Author Archives: Diane Vich

    Categories Optimism, Perspective

    Perspective Shift

    Our perspective is based on our life experiences, current situations, feelings, beliefs and stress.  It is impacted by our families and friends as well.  It may seem difficult at times to shift your perspective from negative to positive when life becomes too challenging.  Our life experiences change constantly making our perspective ever changing also.  Yet, it is the key to finding joy, peace and happiness in our lives.  Al Neuharth once said, “the difference between a mountain and a molehill is your perspective.”   I love this quote because it shows that our perspective can shift the way we look at our life, even in the worst situations.  And through my challenges I have connected with this belief that perspective makes things magical even amidst chaos.  On those difficult days,  shifting my perspective and recognizing my progress helped place life into focus unveiling the positive moments of each day.

    Creating this shift in perspective is a lifestyle choice.  It requires persistence, perseverance, consistency and repetition.  And through this process you begin to learn, heal and evolve through the challenge’s life brings.  My journey started 13 years ago and there were plenty of bumpy roads and rollercoaster experiences.  But I knew deep inside that I needed to heal the physical body to create a foundational support system.  And that made space for me to work on the trauma and abuse that had been hiding beneath the surface.  Albert Einstein once said, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” And that was exactly what I learned along the way.  The more I focused on mindfulness, gratitude, self-love and perspective the easier life felt.  I felt happier, even if turmoil lurked in every corner or crevice.  We may not be able to predict the future or clear all the obstacles that may come our way, but we do have the power to choose to shift our perspective and find the blessing in each moment.

    Changing your perspective is never easy.  It takes time, consistency, perseverance and persistence.  It takes practice to shift your mind from a negative thought into a positive outlook.  After all, shifting the negative voice in our heads may require our attention a multitude of times per day. Some days are usually easier than others.  But, on those difficult days, filled with challenges the negative voice often gets into overdrive. And those stressful days require constant redirection and may feel overwhelming.  I must emphasize, it was not easy but it was absolutely worth the effort.  When I began to see challenges through this new perspective, I recognized each experience was an opportunity.  And the difficult, overwhelming and stressful days diminished exponentially. And suddenly things from my bucket list, no longer felt impossible.  And I began to work towards the future, as I realized my daily visualization were helping me keep the shift more stable.

    My perspective has been shifting consistently on my journey to healing the emotional and physical root of my chronic illness, severe digestive issues and anxiety.  But like anything in life healing goes through phases: physical, emotional , mental and spiritual.  The first 10 years were physical and geared towards healing by reducing prescriptions and symptoms of disease and illness.  The last 3 years were spiritual and emotional geared towards reducing overwhelming feelings by unravelling the root cause of my illness, trauma and self-limiting beliefs.  The quote that paved the way for my perspective shift was, “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change” by Wayne Dyer. And this premise gave me insights to begin some mindfulness practices that helped shift my perspective and fuel my day with a positive outlook. And I will share a few of those strategies that fueled me over the years.

    Strategies to Shift your Perspective:

    1. Breathe Deep and slow – take in 10 slow deep breaths with your eyes closed. My favorite is the 5-5-5 breath.  Imagine you are moving the air up your spine to the crown of your head. Breath in 5 seconds. Hold your breath for 5 seconds. And exhale slowly.
    2. Lay down in dragonfly position and combine with 5-5-5 Breath.  A great way to start your day with a new energy and perspective.
    3. Take 5 minutes to meditate or listen to a guided meditation.  A simple meditation is to visualize your day.  Imagine each moment from self-care, meals, meetings, driving, etc.  Imagine them all happening beautifully.  And focus on noticing the way you feel in those moments.
    4. When that negative voice pops into your head, recite an affirmation and take several deep breaths as you let it sink in.  You can try, “I am worthy of living, loving and having the dream.”  Or “I am good enough and I will get through this.”

    Now, it is up to you. Do you choose to shift your perspective?  Do you choose to find the blessings amidst the chaos?  Do you choose to make lemonade out of lemons? Yes, well it all starts with self-love, mindfulness and a decision to make the shift.  I hope you feel inspired to practice some self-loving perspective shifts and begin to experience the magic in your life.

    Categories Optimism, Perspective

    Making Lemonade with Life’s Challenges 

    Let’s face it, life brings us plenty of obstacles.  We face challenges and obstacles all day long.  And sometimes the challenges can feel like you are carrying bricks on your shoulders.  The difficulties we face in life place an emotional and physical toll on our body, mind, and psyche.  And it is often hard to shift our perspective when the stress just keeps piling up on us.  I know I felt life was overwhelming.  And during those stressful times, I often felt like curling up in bed and hiding.  But that isn’t always an option.  We have to keep moving forward.  We may not always do it for ourselves. But we do it for our families or those we love.

    I used to wake up every day with a sour stomach and anxiety.   I was stressed from the moment I opened my eyes till I closed them again at night.  I didn’t realize at the time that it was my nightmares that were causing such an intense physical and emotional reaction.  But after years of tackling the physical root of my symptoms, it was time to face the facts and deal with the emotional root of everything.

    As I began my journey, I started to follow a daily principle, I learned from Wayne Dyer;

    “Change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

    I used this premise to reflect on my stressful moments and find the blessing in challenges.  I learned from the dark moments to find meaning in each experience.  Trust me life was not easy.  And some days I cried often. On other days I experienced excruciating physical pain or headaches.  But I kept switching my perspective and focusing on the positive.  I made slow but steady progress.  Abd some days, I woke up smiling and singing.  I started to wake up happy, excited, and motivated.  Rather than stressed, overwhelmed and anxious.  And the nightmares began to diminish in the process. And soon the bright days outnumbered the dark ones.

    And the new perspective and joy gave me the courage to face my biggest challenge in life.  I was ready to face my trauma, which literally gave me that sour taste in the morning.  It was time to go back in time, re-experience my sexual abuse and find the blessing in a horrible situation.  I knew it was time to learn the lessons and forgive myself for something that was never my fault.  But as most people facing similar hardships, self-forgiveness is often the most difficult to achieve.  I kept focusing on a positive outlook and finding the lessons each day.  And suddenly the dark days diminished, bringing more days of sunshine and hope.

    I learned to praise my progress and recognize my success often.  It was a premise, I later called Progress, not Perfection.  And at the end of 2021, I realized I had made lemonade out of lemons.  I had faced my fears. I had seen everything I experienced as a little girl. I had seen everyone that was involved.  I recognized all the beliefs those experiences had created in my life.  And as I unraveled the self-limiting beliefs everything started to change. As I let go of the sense of unworthiness my life began to bring new blessings.  And as I realized, “I am good enough,” everything began to look brighter.  And little by little, the bitter taste in my mouth began to disappear.  The sour stomach disappeared.  The chronic shoulder tension from bearing the weight of a 35-year secret was relieved.  And finally, I began to feel like my happy, energetic, and joyful self again.

    And one day, I realized life had become lemonade.  Suddenly the lemons of daily stress no longer brought me down.  I was able to find blessings and lessons each day.  And I was able to make sweet lemonade with each sour moment.  I knew it was time to share this perspective shift and guide others to see the blessings amidst the chaos.  And in November 2021, I created a Lemonade Meditation.  A short-guided meditation to face challenges and find the blessings.  The lemonade meditation is a little piece of the magic that came from this new outlook on life. And it was a great way for me to guide others to use their 5 senses to re-experience life’s challenges in a new light. Over the months, I have shared it with friends and small groups.  And today, I am grateful to share it with you.

    Thankfully the days of waking up with indigestion, anxiety, and sour stomach are behind me.  But it all started by choosing to find the blessing amidst the chaos, making lemonade out of lemons, and recognizing the progress along the way. If I learned anything on my journey, it is the power of self-love and forgiveness that sets you free.  But most of all, making lemonade out of the sour moments brings sunshine and sweetness to each day.

    Categories The Bright Side

    Puppy Worthy

    Worthiness is something we feel or we strive to achieve. Worthy means you have or show the qualities or abilities that merit recognition in a specified way. But why is it that people don’t alwys feel worthy of what the currently have or the things they dream. Well plainly said somethibg happened early in life that created a self-limiting belief of unworthiness. It can affect people in many aspects of live in different ways. I learned the feeling of unworthiness was impacting my life in exponential ways. As a little girl, I believed because my purity and wholeness was taken, i was not worthy. And that created a pattern of self-sabotage and resistance through life.

    But once i started clearing that belief and taking steps to achieve my dreams thibgs began to change and unravel. And the sense of worthiness and self-worth increased. And that brings me to being puppy worthy. I had been dreaming and wanting a puppy for years. My kids had been dreaming of it too. We even ended up with a bird a few years ago on my search for a pet. But my true sense of worthiness came after jumping into a case that rocked my world and made me face the fears i never dealt with as a child. And in those moments of stress as I reported a case to DCF and dealt with the police all my childhood emotions, fears and stress hit me full force. But amidst my chaos some magic happened and her name is Luna. My son’s girlfriend had her heart set on this gorgeous little havanese puppy she got the same week I faced my most challenging obstacle. And as I played with Luna my stress response began to calm, my mind cleared, my heart settled and a deep sense of safety filled me. And in that moment I knew a puppy would help me heal. And over the next fee weeks I made it a regular habit to visit with Luna or stop at a puppy shop to play and relax.

    And the more I enjoyed the puppies and released the stress the DCF case placed on my nervous system the truth became clear. And over time my courage grew and I finally realized that I was worthy of having a puppy. I realized I was ready and I took a leap to explain to my husband the way Luna had helped me during the DCF case and its impact on my nervous system. And suddenly something shifted and the resistance faded. And my husband said, yes. And I immediately gave a deposit for Cloe who had been born 8/8/22, 1 week before. And i was blessed to watch her grow over the next few months as I preparred for her arrival. And on October 3rd I met my green eyed chocolate havanesse. She blessed our home 2 days before my son’s 16th birthday. And it has been a love story every since.

    The moral of the story is that each of us has self-limiting beliefs. And we self-sabotage and resist our own dreams as a result. But when we slow down, listen and tune in to the things that bring us joy, peace and calm. We can develop the courage to reach for the dream with ease.

    #puppyworthy #dreambig #manifestingabundance #worth #worthiness #worthy #blessed #self-limitingbeliefs #resistance #self-sabotage #brave #courage #traumainchildhood #peace #calm #puppylove #havanesseangels #myhavanesseangel #puppypower #futuretherapydog #mybabygirl

     

     

    Categories The Bright Side

    Blessings & Lessons

    The journey through life has many challenges and obstacles along the way.  The thing I learned as I hurtled through hoops to heal from my trauma is that there are blessings and lessons in every situation.  In the moment of stress, frustration, anger and overwhelm our bodies react with the stress response.  We develop tunnel vision, our heart races, we experience triggers, pain or a variety of symptoms.  At that moment the lesson or blessing is not visible.  We can’t see it because our eyes are literally tight, tense and constricted.   We can’t feel it because our senses are overstimulated and overwhelmed.  It is a protective mechanism to get out of a dangerous situation.  But it happens even in non-life threatening situations because our body has memory.  The blessing or lesson may not even come for days, weeks or months after the event is over because we likely are dealing with physical repercussions of the stress we faced.  But when the stress fades, the eyes relax, the body settles and the mind clears, there is always an opportunity to reflect on those challenges and identify the blessing and lesson in each situation.

    It may not be the easy way out because it requires a little effort on our part and acceptance of the past but it is better than brushing it under the rug while you wait for the next challenge to come.  If you choose to brush it under the rug, that is your option, but know that when you do, life will once again bring you a similar challenge to guide you towards the lesson.  The more you ignore the opportunity to find the blessing and the lesson, the more challenges you face.  It happened to me countless times over my 13 year healing journey.  And over the past few years when I was deep in healing my trauma and feeling a heightened stress response, it was not always easy to slow down and learn from my experiences.  But it would have taken exponentially longer to get back here to writing on paper again, had I not learned the lessons, evolved through them and expressed gratitude for the blessings from each situation.

    But exactly, how do you find the blessings and lessons in situations? How do you know when to reflect?  The simple fact is everything, even the random things in life have meaning.  Everything has a lesson, though some lessons might be expansive and some may be small.  How do you slow down and tune in to the lesson?  Well that is easy.  Mindfulness, meditation, stretch, sitting in nature, deep breathing, feeling the sensations in your body, clearing your thoughts, star gazing, cloud watching, or any other activity that literally slows down your mind and body enough for you to let go of the to do lists and just reflect.

    Years ago I was faced with health issues that placed me in a predicament with a colleague that gave me a hard time and tried to compromise my career.  But a blessing came from that situation at the same time my doctor told me it was critical for my health to leave the bedside and find a different nursing job.  At that moment, I was upset, angry and stressed but when the dust settled it turned out to be in my best interest to move on.  And my boss offered me a desk job that eventually turned into a virtual nursing job that gave me an opportunity to really dig deep, write and heal my trauma at home.  But had that challenge not come my way, the opportunity would not have come either.  You have probably experienced something similar or even heard a story from a friend that also ended in a positive light. That is the blessing and the lesson in the situation.

    A friend shared a story with me recently that fits this topic perfectly.  Have you ever been offered something that fell through and found out later it was in your best interest?  Well this is the story.  My friend applied for a job.  The company was raving and excited for her to join.  But life kept getting in the way.  She was on vacation when they wanted to finalize and things just didn’t fall into place.  And it turned out that the company froze the position and later laid off the team she was meant to join.  If she hadn’t honored her own wishes and enjoyed her vacation, she may have been stuck in a bad situation.  But since she slowed down, smelled the roses and enjoyed her life, everything fell into place.

    Have you ever applied for something that wasn’t exactly right for you and later found a different job that was even better? This recently happened to me too.  I was eyeing a position to transition into a new role but life and work moved on and it fell off my radar.  I spoke to my son about his college prospects and we both agreed we both liked University of Miami.  And the conversation peaked an old interest I had always had to see if there was an opportunity to teach there.  And this literally happened like magic.  I called an old friend, she sent an email, the next day I had an interview and by the end of the meeting I had the job.  It happened in the course of 3 days.  But finally I was getting back in line with the dreams I had before I decided to delve deep into my trauma.  After a few weeks I reached out to my friend at the position I had been seeking and it turned out someone was hired and I never got a chance to apply.  But had I applied, this teaching opportunity may never have occurred.  So follow the current of life.  Embrace the challenges.  And find the lessons along the way.

    The random experiences in life are very interesting and intriguing.  And those usually give you quick clues or tips for your next step.  Maybe you run into an old friend on the way home when you decide to stop somewhere you never go.  And they tell you a story that helps you make a decision later in the day.  That was not random.  That was God sending you a sign. I literally met a family friend at a distant grocery store and experienced a great conversation about an old trip.  And it gave me some insights for an upcoming vacation I was planning.

    Maybe you have a crazy puppy like mine that steals your shoes.  And she steals 1 new perfect leather sandal and destroys it.  And a week later your husband gets you a new pair and your bedroom door is open.  And she gets in the closet and grabs a second shoe and destroys it.  And after the stress melts, you calm down and you analyze the situation, you realize everything is fine.  Because last week she broke the old right shoe.  And this week she broke the new left shoe.  Leaving you with an interesting set of shoes that look exactly the same.  One is old and one is new but they both work the same and look the same.  And now you can step forward into your life knowing that even when things are broken, they aren’t always lost, they are not always dreadful and there can be a miracle at the end of the journey.

    So the next time your life throws you a curve ball or your body literally stops you in your tracks with a symptom.  After the dust settles, the stress clears and the overwhelm fades.  Take the time to slow down, reflect on your day, your week, your year and notice if something good came out of a difficult situation.  And maybe next time you won’t fall back into old patterns and let your dog eat your shoes or miss out on a magical opportunity just within your reach.

    Categories Uncategorized

    De-Stress the Holidays!

    Categories Uncategorized

    Peace in Chaos

    It has been a long time since I published an article.  As I healed from my abuse and focused on forgiveness, life took me to a place of falling apart to rebuild myself.  I learned that we find our light in the darkness.  And we find our joy in the pain.  And we find our clarity in the fog.  We may not always notice the blessing in those difficult times but it is those dark moments that help us find our voice, vision and passion again.  It is funny that I had to fall apart to recognize that my soul had a vision but I had skipped a few steps on that path.  And building myself back together helped me realize living in the moment, recognizing the blessing and finding gratitude made the journey exponentially easier.  I had spent all my life pushing against the current.  I had always gotten a vision and forced myself into that role even if I wasn’t ready.  I had always created the perfect scenario for self-sabotage to creep in and stop my progression.  But the moment I changed the way I looked at daily life and recognized the lesson in each day, life drastically changed.  And day by day, I began to see that life doesn’t have to be difficult, if we listen, see, speak, taste, smell, and feel each moment.  So I invite you to slow down, savor the moment, even the difficult ones because there is a lesson there.  And the quicker you recognize the lesson and express gratitude for the life you have now, the quicker your dreams become reality.  And I invite you to make lemonade out of those lemons.  I invite you to find the sweetness in the sour.  Because life is short and each moment is meant to bring you closer to your joy.

    Peace in Chaos 

    Breathe my dear shed your fear.

    Feel my dear your dream is near.

    Sense my dear let the stress melt away.

    Taste my dear the sweet is in the sour.

    Smell my dear your peace is near.

    See my dear, the blessings are in the chaos.

    Breathe in your calm and release your fear.

    Feel the peace, release your resistance

    Sense the shift, allow peace to enter.

    Taste the sweetness in your sorrow.

    Smell the calm amidst the chatter.

    See the blessings my dear they are all around you.

    Categories Uncategorized

    Sunshine in Paradise

    Manifesting dreams into reality takes time and patience but it does happen to real people.  I started visualizing myself traveling to beautiful beaches and distant places when I began my healing journey years ago.  I learned along the way that sometimes we manifest things but if we aren’t living present and in the moment we don’t appreciate the blessing we have.  I have been blessed with many trips over the past few years and practiced plenty of mindfulness, self-love and gratitude to live in the present during each visit.  But sometimes it can be difficult with our stressful lives and our emotional triggers.  Emotional and physical symptoms can arise even in the most peaceful places.  I was blessed with a trip to Exuma with my son to Casa Mary with close friends.  It was a magical place filled with possibilities.  Yet on the first day, I had a migraine and felt disconnected from the magic of the moment.  I recognized it was time to practice self-love and find the root of my symptoms to unravel the reason behind this migraine in paradise.  I realized that I was feeling guilt and shame because my eldest son and husband stayed home to pursue baseball dreams.  Though it was not my fault and they were having fun on their own, the judge in my mind was blaming me for enjoying magic without them.  After reflecting and resolving the pain, I began to focus on gratitude for each moment and the stress melted away.  I shared a few magic moments and insights of this trip in my Self-Love community but was not ready to share with the world.  Usually on vacation my creative insights and writing is flowing but those little pesky emotions lingered under the surface.

    I had a vision of myself in a big Orange hat on the beach months before Exuma.  And I packed the big Orange hat.  The day I shared the poem in my group, I laughed thinking of Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat.  I realized I had subconsciously fulfilled the vision of a hurt little girl by living my dream with an Orange hat.  On the last day in paradise, I finally worked up the courage to take the pictures I had dreamed of in Exuma.  And the perfect opportunity came to spend time with my son and model for the camera.  I found plenty of beautiful places to show off the Orange hat and begin to unravel that creative mind through those pictures.

    Creativity finally came a few days after the trip as I enjoyed looking through the pictures and came upon a picture of the Orange hat sitting upon the rocks.  The visual inspiration helped me realize that sometimes life gives us darkness to guide us towards the light.  Life sometimes gets in the way of our dreams, passions and aspirations.  But the more we learn to find the blessings in the difficult moments the easier the journey becomes.  We experience challenges to give us the opportunity to grow and evolve.  Life is about making lemonade out of the lemons to find the sweetness in the sour.  Enjoy the poem written with love.

    Sunshine in Paradise

    The breeze calls to me
    soothing away the stress in my body
    The ocean calls to me
    washing away the doubt in my bones.
    The waves call to me
    Clearing away the judge in my mind.
    The sun calls to me
    Warming the courage in my soul.
    The birds sing to me
    Replacing the negative chatter in my mind.
    The butterflies fly to me
    Bringing hope and joy to my eyes.
    The waves come to my feet
    Cleansing my feet and inviting hope in
    The sand sticks to me
    Reminding me to dust away the fear
    The sun shines on me
    Refilling me with energy and vitality
    The breeze comes to me
    Reviving my senses with peace and tranquility
    The butterflies dance for me
    Reminding me there is light at the end of the tunnel
    The birds fly to me
    Bringing the courage to shine
    The sun caresses me
    Encouraging the courage to rise.
    The waves cuddle me
    Releasing the judge of my mind.
    The ocean soothes me
    Freeing my body from limitations.
    The breeze tickles me
    Reminding me that mother nature is on my side.

    Categories autoimmune, autoimmune crisis, Digestive Issues, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Fibromyalgia

    Grateful for My EDS III

    I know it sounds completely strange that I am grateful for my genetic debilitating condition.  I have Ehlers Danlos SyndromeBut the fact is that if I wouldn’t have been plagued with pain, symptoms and illness I wouldn’t have Published a book.  I am truly grateful for the years of pain, numbness and discomfort my condition gave me because it awakened me to the possibilities of a life without pain.  If I wouldn’t have lived most of my life in excruciating pain than I wouldn’t understand the gift of wellness I achieved.  So let me explain my pain a little better for you to understand the extent of my transformation.

    I began with symptoms in childhood with anxiety and digestive issues.  I don’t remember if I had physical pain at the time but I probably did.  I do remember I always had a Band-Aid or injury on the mend.  I did have a lot of infections, allergies, urinary tract infections and skin conditions.

    Fast forward to 8th grade, I already had pain in my neck and right arm.  The digestive issues were worse and feminine issues emerged. I began having frequent vaginal infections and chronic menstrual cramps.  The feminine issues progressively worsened because of my allergies to ingredients in feminine products but I had no idea.

    Fast forward to adult life, I spent countless hours at doctors’ offices and specialists because all the symptoms were overwhelming.  I was on tons of prescriptions and antibiotics regularly.  My debilitating symptoms progressed to the point where my right arm and right leg were completely numb.  My pain level was 9/10 constantly and needed modifications at work through ergonomics assessments.

    The conditions worsened with stress and during my nursing career disability emerged. II had a special chair which had neck, lumbar and butt support. And this chair took years to find after many alternatives didn’t work.  My arm was in so much pain that during my MSN education I had to get transcription to software o write my papers and assignments. I had a multitude of symptoms at this point in my life: reflux, IBS, bloating, injuries, skin infections, UTIs, vaginal infections, chronic pain, migraines and fatigue.  Wow I know that is a lot for anyone to handle.  It was a tough life but it made me the woman I am today.

    I am grateful and thankful for all those symptoms because they created an awareness inside me to change.  If I wouldn’t have been at rock bottom and filled with symptoms I wouldn’t have fought for a better life.  If I wouldn’t have known the truth about pain I wouldn’t have known there was a better way of life.  My awareness of discomfort pushed me into action.

    And those two beautiful gifts are part of what I teach today in my book, “The Truth about IBS and Anxiety.”

    The book is more than a triumph over digestive issues, bloating and anxiety.  It is a triumph over autoimmune disease, Fibromyalgia, insomnia, POTS, EDS III, Reflux, and Anxiety.

    My path to understanding my body came from a place of pain but it brought me to a deep sense of relief.

    So here I am almost 43 years old and in the best shape of my life.  I am more active now than I ever was in my teens and young adult life.  I have more energy, strength and vitality than I ever dreamed.  But if I wouldn’t have come from such a dark and lonely place I wouldn’t have achieved it.  And that is why, I created a Podcast, “Goddess Unleashed’ because I truly believe “Your Medical History doesn’t have to be Your Fate.”  If I could overcome a genetic condition that progressively debilitates you into a life of surgeries, physical therapy and immobility; than you can overcome your own genetic predisposition.

    The day I was diagnosed was an eye opening experience because the doctor praised me for everything I was doing to support myself.  And this came at a time when I was still plagued by pain.  And because I came from such a dark place I truly see, feel and experience the gifts I have been given.  I am truly grateful and thankful for my new life without pain and symptoms.  I am thankful that I don’t need prescriptions, surgeries and conventional treatments.  And that unique perspective is what I share on my podcast to bridge the gap between Conventional and Alternative Medicine on a path towards disease prevention and health promotion.  If you are looking for a way out of your debilitating symptoms, indigestion or anxiety than schedule your Free Clarity Call.  You have nothing to lose because you are already plagued by symptoms.  But you have everything to gain if and when you achieve your own unique wellness. Download journal tips, meditations and a FREE Copy of the book.

    Categories Advice, Anxiety, Emotional pain, Fear, flare up, freedom, Health, motivation, positivity, self-actualization, Self-doubt, Speak your mind, stress relief, Worry

    Rock Bottom to Awareness

    How do you get up from rock bottom?

    What do you do when you fall on your butt?

    What do you do when it feels like everything is falling apart?

    What do you do when life keeps sending you obstacles that throw you off course?

     

    Life always seems to send obstacles and challenges to throw us of course.  These obstacles can create frustration, stress and anxiety within us.  The journey can be annoying and difficult when you allow the stressful emotions to take over.  But actually each unique challenge is meant to make us stronger as we learn and grow. I have had plenty of rock bottom moments.  So many moments that threw me completely off course because stress got in the way.  And in the heat of the moment getting caught in the overwhelm and frustration creates havoc in our lives.  I have made plenty of these mistakes by getting caught in overwhelm and losing sight of my goals, dreams and purpose.  The amazing thing I have learned is that even after really challenging moments, everything works out in our favor in the long run.  In the midst of chaos it appears that our world is caving in around us but after all the dust settles, we evolve and life is better.

     

    Think about a stressful moment in your past.  Something that felt overwhelming and frustrating in the moment.  Maybe it was a physical injury, a lost job, a break up, a big argument or an illness.  In the heat of the moment you likely got caught up in the stressful feelings making you feel helpless and hopeless.  The effects of this stressful moment can last hours, days, weeks or months.  Trust me I know that some of these obstacles can truly get in our way and make us feel like the world is against us.  I have felt that way plenty of times.  Now think about that same situation after a few months passed.  Things settled and life started to return to normal. Your drive and motivation returned.  And life returned to its typical pace.  And when you reflect on those events, you might notice that everything worked out. But it wasn’t exactly as you planned it. For example, back in November 2019, I had an upset customer throw my life completely off balance.  In the heat of the moment, I was caught in my stressful emotions and felt a deep dread and impending doom.  I was caught in negative emotions and let the stress take over my life for weeks.  During this stressful situation, I felt helpless, hopeless and alone.  And literally in that moment when it all transpired, I was alone.  It all happened when my husband was away with my oldest son.  I was home alone with my youngest.  And I could have been enjoying this fun bonding time with him.  But instead I was dealing with the subconscious self-limiting beliefs that made me spiral into a sense of fear and overwhelm.  I was so stressed and anxious that I completely felt like my world was caving in on me. And I forgot I had 15 years of amazing customer service on my side.  I forgot that everyone has a bad day sometimes.  I forgot that sometimes you can’t please everyone even when you do everything in your power to support them.  I forgot that I am amazing at my job and that my colleagues all new it.  I lost sight of who I am and I lost hope for everything.  And that extreme stress caused sudden emotional shifts and crying fits. And this wasn’t the first or the last intensely stressful situation.

     

    In the heat of the moment, I let stress, anxiety and fear get the best of me. The situation left me feeling drained, exhausted and frustrated on all levels. I was physically drained of energy.  I lost mental focus and productivity.  I was emotionally frustrated and overwhelmed.  The funny thing is that I know better.  I know the power of using your awareness to free your body and mind of negative emotions.  And I teach my clients to use their awareness to take action and get out of these situations.  But everyone makes mistakes, even me. Because the subconscious mind is more powerful than we can imagine.  And I let myself spiral into the old frustrated version of myself.  I lost sight of all the amazing things in my life because I let the stress of that situation get the best of me.  And when stress gets the best of you, it can completely take over your life.  And it did for quite a while, until I began to slowly take charge of my life again.

     

    That challenging moment kept getting in my way as my self-limiting beliefs and negative thoughts took over my mind.  It continued for a few months as I worked through those negative thoughts, feelings and emotions.   And as I dealt with the true root of the problem my awareness and clarity began to unveil itself.  I have always known the root cause of our emotional shifts come from deep in our past experiences.  The emotional turmoil feels like it is the result of the current situation.  But that deep sense of overwhelm and frustration stems from something way in our past that is imbedded in our subconscious mind.  These overwhelming emotions usually stem from our past childhood and adolescent experiences that were never processed or resolved thoroughly.  And I have worked through many but the subconscious mind always needs attention.

     

    I slowly regained my self-confidence, motivation and drive.  But the journey back was dreadful and I know it was my choice to allow that to take place.  I could have responded differently and ended the torment quickly.  Thankfully, my reputation for great customer service, kindness and compassion prevailed.  And that dreadful day slowly disappeared from my mind.  In that moment of intense anxiety, stress and overwhelm; I was stuck in emotions from the past.  I was processing emotions from my childhood as a Special needs child.  Most people don’t realize that I had a Learning Disability.  They can’t believe that a successful Nurse and Educator could possibly have had learning challenges.  But I did and the journey was not easy.  I worked hard to get out of special classes and eventually graduate with honors from High school and college. But my unprocessed emotions from my childhood were hidden far away in my subconscious mind.  I honestly had no memory or recollection of my experiences as a special needs child.  Actually my childhood was all a blur and I know now it is because I was always stuck in the fight or flight response.  I spent most of my life stuck in this dreadful state of overwhelm and my health declined progressively till I took charge in my 30s.  The stress response was always in motion for me creating havoc on my body physically and emotionally. Just to paint a little picture of what stress can do to your body. I had lost half of my hair by my 20s.  I had severe digestive issues that eventually required surgery and multiple prescriptions.  I had chronic pain and numbness that began in High school. And my health was at a point of crisis in my mid 30s.

     

    Now let’s jump back to the experiences with self-limiting beliefs as a special needs child.  I honestly had no recollection of my experiences as a special needs child until the dust settled after the incident in November.  I realized that all those intense emotions had nothing to do with the situation at hand.  But rather my physical and emotional response mirrored my childhood when I was bullied for being different.  I was teased and picked on because it took me longer to take tests.  I was teased because math and reading was harder for me.  I was ridiculed because I was different from everyone else.  I was isolated because I was the girl that had to leave mainstream class to go to several special classes during the day. I was made fun of because I was bigger and more voluptuous than girls my age.  I was under so much stress due to this emotional turmoil and frustration that I had completely blocked most of my childhood memories.  As a means of protection my mind literally shut down and hid most of my childhood memories, even the good ones.

     

    A few weeks after issue in November, the dust settled and life came back to normal. My career was intact and my overwhelming emotions had resolved.  And as families reached out to me for support to help their special needs children with anxiety a huge realization happened within.  And I finally realized bullying was part of my past that I had never recognized or recalled.  And I never would have realized that truth about my past if this challenge wasn’t placed in my path.  That customer through me off course because it was time for me to evolve and grow from that experience.  It was time for me to process the past and let go of those negative feelings that no longer serve me.  And I needed to realize that I had the power to decide if I would let people push my buttons.  I was finally in charge and I didn’t need to allow others to impact my emotional state or drain my energy anymore.  It is ironic because I knew that I needed to set boundaries, I even talk about it in my book, “The Truth about IBS and Anxiety.”  But I didn’t realize I needed to set clear boundaries with everyone including strangers.  It is funny how sometimes you need a slap in the face to wake up and see the clear picture in front of you.  It all worked out in the end and I learned from my mistakes.  But it took a while for the truth of this experience to enter my conscious mind.  And it all happened this week as a much more obvious obstacle came in my way.  And sometimes the challenge is a wakeup call.

     

    This week those pesky negative thoughts were pushing me once again. It all became clear after I literally fell on my butt.  This time it wasn’t an event that made me stumble and fall.  It wasn’t an argument or confrontation.  It was literally an internal fight within my mind that threw me off balance.  Let’s just say it started 20 minutes before the moment I lost my balance and fell on my butt.  And it occurred because I wasn’t practicing what I teach.  I wasn’t transforming the negative voice in my head.  I wasn’t using my awareness to set myself free from the stress.  Instead I was letting the negative voice take over my emotions and creating a sense of hopelessness once again.  Some people might call this negative voice, Chatty Cathy, but I call her Negative Nancy.  Or for the gentlemen I call him Negative Norm.  Let’s just say Negative Nancy was on overdrive in my mind and those thoughts were getting in my way.  And since I wasn’t paying attention, I was about to get a rude awakening. It was time for me to practice what I preach but I wasn’t listening or observing the message. I was falling back into my stress cycle and I needed a wakeup call to see it.  Something had to give for me to see clearly.

     

    And boom the signs were all about to become super clear once everything fell apart.  I stubbed my big toe. My subconscious mind didn’t budge and I kept allowing Negative Nancy to take over.  And as the helplessness grew in my mind, my anxiety began to take over.  My emotions of frustration were building and I was getting grumpy for no apparent reason.  The day had been beautiful, peaceful and relaxing but I was not feeling relaxed at all.  My mind was stuck on negative overdrive for no apparent reason.  The message was going to be very different this time.  And boom I stubbed my pinkie toe with metal.  This bump made me see stars as the sharp pain radiated up my body.  It was so hard there was an instant hematoma.  It hurt so bad I had to breathe deeply to catch my breath.  It took a few minutes to get blood flow back to my head because the pain was overwhelming.   I was seeing black spots as the pain slowly resolved itself.  A few minutes later I realized my toe was bleeding and went to clean it up.  But my negative mind was still at full force and things were about to tumble quickly.

     

    I had no idea that I was going to experience an epiphany as my life flashed before my eyes. I had my right foot on the counter as I tried to clean my pinkie toe. I leaned over to reach for a tissue paper that was just inches away from me. But my body was not stable or balanced.  And suddenly I lost my balance and my life flashed before my eyes.  I tried to grab the toilet and stop the tumble to the floor.  It all happened in super slow motion as I remembered all the other times I had fallen and injured myself over the last 40+ years.  I slowly went down twisting in midair till my butt hit the toilet rim. After the sharp intense thump on my butt and hip I stumbled to the ground.  I laid on the ground for several minutes taking it all in.  I took deep breaths to regain my vision and energy.  It took some deep breathing to relieve the intense sharp pain in my lower back and butt. In this brief moment of breathing and reflecting, I realized that each of these injuries could have been avoided.  All of those events were under my control but I had chosen to let the negative voice take over.  I avoided using my awareness to set me free from the stress and the stress clouded my vision.  It is interesting how life literally needs to throw a curveball for you to see clearly.

     

    I took it all in.  Step by step from the moment I walked out of the car feeling stressed out.  I was worried about something.  And the impending doom made those negative thoughts and emotions go haywire in my brain.  And when your mind goes haywire everything goes off balance.  It literally throws your entire day off balance.  I didn’t realize how powerful the subconscious self-limiting beliefs were until I reflected on the events that had occurred since November.  My anger and negative emotions took over until I felt it in my body.  Yep, that is exactly what happens, when you stub your toe, hit your funny bone, cut your finger, etc.  You are thinking of something that the universe, god or whoever you believe in wants you to stop obsessing over.  To make a point and create a sense of awareness within you something will happen.  And that means an event, accident or confrontation will come into your life to get you to open your eyes and see it.  And hopefully you get the message and stop the negativity and self-loathing.  Hopefully you stop breath and reflect. And wake up and Smell the coffee.  The life events that come into our path are all learning experiences.  And life is great at changing the subject when you are smack in the middle of a stressful situation.

     

    We have all felt extra stress during this quarantine.  As a nurse, I left so many close friends, family and colleagues at the frontline.  It has been devastating to be far away from them when they needed support and love.  Yet, my fear and negative thoughts kept getting in my way.  I let all those negative thoughts stop me from reaching out to them when they needed me most.  And I spent the last few weeks working up my strength and resilience to help those I love most.  And it was my awareness after falling on my butt, that made me realize, this moment is exactly where I am supposed to be.  I was given a gift to share with the world.  And I have been hiding it because of my own insecurities and self-doubt.  I have been hiding because I fear what people will think of my uniqueness.  But the truth is it doesn’t matter.  Because the people I love at the frontline deserve to see the silly side of me.  They deserve to have the funny girl that brings a smile, a joke and inspirational words into their days.  And if that means I get on Camera with a wig and make a funny joke as I teach a relaxation technique then so be it. So after falling on my butt, I realized that my uniqueness can inspire others to use their awareness to set themselves free from the turmoil within.  And I was inspired to create a unique experience for my friends and colleagues at the frontline.  So I created a video teaching some simple relaxation techniques wearing one of my wigs. So the moral of this story is get up and get out of your own way.  The world is sending me challenges and obstacles for you to evolve into the person you dream.  Sitting at the sidelines doesn’t serve anyone. So get up and get moving.  Your awareness and action can set you free from the stress that lies within.

    Categories Advice, autoimmune, autoimmune crisis, Biohacking, Chronic Pain, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Emotional pain, Fibromyalgia, flare up, Health, hope, Inflammation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, pain, Physical Pain

    Manifest Wellness

    What is wellness? How do you know you have achieved wellness? Is it the same for everyone?

    Can I go from feeling crappy to happy? Can I stop the cycle of feeling sick and tired all the time?

    Does my medical history have to be my fate?

    Wellness is a state of wellbeing and good health.  Wellness is achieved progressively as we develop our own supportive routine and lifestyle.  Wellness includes a variety of activities, choices and lifestyle shifts throughout our life span.  We can each experience our own unique wellness regardless of life’s challenges and obstacles.  Your medical history doesn’t have to be your fate.  It took me 7 years to find my Wellness because I lacked the understanding of the importance of tackling life’s challenges with a synergistic approach.  My journey was difficult and traitorous because when my health crisis happened I was stuck in the scientific and conventional world of medicine.  Conventional medicine is amazing for life saving approaches but it is lacking insight in health promotion and prevention.  Prescriptions are designed to cover up one problem and new symptoms emerge.  Going outside the box of conventional medicine is the way to truly tackle to root of your illness, disease and symptoms to heal the body.  It took me years of suffering through meltdowns, rock bottom moments and illness because I was unaware of the importance of tackling the emotional and physical root of illness and disease simultaneously. The gift I learned in the process is that the journey doesn’t have to be so difficult or torturous.  You deserve to find your unique wellness.  Everyone deserves to feel better.

    My name is Diane and I have a genetic condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome type III (EDS III).  This condition impacts the entire body requiring many prescriptions, treatments and surgeries to deal with the overwhelming symptoms. I went to see a geneticist because I knew as a nurse that something wasn’t right.  It wasn’t normal for a 35 years old to be taking more than 13 prescriptions and spend most of her life in doctor’s offices.  By the time I was diagnosed I had more than 6 surgeries and more to come.  I also spent months in physical therapy for frequent injuries.  The health issues caused me to spend my life at neurologist, allergists, endocrinologists, gynecologist, pain clinics, rheumatologists and gastroenterologist’s offices to deal with the expanse list of symptoms.  Trust me that is not a happy or healthy way to live.  But after suffering for so long, I realized prescriptions, surgeries, injections and physical therapy were not my answer.  I was in search of a true solution and desperate to feel healthy and free inside my body.  I had felt trapped and helpless for so long that I was desperate for a solution.  And I chose my health and myself for the first time in my life.

    I began my journey outside the box of conventional medicine to truly tackle my illness once and for all.  In the beginning I had tunnel vision that blinded me of the full picture.  I started with nutrition, fitness and supplementation to heal and repair the severe damage my body had undergone since childhood.  By the age of 35, I was taking 13 prescriptions and injections for pain were a monthly must.  I was diagnosed with EDS III after several years of focusing on nutrition, fitness and supplementation.  I went to the genetics simply to prove that my hypothesis was correct and the doctor’s that had treated me were clueless.  My hypothesis was “Nutrient malabsorption, poor diet, lack of exercise and genetics was causing my expanse list of symptoms.”  My visit to genetics was proof for myself that I was on the right track.  When I was diagnoses I was already 60% better but there was a missing element I hadn’t realized yet.  Nonetheless the geneticist and my specialists were all astonished at the transformation I had already achieved.  I was on only two prn prescriptions (as needed), pain was under control without prescriptions and I was living a healthier lifestyle.

    Nutrition, fitness and supplementation worked on the physical root of my illness and disease.  This is the physical stress we experience when life stress and diet create inflammation, toxins and damage in the body.  I had that under control with supplementation, nutrition and fitness but injuries, pain flare ups and irritable bowel symptoms still occurred frequently.  My worst symptoms to control were indigestion, heart burn, bloating, fatigue and chronic pain.  My digestive flare ups would trigger the muscle pain and fatigue to return.  And my gastroenterologist decided a psychiatrist was the answer to calm my anxiety and reduce stress with a prescription.  I started on Celexa to help control my symptoms and finally had to face the fact that my symptoms had an emotional component.  I didn’t want to accept that my emotions were triggering my symptoms but after they diminished the truth was clear.  The quest then became to tackle that emotional pain without a prescription and truly overcome my symptoms. I did not want to be on anti-anxiety medications my whole life.  It was a difficult journey but worth the fight because I knew I wasn’t alone in this struggle.  I am not the only person that is sick and tired of being sick and tired all the time.  I am not the only one who is sick of all the prescriptions that wreak havoc on the body and cause more problems than good.  I am not the only person that feels trapped inside their body. I am not the only person that wants to find a solution to all their symptoms.

    Fast forward to 2018, the missing element, emotional pain, would prove to be my most difficult obstacle to face and overcome.  I realized that there was an emotional root to my symptoms that stemmed from my childhood.  By this time, I was trying to overcome a new fear and my physical symptoms were back with a vengeance.  My fear of being seen and being heard.  I desperately wanted to share my story and create videos on social media but my emotions kept getting in my way.  I underwent hypnosis to tackle the subconscious blocks and self-limiting beliefs from my childhood.  And suddenly, the symptoms were less frequent and I was making great progress with my fears.

    We all have experienced negative thoughts, self-limiting beliefs and emotional pain.  This occurs due to unprocessed emotions from our childhood.  We experience events, circumstances and situations in our childhood that are difficult for us to understand and process because we were never taught ways to process and release our emotions.  This vicious pattern continues throughout our lives as we re-experience these emotions and feelings.  The simple truth is that we all have a negative voice inside our heads.  And this little negative character controls are actions and reactions to everything we perceive in our lives.  I call these negative voices, Negative Nancy and Negative norm.  My Negative Nancy was a dominant voice in my head that controlled all my actions in life causing me to feel frozen and stuck.  She was holding me back from my dreams and hypnosis helped me realize that I could regain control of my subconscious mind.

    The simple truth to share with you now is that your physical and emotional symptoms are connected.  You may be skeptical as I was in the beginning but it a very powerful truth.  To achieve your own unique wellness there needs to be a shift in the physical and emotional realms to truly create a lasting effect.  And once that is introduced into your lifestyle, you can absolutely go from feeling crappy to happy.  You can prove to yourself and others that your medical history doesn’t have to be your fate.  It will end the cycle of feeling sick and tired all the time.  It will help you thrive and create the life you dream.  So the question is… Do you want to Thrive?  Do you want to find Your Unique Wellness?