QUOTES

"Live life on purpose ~ not by accident" ~ Alicia

"When it hurts to look back, and you're scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your best friend will be there."
-- Author Unknown

"A laugh is a smile that bursts.” ~ Mary H. Waldrip

"Set your goals high and don't be deterred by those who say it is impossible." ~ Steve Fossett

"Our Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless."
Jamie Paolinetti

"A day without laughter ~ is a day wasted"
Charlie Chaplin

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
— Martin Luther King Jr.

"Gratitude is an inner smile shared" ~ Alicia

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Me....Enthusiastic? Yup.©

Norman Vincent Peale said, "Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow" and he also believed:  "Think excitement, talk excitement, act out excitement and you are bound to become an excited person.  Life will take on a new zest, deeper interest and greater meaning."

HELLO my friends!
As you know, this is a blog about THRIVING!
Thriving, not surviving...with Rheumatoid Arthritis or whatever ails you in life.

Today, I had an epiphany! It has been almost 2 years since my dx of RA.
Through trial and error, and four different meds, I am hopeful that my new medicine will put this bone and tendon eating visitor to sleep for a while.

Me...Enthusiastic?   Yup ~ that is WHO I AM.
Many people say, I used to be...before RA.   I feel, well I know, RA has stolen my joy, enthusiasm and excitement I had for life.    It is a broken and tired road, and many people got off the highway when it was getting rough.   That didn't help losing my joy for life.

However, I am not this visitor ~ RA, and I can't let this disease define me.
Not anymore.  Not this chick.   Sure my family and friends and I have to accept
the changes in my abilities and strength...but my light of enthusiasm is still shining.

I was BORN TENACIOUS, ENTHUSIASTIC, TOUGH and RESILIENT, and many times
have been told I was BUBBLY and the LIFE OF THE PARTY!

I have been so attached to my careers, my education, which took me 11 years to get,
and then my entrepreneurial spirit shined with Life Coaching!  It was hard to begin the acceptance process.  Starting my own business, knowing I needed a career to work with my body, which was breaking faster than I could get my business off the ground.   I did get a volunteer Teen Coaching program started 4 years ago.   That is my passion!   Talk about my light shining!  Those teens rock!

This life change had me feeling that I wasn't as worthwhile a person as I was before.
That's because I couldn't physically do my work, I was feeling like a failure.   Due to the severe change in my personal life, I sure felt like I had to be a boring person now.  I wasn't reliable, and mostly needed friends to come here.

I lost my enthusiasm for life ~ My "Je ne sais quoi".   Or perhaps I was just going through the process and accepting my new life.   Hello, it is a huge life changer.  Huge.
But I am seeing things clearer, and with hope.

So, my friends, what am I ~ what are we going to do about it?
I don't work now...I am officially "disabled".  A Type "A" with RA and a busy brain.
Does that make me any less of a friend than I was before I got sick?  Nope.
My brain works fine (well...), so I can blog, write a book (which I have started) spend time with friends and family, and rest and rejuvinate my body.
My volunteer program is ready for it's 4th year to coach Teen's to set and achieve goals.   Last year I had 100% goal attainment.   Not bad for a "dud".  :)

I just needed to go through this tough process and get over myself.   My family is 
wonderful and we embrace the simple life, for that I am blessed.

Me, enthusiastic again?! You Betcha!   Thank God!

Healing Hugs, 
Alicia





7 comments:

Dars said...

I like it :-) I need to find that again..and I don't even have any physical ailments stopping me. I just have my brain stopping me...2 1/2 months of blah. If you can, I can...eventually...I hope.

abcsofra said...

What a fantastic attitude :-) Do you by chance wear red high heels? I know you don't in real life but I bet you do inside. I am also type A and disabled and I always try to look at things as the glass a half full but lately I am topping it off with a bit of champagne :-) Not literally but figuratively of course. I also love blogging but I am still looking for that something more to round out my life. Just haven't figured out exactly what it is. But I am wishing you the best in all you do.

Alicia said...

Do I wear RED HIGH HEELS? I met the Brit wearing my favorite RED HIGH HEELS! My closet is still full of high heels even though I have to wear sneakers with orthodics now (even doing yoga). I sometimes put the red ones on for 5 minutes and feel beautiful for my man!
@ Dars...I am always so brutally honest ~ I feel I write for everyone. It is probrably the Coach in me. I am exposed, but I want to help anyone I can. You will, you will...I'll help. xo

mal1863 said...

Brilliant Alicia! I hope in some small way finding us, your new friends, has helped you regain your amazing enthusiasm.

Alicia said...

Mal....I am sure the unconditional love and support of all of our friends has helped immensly. We are blessed! xo

Michelle Wright said...

Thank you so much for sharing! You sound just like the old me I'm trying to get back! Just diagnosed a few mos ago, still feeling sorry for myself, yet looking forward to being my old self again! I had to scrap my old job but I'm so excited for my new journey. I'm in school to bea wellness coach and so looking forward to helping others just like you are!!

Alicia said...

Good for you Michelle! We should talk sometime. I'd love to hear where you are going to school and how the studies are going. I went to ICA - it was a global Coaching University. 123 classes with people from all over the globe. It was the best choice I ever made...I learned that no matter where we are from...we all have the same feelings. Best of luck to you in everything. What a journey! xo