IT’S ALL ABOUT BALANCE
Balance. A word by meaning is a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions. I personally like the term used for Sailing: the ability of a boat to stay on course without adjustment of the rudder. WOW! wouldn’t that be nice. I don’t know many, if anyone, that gets through life with the ability to stay on course without some kind of adjustment along the way.
Life is all about balance. What is balance for one is not always balance for another. Life is stressful and full of obstacles. This is the case whether you are CEO of a large corporation, doctor (yes even psychologists and neurologist feel stress), a caretaker, or the living with a condition or disorder of any kind.
As I sail through my life on the FND vessel there are days I don’t think my boat even has a rudder. The calm waters can feel few and far between. Living with a Functional Neurological Disorder can feel like sailing into the “perfect storm”. It is easy to fall into a cycle of either preparing for another storm, being in the eye of it, or recovering.
Sometimes our fear of the cycle is deeper than the ocean. We loose sight of our course and who we are supposed to be. But as the sun breaks through the perfect storm we must fix our rudder and find balance. If we are not looking for balance FND will take over our lives completely.
A Functional Neurological Disorder is what I have not who I am.
I truly hate FND it has taken many things from me, but I wouldn’t be truthful if I didn’t say It has also sent me many blessings in my life. I have made new wonderful friends, and I have learned to find joy in the simple things. I appreciate the fact I can walk across the street or through the mall with my daughters, and I appreciate even more those around me that drive me to town or make me laugh.
This journey has given me a perspective of why balance is so important. Balance does bring joy, and joy will relieve stress.
I don’t always get it right, but I do have the ability to adjust my rudder.
How do you find balance?
LIFE IS HOW YOU LOOK AT IT
I was once taught an object lesson on perspective and it is a life lesson that seems to reapply over and over in my life.
Look around the room you are in and find everything you can that is the color red. As many as you can find and as detailed as you would like…..no really, do this now before you read on……….
Now, close your eyes and list everything you can that is yellow…..
In this object lesson we were learning to look for the positive.
If you are only looking for the red (negative) Then you will not notice the yellow (positive). It doesn’t mean the yellow is not there, it’s just simply not getting your focus.
I think we all can apply a little of this object lesson in our lives. I have wondered if the medical community could be focusing a bit too much on the red that maybe they are missing some yellow. I do not imply they are missing things in MRI’s and such, but maybe they have just been looking at the same picture with the same perspective so long; they can’t see the big picture anymore. It is like the image you clicked to get here. Did you see the old lady or the young lady? It is almost difficult to see one after your mind has caught the attention of the other.
Each of us have a different perspective based on our life experiences. It is up to us to choose how we will look at the world in which we live. Some days are definitely easier than others to look for all the colors of the rainbow around us. They are there though. No matter what illness plagues your life or the life of the one you love, it changes your perspective. You, however, are the only one that gets to decide how it will change you. No doctor, nurse, psychologist, friend, family, neighbor, passer-byer, ect. gets to decide your perspective and how you choose to see the world. If you think about it…..
that in and of its self is EMPOWERING. I am not saying it is easy. I would never ever suggest such a thing nor do I think it will take this disorder away. I do know that if you search for a little more yellow you will find hope and hope will change the world you live in.
EMBRACE CHANGE – EVEN IF IT’S FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER
Functional Neurological Disorder, Conversion Disorder, Functional Movement Disorder, Psychogenic… Regardless of what it is labeled, embrace the changes in you.
Change can be one of the most frightening experiences as humans we encounter. Even if it is a positive transformation, it is human nature to be a creature of habit. It is why we continue to engage in behaviors we know are not for our own good. There are times we choose the change and then there are those times we do not get the luxury of choice in the matter. These metamorphoses rarely go well when they are met with resistance. Acceptance of change is not confirmation that it is what is best for us, but a transformation of adaptation is.
Making the most out of a particular situation is always optimal and gives us the best opportunity to grow. We have life experiences because we are supposed to change. We are meant to remodel, remold, reshape or tweak ourselves, if you will. We each hold the power within us to decide what we allow to alter ourselves and how we will then be defined. Do you embrace the new you or do you cling to your old comforts? How stubborn would we be if we completely refused to evolve at all?
One of the definitions of change is to move one from another. I think this to be the best definition and one that can help find balance in transformation. This definition gives insight as to how change is not necessarily better or worse, but defined as different. As illness effects who we are and begins to alter our life it is an opportunity to become different, but does not have to mean worse.
There is an innate part of ones self that is how we define who “You” is. It is our individual foundation and substructure of “You” that has most likely been shaken by trials in our lives such as poor health. The core of who you are, what you believe, and what you know to be your true “You” is worth fighting for. Personality, moral conduct, heredity, and the things we value most are a part of how we value ourselves and others. It is important to build a strong substructure of who “You” is. By doing so, then the trials and challenges of life will not be cause to rebuild, but will minimize change as an opportunity to remodel, remold and reshape who we really are and how we define and accept ourselves.
To allow yourself the freedom of accepting you and where you are in your life right now is empowering. Accepting doesn’t mean you give up hope for a cure or change in health.
Accepting is seeing the good in yourself and being ok despite the change.
FUN FACT:
Laughter provides a full-scale workout for your muscles and it unleashes a rush of stress-busting endorphins and since your body can’t tell the difference between real and fake laughter – feel free to giggle away.