Tag: self love

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Keep Moving

Happy February! Several things are happening this month. It’s the month that many celebrate Black History month as well as love. (Let’s not forget about self-love) While these things are certainly important, I am also choosing to use this month to maintain my focus. I am calling it Focus in February.

2022 was a mix of beautifully crafted moments and extremely tough ones. Some doors opened while others closed. Navigating life’s unexpected curve balls can create extreme levels of stress in the body when you have a chronic illness. Sometimes it can feel as if you are stuck. The doctor visits and medical tests increase. The people you once turned to are no longer there. Friendships change. Connections die. The vision you had for your life shifts. You question your purpose.

There’s an old song entitled “Keep On Moving” by Soul II Soul. One of the verses says “Don’t stop like the hands of time.” With all that life can bring our way, it can be quite tempting to want to do just the opposite. However, the sun can still shine after the rain. Much like a flower, even if you lose a few leaves, the strength is in your roots. Strong roots keep us grounded. When strong winds (problems) come, we may sway, but we won’t be knocked over. Regardless of what is going on around you, maintain your focus my friends. Someone needs your gifts, talents, and abilities. Just. Keep. Moving.

Monaye

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Don’t Lose Yourself

What a year this has been. Living with Lupus is not without it’s challenges. Some days are good, while others can make me question everything. It’s tough to navigate life’s path while looking “normal” to the outside world, but dealing with all of the things people don’t see when they look at me. After all, I am the one who deals with the emotional and physical pain, the feelings of disease alienation, and the numerous changes to my body that have joined me on this unpredictable journey.

What I’ve had to realize is that while Lupus is a part of my life, it is not who I am. I am not my fatigue. I am not my various pains and nerve damage. I am not the hair or digestive issues. My identity is not tied to an illness, but rather to who Christ says that I am. Victorious. Strong and courageous. More than a conqueror. This body of mine is just a temporary vessel and regardless of what it goes through, the spirit who lives on the inside of me has already won the battle.

I choose to honor the warrior that’s always been on the inside of me even before Lupus made it’s presence known. My authentic self. That’s what really matters. Whether you are fighting Lupus or some other chronic illness, don’t lose yourself in the process.

Monaye

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Are You Self-Aware?

If you were to ask most people whether they are self-aware, you may get various responses. Each person has his or her own fundamental idea of what self-awareness means. There are those who believe their level of self-awareness is pretty high and others who may not be so sure and that is okay. Let’s define what self-awareness is.

Self-awareness means being connected to your feelings, emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and needs, as well as being cognizant of how we interact with others. When we know who we are, we are typically better prepared to deal with the things that life brings our way.

Here are some of the ways being self-aware can benefit us:

1- It helps us choose relationships with others wisely, engage with those with similar values, and encourages the setting of emotional boundaries within those relationships.

2- Being self-aware helps us to eliminate self-doubt which holds us back from being our true self.

3- It also allows us to stay mindful of what our needs are physically, mentally, and spiritually. This is vital especially if you have an autoimmune or other chronic illness. By being self-aware, we are able to notice when we need to seek the assistance of a health professional and advocate for ourselves.

4- We are better prepared in stressful situations and are more likely to respond rather than react in a negative way which could trigger a flare-up in some people.

5- Cultivating our self-awareness helps us to pay attention to areas where mistakes may have been made, giving yourself credit for what you did right, and then creating ways to make improvements going forward.

Monaye