack of clarity The number 1 reason could be you weren’t honest with yourself when you were focused on what you wanted to begin with. How much time did you put into asking – what, when and why. Did you let everyone put thoughts and ideas into your mind or tell you what was on theirs and now it is a reality for them. Whose board is this anyway?

Most important question to start a Vision Board When you are not clear about what you want, you send our conflicting signals. If the pictures on your board are not REALLY what you want, you won’t be able to find the resonance from within. 2. Too many pictures A common tendency is to place as many pictures as possible into one single board. You want them all. The board can end up becoming too cluttered. A vision board is a tool for the visioning process. Focused attention is needed. If there are too many pictures, it can be hard to create focus. Maybe it does not be as neat as mine – little OCD shining through.

Every Vision Board should be unique 3. Have it in your site Keeping the vision board in some obscure place. After its completion, where did you place your vision board? In the drawer? Under your desk? Behind the bedroom door? On your computer only? A vision board is best placed somewhere that is highly visible to you. You are, after all, hoping to create an imprint of the vision in your mind. You need to be able to see your vision board often. Hence, refrain from hiding it. Mine is where I can see it just to get from the door to my desk. 4. Lack of association Are you stepping into the shoes of your future self…like the one that is in your vision board? Or are you viewing your dream from the point of an observer?

Write your own life story. When visioning, you need to see yourself in the dream of having all the things you want. Having a photograph or a self portrait on the same board can help build association. The more you can associate yourself to the pictures on your vision board, the greater your ability to bring it forward. 5. Having internal issues Can the real reason be because of your self doubt, worry, or your inability to be open to receiving abundance? Can it be that you are sabotaging your own chances of success? Take a look at the beliefs you are holding. If you have low self-esteem, you are likely to believe that you are not deserving. You cannot imagine yourself as worthy of receiving any gifts or miracles. You will need to address the beliefs that are holding you back. 6. Lack of action on your part So you have been expecting your dreams to manifest without doing anything? That is not going to happen. To activate your board, you need to follow up with inspired aligned goals and actions. You have to start giving serious thought to your dreams AND the goals it takes to achieve the dreams. Along with a visual you have to start defining and planning your goal to bring that dream from visualization to reality. Once the goals are established you must establish action steps to achieve the goals that achieves the dreams. See how that works.

Find Yourself This may make you feel uncomfortable at first but they should not put you in struggle. To stretch, grow and expand involves moving into actions that are aligned with your dream. 7. Not sharing your vision You fear ridicule and so you have been keeping things a secret. This may be a wise move especially if your own family and friends are generally not supportive. You don’t want to have your dreams killed. In a situation like I just described, you may want to garner the support of people who could be aligned. This group of people do not necessarily have to be working on the same dream. What’s more important is that they are able to lend energetic support to your vision. They may be just be the ones who have the ability to send you the resources that you need for your vision to come true. We are here to help....check out our Menu Of Services. Read the full article

[journey4theseason]

4 Keys To A Happy & Productive Life

To be happy in life, the first thing we must learn to do is shift the way in which we view things.  It’s All About Perspective. Having the right perspective means understanding what is and isn’t under our control—and then choosing to work on the things that are and accept the things that aren’t. There are things in life we can’t change, no matter how much we want to and no matter how hard we try to change them. The things we can change and how we choose to view them is what we need to look at and very closely. When we’re happier, we’re healthier, more productive, and more satisfied with our lives. Age does not matter here. And. you can’t have too much happiness. The thing is, though, happiness doesn’t come from one magic formula. It’s more like a recipe: You add a bit of this, a bit of that, and with some hard work and experimentation, you start to get better and better at making it. 4 ingredients you must have for a happy and productive life. • Our Thoughts on external things We’re no longer attaching our happiness to external things that are beyond our control and might change. Why does that matter? Because your happiness suddenly doesn’t depend on the stuff that’s happening to you—good or bad. It depends, instead, solely on you and how you see the world. If that’s not empowering, I don’t know what is. • We want a less-than-perfect life We come to understand that a life without difficulties is not only impossible, but quite frankly, not one we’d want anyway. Read the full article

[journey4theseason]

4 Keys To A Happy & Productive Life

To be happy in life, the first thing we must learn to do is shift the way in which we view things.  It’s All About Perspective. Having the right perspective means understanding what is and isn’t under our control—and then choosing to work on the things that are and accept the things that aren’t. There are things in life we can’t change, no matter how much we want to and no matter how hard we try to change them. The things we can change and how we choose to view them is what we need to look at and very closely. When we’re happier, we’re healthier, more productive, and more satisfied with our lives. Age does not matter here. And. you can’t have too much happiness. The thing is, though, happiness doesn’t come from one magic formula. It’s more like a recipe: You add a bit of this, a bit of that, and with some hard work and experimentation, you start to get better and better at making it. 4 ingredients you must have for a happy and productive life. • Our Thoughts on external things We’re no longer attaching our happiness to external things that are beyond our control and might change. Why does that matter? Because your happiness suddenly doesn’t depend on the stuff that’s happening to you—good or bad. It depends, instead, solely on you and how you see the world. If that’s not empowering, I don’t know what is. • We want a less-than-perfect life We come to understand that a life without difficulties is not only impossible, but quite frankly, not one we’d want anyway. Read the full article

[journey4theseason]

Why Is Knowing The Seasons Of Your Life So Very Important?

Journey 4 The Season, is about finding the direction in your life - about reinventing and rediscovering yourself in your season. However, many people have asked what that means. Most are not sure what the seasons are about and just how transformative reinventing yourself would be. Well relax I am not going to ask you to do a scene from Face/Off. In this article I am going to define the seasons. Hopefully, this will help you see what season you are currently in and what might be in store.  We know nature has 4 seasons but are you aware your entire life does. Some seasons last longer than others, but we can always be assured that a new one is coming.  Spring Seasons: The greatest seasons we go through These are some of the greatest seasons we go through. When I think of spring, I think of things being planted, baby birds and creatures come out of their hibernation. The same thing applies within your life. This season is often filled with new beginnings! It is your duty to take full advantage of the springs when they pop up. After all, so many opportunities arise. You would never see all the beauty that is life and nature on this planet if it decides not to awaken one year in the spring! It does because it is meant to do so. Hold your own existence to that same standard. Make your springs the springboard to getting where you want to go. This is your moment to plant your seeds of greatness to come. Read the full article

[journey4theseason]

Do You Feel Caught in a Meltdown? 10 Tips To Improve Your Emotional State.

We defined Emotional Wellness as the degree to which one feels positive and enthusiastic about oneself and life. It includes the capacity to manage one’s feelings and related behaviors including the realistic assessment of one’s limitations, development of autonomy, and ability to cope effectively with stress. The emotionally well person maintains satisfying relationships with others. 10 Tips to Improve Your Emotional Wellness Knowing what Emotional Wellness means and how to achieve it can be two different things. You need to know what can help you get on the journey in the right direction. 1. Set good goals for good feelings Setting goals seems like a logical place to start. Wellness coaches everywhere will tell you to set goals for yourself that are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely. Sometimes, with massive goals, that means breaking the large goal into smaller sub-goals that you can use to track your progress. By giving yourself something positive to work toward, you’re setting yourself up for success as you continue to be able to check your goals off your list. The sense of satisfaction that comes with achieving goals will only improve your positive outlook. I like the sub-goals so I can feel good about myself along the way. SMART Goals for Emotional Wellness I am personally using SMART goals to complete most of the next nine tips..... 2. Read the full article

[journey4theseason]

Are You Sick And Tired Of All Your Stress? 7 Tips To Make You A Stress Buster.

Stress - an emotional problem we all face daily if not hourly. Emotions are how you feel at any given time. From happiness to sorrow, for better or worse, we can feel a wide variety of emotions—sometimes at the same time. When considering wellness, people tend to think of physical activity or nutrition first. But your emotional well-being is a crucial part of your overall health. Feelings are hard for some people to express and talk about. Being aware of what you are feeling can help you to channel your emotions into productive, positive feelings. Achieving emotional balance lays the foundation for total body well-being. Stress: Stress - Bad Emotionally and Physically One of the most significant problems human beings face today in their emotional wellness dimension is how to handle stress. It does not stop with just the emotional aspect, stress can damage both emotional and physical wellness. That is why it is so important to find an outlet to manage your stress. For some, a workout helps alleviate daily stress. Others find a hobby helps keep them calm. The key here is to find what works for you. Remember, no two people are alike. And what works one time for you might not the next, so be willing to experiment. This is especially true as we change seasons in life or we are headed in a different direction. If you learn about how your body reacts to stress, you can also learn how to counter that stress. Read the full article

[journey4theseason]

What Are You Nexting? You Need To Know Power of Positive Anticipation.

How often do we take the time to get excited about the future? Yes, we are told the importance of staying in the moment and the benefits of being present.  The two things seem to contradict themselves. But do they? Can nexting or anticipation be healthy for you? Anticipation - Pleasant or Not: Anticipation is an important element in many areas of life. It’s what drives our fight or flight mechanism. But anticipation isn’t a single emotion. And anticipation doesn’t always feel good. When we refer to anticipation in this blog, we are referring to positive anticipation. The kind that’s associated with pleasant emotions. Anticipation for something next, in the future. For me it was a trip I was excited to take to Italy in September 2020. Then COVID hit and all my plans went by the way side. Even before the planning stage, the thought conjure up all sorts of positive anticipation – the food, the people, the landscape. When things are stressful, I could imagine next my Italian trip and a sense of calm would comes over me. Benefits of Positive Anticipation: Positive anticipation in our lives is beneficial — regardless of the outcome of the event you’re anticipating. And there is plenty of science and studies to back that claim up. Greater life satisfaction: In an interesting study from 2007, researchers showed that “anticipation is more evocative than retrospection”. In other words, we experience stronger emotions from looking forward than by thinking about the past. Read the full article