Lori Brant's Blog, page 2

Who are you?

     Someone approached me yesterday and asked if I was an MS person.  They were referring to muscular sclerosis.  It took me back a bit because in my head I was thinking, "no," and considered a matching reply of, "I am an MD person,"  but immediately knew,"I'm not that either."      Who am I?  I am a person experiencing muscular dystrophy.  I am a person also experiencing life as a woman, mother, daughter, friend, sister, author, teacher, hungry or not hungry, skinny or not and the list goes

Three Steps to Happiness

 If you are struggle to maintain a state of happiness when life throws you a curveball, try doing the following. 1.  Identify how the past may be influencing your perception today 2.  Take action to move through perceived barriers 3.  Enjoy life's journey without relying on external stimuli.    1.  Identify how the past may be influencing your perception today      Limiting beliefs from the past may affect your experience today and frustrate your attempts to find happiness.      A belief is a

Does Finding Your Passion Bring Happiness?

 I remember thinking that if I could just find my passion, that thing that I was born to do, I would be happy. It excited me to think that there was something out there that I was meant to do; that fit my interests, my skills and would bring me joy. It also terrified me too. What if I go through life and never find it? My desire to find my passion was rooted in my belief that, “finding my passion,” would make me feel a certain way.  I was investing in the idea that if I found it, I would be

Do you have a strong foundation?

Are you trying to make fundamental changes and struggling to keep them permanently anchored in your life?  Have you set goals, have a clear vision of having what you want,  made movements forward but, somehow, stall, frustrated because you can't figure out what is keeping you from obtaining what you want?   Don't underestimate the power of your foundation and its influence on your present day experience.   Your past, the good, bad and the ugly, has created the foundation for how you experience

2 Steps Between Me and Chicken Wings

  "I'm with the Manhattan reservation." "For 6:30 pm?" "Yes," I replied. He turned his head to the right, away from the main dining room  and my gaze followed his.  My eyes were drawn immediately to the two steps dawning it's entry. "No chicken wings for me," I said, and steered towards the exit and out to my van.    I had checked the restaurant on line to make sure it was wheelchair accessible but when I arrived, the party room that was reserved for our group was raised by 2 steps.     Being a

The Worst Possible Thing That Can Happen

  The worst possible thing that could happen, would be to end up in a wheelchair.  At least that is what I thought.   I was nineteen and in the middle of my first set of exams in University.  The pain in the middle of my back was unbearable so I made an appointment to see the doctor on campus.  One appointment led to another and I found myself in his office, across from him, when I heard him say, “you have FSH Muscular Dystrophy.”   I saw his lips moving, I knew he was talking but my body

Can I Sit On Your Lap?

There is this strange behaviour that arises that still catches me off guard. Being a wheelchair user often makes me stand out in a crowd and I get that. I catch myself looking at others who use a cane, have a cast or walker. You know, looking but trying to look like you are not looking.  I don’t think I am being nosy, I am just really curious. It’s kind of like the curiousity you’d have if you saw a rock star or famous actor.  You just gotta look.   I was standing in line with a friend, waiting

Roller Coaster Thinking

During stressful times, the mind acts like a rollar coaster.  Your attention is focussed on what is going to happen instead of just taking in the NOW.    When you crest the top of the first hill, that pause brings you into the present real life moment, allowing you to observe and experience the now like the coasters gentle clicking as it edges upward, the blue sky above and the pressure of the restraint on your shoulders. That bit of pause breaks the cycle of thoughts of anxious anticipation of

Real Life Meditation

Some of the best meditators, ones who do it for hours everyday, cross legged and candles burning, lose it the minute life deals them a crisis.  That's why, using Life Meditations through your day will truly bring more peace.   What is a life meditation?  A life meditation is when you bring focus, attention, awareness or presence to your physical, emotional or mental response like a feeling, a thought, or a sensation in everyday life.  During stressful times, these responses can be your ticket to

6 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Take Action

Taking action towards your dreams and goals is clearly vital, but it's not always easy to stay consistent and build momentum. However, taking action is one of those important pieces to the puzzle along with proper planning and the drive to succeed. Those that take action are the ones that see results.   How do you motivate yourself to continue working toward your goals, especially when you face challenges? Although some strategies will motivate you more than others, it's good to experiment with