A Wellness Awakening

My Wellness Awakening

I experienced a Wellness Awakening in January 2017, after a horrible hysterectomy that haunts me to this day.  It was a wake up call.  I began researching how to create my own wellness practices.

For three years I explored natural remedies, the power of the mind, and learning how to move my body to stay well.  I don’t live in fear of illness because I am proactive with wellness!  

Grateful for my personal wellness journey, I went from a total lack of hope in 2017 to empowered freedom that has served me well during the 2020 lockdown.

Have you experienced an awakening during lockdown?  

Have you taken inventory on what you hold as essential during this time of isolation?  What is on your list?  Here are a few of mine….

Hugging loved ones is at the top of my list!  Funny, because I’ve never been a touchy-feely type person, at least not in public. 

Freedom to go about a “normal” life!  Movies, restaurants, coffee shops, trips to the beach, having a party, going to hear live music, etc.  

Spreading the truth about wellness!  It is essential that I share the freedom of a managed mind, eating well and a body in motion with everyone. 

We only control a few things….

The truth is we control very few circumstances.  Lockdown has driven this truth home to me.  

A friend of mine shared an article with me that rocked my lockdown world.  Patience during a pandemic: What we can learn from a POW and a Roman slave-turned-philosopher

This article reminded me that the human spirit has the power to overcome the darkest, worst side of humanity.  And that people really do have the ability to write their own story, even when freedom is stripped.  

A tug of war between what is inside and outside of control

In the article, Sara Israelsen-Hartley describes The Stockdale Paradox. James Stockdale, a Vietnam vet, survived 7.5 years as a prisoner in Hanoi Hilton.  “Stockdale’s approach was to come up with a way of actually functioning in the circumstances in which he found himself so he could deal with that day in, day out, for as long as it went on.”  Israelsen-Hartley goes on to explain how Stockdale survived using the Stoic philosophy of compartmentalizing what can be controlled and what can not be controlled.

“In the 30 seconds before he landed and was pounced on by more than a dozen waiting Vietnamese soldiers, Stockdale accepted that soon nearly everything would be outside of his control — even his own body.

But his opinions, judgments and attitude, his grief and joy? Those feelings and emotions were entirely within his control.”

There is hope in an Awakening 

So, what can you control?  Your mind.  Your wellness.

I want you to be empowered by this!  Your mind is in your control, therefore wellness is within your control.  Simply put, you can be proactive instead of reactive.

While freedoms have been surgically removed by a mysterious virus, people all over the globe are awakening to the importance of health and wellbeing.  

“Your thoughts and beliefs are the single most important indicator of your state of health.”  Dr. Christiane Northrup, M.D.  (From her book Goddesses Never Age)

It is science!  “Studies by researchers such as Richard Davidson of the University of Wisconsin show that mindfulness practices rewire the brain, resulting in greater immunity and improved ability to manage stress and emotions.”  Dr. Chistiane Northrup, M.D. (Goddess Never Age)

Has the COVID-19 been a wake up call for you?

Self-aware is the first step in self-care.  Let self awareness empower you to create an audacious wellness practice!

Instead of waiting for a health crisis, why not live a lifestyle that prevents it in the first place?  Awaken to the idea that you can control your state of wellbeing.  You have choices.  You can decide to be well.   

Maybe you have never took time to think about your wellbeing.  Time is definitely a commodity that is abundant during lockdown.  Lockdown is giving you time to awaken to the idea of audacious wellness! 

Now is the perfect time to create daily wellness practices and strategies to get through the pandemic for however long as it lasts.  A life of Awakened Wellness can be yours!

Get Coaching  

Self-awareness is investing in thought work that can uncover limiting beliefs concerning wellness.  

If a wellness awakening is resonating with you, but your not exactly sure where to start?  Click the box below to schedule a FREE MINI SESSION!

I’d love to chat about your Wellness Awakening!  Schedule a FREE MINI SESSION to uncover where you are and where you would like to be by clicking the link below!

Here’s to the Wellness Awakening!  

~Tiffany

And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!

Resilient

“When we face a decision to fall back or press on, the whole universe holds its breath.”  John Eldridge

Let that sink in.

Fierce or Resilient?

My 2017 Pinterest Board was labeled “The year to be FIERCE.”  What was I thinking?  The Board should be labeled RESILIENT.

It’s hard to be fierce when you are recovering from a major surgery, then break your arm and face another health scare all in the first quarter.  I’m not a sick person!  Dealing with doctors is not my favorite thing to do.  Up until this year, I have avoided the doctor’s office (except for the yearly well visits required by insurance).  Good health was a badge I wore proudly!

Finding a doctor was a frustrating ordeal for me in 2016, followed by various issues that led up to surgery on January 9th that didn’t go as planned.  Six weeks later, I was disappointed to learn that the doctor who did my surgery was moving to a different health care system and would no longer accept my insurance.  When a new and potentially scary health issue arose, I was more defeated by the necessity to find a new doctor than I was the scare.  Even more aggravating is the system that requires a regular doctor to order tests, who will then inevitably need to refer me to a specialist if there is a problem.  I spent a couple days deciding wether to press on and have the new issue looked at ~ or fall back and ignore it.  Side note, I never made it to my follow up appointment for my broken arm.  I figured that they would just confirm what I already knew, it’s healing fine and just be careful.

As if walking through an internal struggle about health issues and recovery wasn’t enough, I had to add shame and embarrassment by transparently posting my dismay to Facebook, along with a sad picture to emphasize just how miserable I felt.  Why do I always feel the need to air my emotions so publicly?  I feel like a whiner just explaining my situation.  I have friends and family who are quietly walking through FAR WORSE.  Fortunately, I discovered most people didn’t see it as a character flaw (craziness displayed on the porch with a cocktail) and sent massive words of encouragement.  This embarrassment was a wake up call to me and was the catalyst into a life lesson.

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I now have both.

Proper perspective is helpful when faced with the choice to fall back or press on.

Resilient

re·sil·ent
adjective
        (of a person or animal) able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.  strong, tough, hardy
AKA – FIERCE

Resilience is an important life skill that is not taught in school, or comes naturally.  It is only learned by walking through rough stuff.  Although, it would be helpful to teach children to look at the world honestly and not expect life to handed to them.

I had expectations that I would hit 2017 with fierce determination.  I am truly happiest when I am fiercely pursuing an idea.  My ambitions were to conquer fitness and weight loss, and had grandiose business dreams for Flown The Coop.    Reality was a healthy dose of adversity; physically, emotionally and with my business. The combination has given me a fresh lesson in resilience.

I am a “glass half full” type of girl who is currently working on the idea of happiness.  I’m learning to align my expectations with realty, an essential skill in withstanding or recovering quickly from difficult conditions.  I generally see life through a lens of possibilities and abundance.  The lesson is:  pray, do your best and let go of the outcomes.  I am not in control.

There are two ways I look at adversity.  I’m doing something right and am a target, or I’m doing something wrong and am being punished.  I chose to believe that I’m doing something right.  I didn’t come this far to fail now.  I am learning to dream big dreams and make exciting plans for the year, with the expectation that there will be bumps in the road.  It’s not healthy to avoid trials.

I’ve had plenty of time to analyze life while recovering from surgery.  It is encouraging to think there is a host of witnesses in the universe holding their breath; waiting for me to flip a switch, to embrace my life as it is and live in the flow.  They are cheering me on!

I’m not a quitter.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Philippians 3: 12

Trust In You by Lauren Daigle has become my anthem.

Yeah, I know most people don’t put their struggles on the Internet for the world to see.  My hope is that transparency will encourage you.  Life isn’t always what it appears to be on a polished Facebook or Instagram account.  Going for dreams and pursuing ideas is the sweet spot in life, full of promise and excitement.  Equally important are the seasons that stretch us and makes us stronger.  In 2017 I will be Fiercely Resilient, while I give myself permission to cultivate dreams with my expectations balanced in realty.

Your Word

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What is your word for 2017?  I’d love to hear about your goals, dreams, visions, and even setbacks. Let’s cheer each other on!  If you are faced with the decision to fall back or press on, I will hold my breath and cheer for you!

~Tiff

And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!