Are we limited to the confines of the mind?
I believe there are many pillars of health; mental, physical, emotional, spiritual.
If one is out of whack, it impacts the other and it has a domino effect on the body.
Subconsciously, we devise a personal formula of how look after ourselves, based on what we learnt as we grew up from our parents, family, teachers, magazines, tv and friends. BUT what they didn’t tell us is that there’s no “one size fits all” solution.
We aren’t taught our constitution and physiology is completely unique to us, so one might excel at Pilates and crumble at CrossFit. One might be able to drink coffee and truly enjoy it, whilst the other can’t handle it has pain or nausea but does it out of habit, or for social reasons.
And we certainly aren’t taught about the power of the mind 🧠 yet this is the one tool that can make or break us, to survive or thrive. Mindset, mental control, a positive mental attitude.
When it came to my stroke, I was one million percent sure I would heal my brain and I refused to believe I couldn’t - THIS proved I had the foundation of a strong resilient mind, everything my mum instilled in me from a young age was coming to my aid when I needed it most. I didn’t consult the internet for help, instead, I went to the library and borrowed tonnes of books that experts had written. It was time to find a way to heal, allopathic medicine wasn't right for this situation. I didn't need a bandaid, I needed to support my systems and find the root cause of the problem.
I listened to tonnes of podcasts, varied topics, that give something unique a book can’t offer, a two way conversation where one prompts or even challenges the experts answer, and my gosh they all knew their shit and passed with flying colours. The experts in their chosen field believed in it so much, yet, interestingly enough the general consensus was some things are universally appropriate and other things just aren't, its up to the individual to discern what is right for them.
I didn’t listen to one person, in one industry, with one set of beliefs, or one that ticked all the boxes I currently tick. My mission was to gain as much knowledge as I could from all walks of life; different faiths, with kids or without, male & female, and to challenge my own beliefs because everything I was doing wasn’t working well enough, or I wouldn’t be in this situation. But more to the point, I wanted quality of life.
Some books/podcasts I didn’t agree with, I didn’t like and wasn’t interested in, yet I persevered and finished the book or episode and what do you know, it made me question things I believed in right down to my core. Things I had been taught by the world around me growing up, which is what shaped my views on how to look after myself.
It was such a healthy way to reevaluate what no longer served me, or possibly never did and I just didn’t realise it. This was a huge step on my road to recovery, to let go of what I thought I knew and open my mind to the possibilities.
I took bits and pieces that resonated with me and formulated my own plan. After all, I am the expert in my own body.
Mindset is more than just “being a positive person”, I’ve always been a positive person. It was understanding how the words I spoke to myself impacted my life and influenced my decisions.
My list is long, full of small changes I made to improve my health, gain good quality of life and ultimately now I am thriving. However, it all comes down to the words I say to myself every day, positive AFFIRMATIONS ❤️