Maureen Sharphouse's Blog, page 2

When Life Feels Cruel or Difficult : Top and Tail Your Days with Gratitude

It can sometimes feel like the Universe has dealt you an unkind card. At times, in truth, life can feel challenging and difficult. You can feel disappointed with yourself – and with life – and question whether circumstances are a result of something you have or have not done.

I get you; I understand you.

I live with an incurable neurological condition dubbed ‘the suicide disease’ and experience these feelings too.

No matter what many mindset gurus or therapists will teach or profess, however, I want you to know you are not always in control(or responsible for) all circumstances or happenings in your life.

A life where you are in control of everything – or have the power to ‘fix’ everything- is not real life at all.

Death, illness, accidents, redundancies,  sad or traumatic events – these things all can happen.  And they can feel cruel, tough to live with and difficult to envisage how you will get through.

The bottom line, however, is that your world will only ever feel as good to you as you allow it to be.

Tough as it may sound: The choice of sinking or swimming,  surviving or thriving in life (despite whatever your circumstances), ultimately comes down to you.

And if you have had enough of feeling overwhelmed by life or sucked into a tsunami of despondency and despair- and are committed to implementing some positive change in your life-  cultivating an attitude of gratitude is key.

Top and Tail Your Days with Gratitude

Gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions you can use to dissolve negativity in your life, and start manifesting a more positive frequency and energy.

To kickstart the process, make gratitude a non-negotiable morning practice.

On waking, use the first five minutes of your day to be thankful- for the good that is available to you in your life you have right now. Commit to writing ten things you are grateful for each day in your journal.

Gratitude will shift your energy and mindset and change your perception and focus in life. Not only will you start to see the change in your external world, but you will also begin to feel a positive and meaningful change within you.

End each day with feel-good feelings also.

Put loving arms of understanding and compassion around yourself, and always end each day with positive and loving thoughts.

No matter how hard things may have been for you that day, you have made it through and handled it!

Make it a non-negotiable daily practice to list in an evening journal ten things you are proud of yourself for saying/doing/feeling/being that day – and capture both the large and the small.

Breathe in renewed courage and strength each evening, refuel and reset; remind yourself tomorrow is another day to be grateful, and start afresh.

Reach out if you would like to explore having my support and help as you move positively forwards.

I only take on a limited number of private life coaching and mentoring clients each year and have two coaching spaces opening up next month.

You can find out more about my life coaching services HERE

Drop me an email at maureen@maureensharphouse.com  if you would like to schedule an exploratory call to find out how we can stand stronger together, and explore whether we would be a good fit.

You will also find many FREE downloadable resources (my gift to you) on my Get Inspired page.

To go directly to the Get Inspired page CLICK HERE

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It’s Time To Crack in The Light

“In the midst of winter, I found there was within me, an invincible summer.”

(Albert Camus)

Honoured to have contributed an article to the Spring 2023 edition of the iPain Living Magazine…. (It’s Time to Crack in The Light – pages 44 through to 47)

The Spring 2023 edition of the iPain Living Magazine is now published –

and I am honoured to have served the International Pain Foundation by being a contributor!

My article ‘It’s Time to Crack in the Light’ shares empowering mindset hacks and five simple ways to help you reignite the light within.

To purchase and download a copy of the magazine visit www.iPainLiving.org

You will find my published article on pages 44 through to 47.

Many thanks to Editor-in-Chief Barby Ingle for giving me the opportunity to serve the pain community in this way.

#iPainLiving #gratitude #thanks #chronicpain #chronicillness #reignitethelightwithin

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Why facing the truth of your story is your next best step.

 

“Not everything that is faced can be changed,

but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

—James Baldwin

 

 

 

 

 

I want you to be real:

Are you happy with the person you are being right now?Are you happy with the life you are living?Do you wake up each morning with an enthusiasm for the day ahead?How often do you allow yourself to have fun and hear yourself laughing?How often do you feel down about your circumstances, sad, depressed, or anxious?When you think about your future, how often do you envisage it as bright, meaningful, and rewarding?On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the highest), how happy do you currently feel?

Be proud.

Opening your eyes to your current reality is not always easy.   If your answers have left you feeling somewhat raw and vulnerable, I want you to know that is okay.

It takes courage and strength to face the truth of your story. We get so used to putting our brave faces on to the world and doing what we can to get through each day that we can lose sight of what is causing our discomfort with life and how we truly feel.

Fighting your truth, or denying, ignoring or blocking what is true and real will, however,  never manifest a newfound zest for life, happiness, or inner peace.

The bottom line is that it is up to you to choose to bring more heartfelt joy into your life and take responsibility for being the change you want to see in your world. If you are not happy, then only you can change that.

Facing your story and the quiet acceptance of what is true and real for you right now is what will open the doorway to a fresh new fertile starting place from which to think and act anew and let the light crack back in.

Keeping Things Simple:

Positive change isn’t created by ignoring or denying what is happening; it comes from being honest with yourself. Do nothing now, nothing much changes. Crafting a brighter future comes down to you.

CLICK HERE to explore how I can help.

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Five things I wish people understood about people living with chronic pain, physical limitations, or disability

“The difference between a good life and a bad life

is how well you walk through the fire.”

Carl Jung

 

I have recently returned from a couple of trips away from home with my husband Peter.

We had the most amazing time and made so many beautiful memories together. Travel and holidays, however, when living with chronic pain and illness, are not without their challenges.

In truth, what most people would classify as fairly ‘normal’ activities can feel like an obstacle or assault course whose sole function is to test our mental resilience and send our pain levels through the roof!

The bottom line is, living with physical limitations, impairment or disability is never easy. And living in pain sucks at even the best of times.

But it doesn’t mean we don’t want or deserve to enjoy life and embrace life fully!

So let me share with you five things I wish people understood or knew about people living with physical disabilities or limitations:

 

 #1 Not all physical limitations or disabilities are visible. Be kind always.

You never know what someone is going through. You have no idea how difficult a night they may have had, how much pain they are in, or how challenging or exhausting just getting out of bed and dressed today may have been for them. Drop the opinions and judgement. Recognize that you do not know what you do not know. Be loving and kind.

Treat others with the same understanding, compassion and respect you would like to be treated with yourself.

 

#2 Do not stop inviting us to social gatherings

Do not stop inviting your loved ones, family, friends, colleagues, or neighbours who live with a chronic health condition, intractable pain, disability or physical limitations out for coffee or lunch and to events and social gatherings. It hurts!

Being disabled does not mean we are defective and that we don’t value relationships and companionship; we have no desire to be the gloom and doom that ‘spoils’ the joy and fun of the night; we still want to participate in life as fully as we possibly can – and want to experience as much as humanly possible that joy and fun too!

It may not be easy for us- in truth, it can be logistically difficult and, at a functional level, painful and exhausting. BUT-that is no excuse to leave us off the social gathering guest list. Our physical limitations may mean we cannot join in with everything (and that’s okay), but do not decide for us by not inviting us at all.

And if we accept and then have to cancel attending at short notice because we do not feel up to it on the day, be non-judgmental, compassionate and understanding – AND keep inviting us to future events.

DO NOT cut us off. When our health doesn’t permit us to join you physically in person, then be open to having a video phone call or Zoom call at a time that works for us best.

 

  #3  Adults with chronic health conditions and physical disabilities are not children or babies, so do not automatically treat us as such.

They are adults with vast amounts of life experience and wisdom (and desires, likes and dislikes, passions, needs, goals and dreams just like you) so please treat us as adults with the respect we deserve. There is no need to talk down to us, use simplistic language, or automatically (without asking us) dive in to cut up our meals for us, speak to shop assistants or waiters on our behalf, or answer questions for us.

By all means, take time to learn about our illness and how it affects us. Ask us questions to better understand our needs and how best you can perhaps help us. But speak to us on equal terms. I wouldn’t speak down to you. There is no need to do it to me.

My husband was once pushing me around a supermarket in my wheelchair when he was asked by a lady on a stand promoting a well-known cake brand and offering samples, “Do you think your wife might like to try a piece of cake?”  It was as if I was invisible; she looked straight past me to favour starting a conversation with my husband, who was behind me pushing my wheelchair. My husband replied, ”I don’t know if my wife would like to try a piece of your cake. Perhaps you might like to ask her yourself?”

Please speak to us directly and not through a third party!

 

#4  Be patient with us. Park your frustration!

Please do not get frustrated at our slower pace of doing things or our need to use a lift at the far end of the department store instead of what you may perceive as the convenient stairs that perhaps lie ahead.

Do not shout at us, tell us to get a grip, try to rush us, or push us to do things we do not feel up to do on the day, or undermine the severity of our discomfort by telling us our pain can’t possibly be that bad, that your auntie had the same thing and is ‘cured now’ after trying some special diet, that your friend has healed herself by having some form of therapy.

You may mean well – and we get that- but many physical illnesses, disabilities, and health conditions are life-changing, debilitative, progressive and not fixable or curable.

Many of us must accept that fact and live our best lives with pain, illness and disability as our constant companions 24/7. Unfortunately, for many of us, there is no rest or respite from it.

We cannot leave our pain at home for the day whilst we pop out to go shopping or do something else. Where we go, our pain and disability go too. And that means what may seem simple or straightforward to you may be a complete logistical nightmare and physical challenge for someone else!

 

#5  When you see us laughing, smiling, experiencing joy, being happy and content, and exuding a deep inner peace, do not presume that means we are fixed, cured or better.  And do not presume that we are no longer in pain or struggling with physical challenges.

It means that we are choosing to embrace our life wholly and completely in acceptance of our truth and reality – and to be led by spirit, not by our wound and pain.

It means that we understand that if we can do all we can to keep our soul vibrantly alive and well, we can continue to live a deeply enriched and enlivened life despite our physical difficulties or limitations.

It means we are choosing life and not existence.

Having fun, being happy and having success in life are not exclusively available to the physically fully fit and healthy. And so, do not question or judge our happiness.

Be happy with us and for us.

Laugh with us, experience joy, sit in silence and peace with us – and hold us in your unconditional love and keep us strong on the days when our pain consumes us, and we cry tears and are weak.

Remember that living with pain and disability is not a life choice we have made; we have had to learn to accept and befriend our body and not see it as our enemy.

Wellness is often about keeping your soul and spirit healthy, even when your physical body is injured, deteriorating, ageing or impaired in some way.

Living well happens when you develop an Unhackable Soul—the ability to see the beauty in imperfection and to rise, enriched by truth, and start each day anew.

——–

This Blog offers the opportunity to spark meaningful conversation. I invite you to leave your comments below – or drop me an email.

The bottom line is, Unhackable Souls are always stronger together,  and I would love to connect!

x

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Scotland Prestige Awards – Winner 2022/23 – Life Coach of the Year

Scotland Prestige Awards are pleased to announce that Maureen Sharphouse has been successful in winning the award for: Life Coach of the Year

The judges were impressed with the authenticity of Maureen’s work, stating:

‘She is more than a life coach; she is a reigniter of souls. Maureen’s extensive experience has given her the tools required to unlock practical and productive mechanisms that improve lives’.

Full press release to follow once published.

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How to Achieve Optimum Emotional Wellness: Three Nourishing Practices to Help

Living with a chronic ill-health condition not only has an impact on your physical wellness, it can affect your emotional wellbeing also.

I know only too well that living with pain and illness can gnaw away at how you feel about yourself, impact your moods, and lower your sense of purpose and self-esteem.

Over the last three and a half decades of living with chronic intractable pain, it is only fair to admit to you that I have made many mistakes – and been down many a dark tunnel.

And what I have come to know, is that when it comes to your emotional wellbeing,  the following three nourishing practices really help:

1. Be proud of who you are.

It’s easy to compare yourself to others in life, to feel they are more deserving of happiness or success than you. When you see yourself as less worthy in some way, however, your emotional wellness is threatened. The hunger for life in your soul risks being extinguished as you lose a piece of what makes you you.

The secret to feeling good about yourself is to learn to love yourself as you are. Each one of us is perfectly imperfect in some way. Having a perfect body, enjoying excellent health, or living an ideal life is not the reality of our world. Perfect is not real life. We each have our quirks, strengths, weaknesses, talents, skills, preferences, interests, passions, and abilities. It is up to each one of us to own our story, live and tell it well, and fulfil our unique place in the world.

In the words of the wonderful Mariah Carey, “You really have to look inside yourself and find your own inner strength and say, ‘I’m proud of what I am and who I am.’”

A great nourishing practice is to get out your journal regularly and list 10 things you are proud of yourself for — both the small and the large.

 

2. Own your space.

It is important to recognize that what you let into your world impacts who you are. You can surround yourself with a space that erodes your soul and enthusiasm for life, or you can consciously choose your inputs to uplift, nourish, and positively benefit you.

Put simply, what you take in shapes what you put out; your inputs will impact your outputs.

The space you create around you will subconsciously make and influence your emotional well-being and how you show up in your world.

And so, become more self-aware and get in the healthy habit of taking ownership of what you feed your subconscious. Surround yourself with things that light you up or uplift you in some way. Likewise, be intentional about mixing with people who feel like sunshine. Own your space and who and what you allow in it. Every day, aim to touch base with some of those soul-nourishing people, events, or things. Whether it is picking some fresh flowers from your garden or having them delivered with your supermarket shopping, buying a new uplifting book or magazine, lighting a scented candle, enjoying the smell of fresh bread from your kitchen, or uploading an inspiring image or quote as the background on your phone or computer, get in the habit send positive messages to your brain!

 

3. Find joy in the journey.

Consciously and actively get in the habit of taking steps to let more of the joy come back into your life. It is joy that will uplift you at an emotional level and bring more meaning and purpose to your life.

It’s important to understand that living with joy doesn’t necessarily mean that you will not experience adversity, feel acute sadness, experience grief, or be overwhelmed by loss or pain at times. Like happiness, joy does not depend on circumstances. It is the light that you choose to emanate and shine from within you — expressing your heartfelt appreciation for life itself and freely embracing your soul and spirit within.

In short, if you are serious about achieving optimum emotional wellness, you must do more of the things that nourish and feed you and spark joy in your soul and do less of the things that deplete your soul, pull your spirits down, or drain.

Asking yourself the following questions regularly can help:

“In what ways are my current actions and living patterns separating me from the joy within me?”

“What could I start to do differently to craft and let more joy into my life?”

 

 

To find out more about how you can start to Rise Up, Feel Alive, and Live Well with Pain and Illness, I invite you to find out about my #1 Internationally Best-Selling  Book Unhackable Soul, and my 30-day Online Unhackable Soul ‘Reignite the Light Within’ course  Click Here.

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How to Enjoy Life More Fully? See, Hear, Taste, Touch, Feel More…

While you are upon earth, enjoy the good things that are here.

—John Selden

Be clear: it is not your fault if your soul has felt depleted as of late.  The twenty-first-century world can often feel demanding, stressful, or busy. Living in this world is not always easy.  You can become so downtrodden by your challenges, pain or discomfort that life can feel downright difficult. Joy can seem like a distant memory. You can start to live in a hazy bubble—or at the other extreme, become so focused on going places and achieving things that you can inadvertently miss out on the richness and beauty that is all around you.

Whilst you are here on this earth, however, you owe it to yourself to be here fully.

And if you want to richly experience life, you must live it with awakened senses.

Let me share with you a couple of true stories. The first story is about a busker at a Metro station and the second is a personal story of my trip to Bristol. Both stories highlight the importance of living with your senses alive and open.

 

The Busker at the Metro: The True Story of Joshua Bell

In 2007, as part of an experiment initiated by Washington Post columnist Gene Weingarten, premier violinist and Grammy-winning musician Joshua Bell went busking for a full forty-five minutes in a Washington D.C. Metro station. It was at one of their busiest times of day on a cold January morning—commuter rush hour. Only one person recognised Joshua out of the thousands who passed him that morning, and only seven people stopped to listen to him playing for more than a minute. In total, he earned somewhere in the region of thirty-two dollars.

Joshua is one of the world’s greatest musicians and normally performs on great concert stages. Only two days earlier, he had played the exact same repertoire to a sell-out audience at a theatre in Boston with tickets for his performance costing one hundred dollars each on average.

Interestingly, the person who paid most attention to his performance in the Metro was a three-year-old girl who kept trying to look back to see and hear more. Her mother, focused on her destination, hurried ahead, dragging the little girl along.

 

The Story of What a Young French Couple Missed

In June 2017, I travelled from Scotland to Bristol for a specialised hospital appointment. I arrived a few hours early and had some time to explore the city, so I took the opportunity to visit Bristol’s stunning cathedral. After looking around, I wandered towards the cathedral gardens to enjoy a seat in the summer sun.

The beautiful gardens felt peaceful. I could not help but want to capture the moment and took out a pen and notebook from my handbag. I wrote the following words that morning. When I connect with the feeling these words bring me, I can still imagine I am there now.

“Warmth and light of the golden sun radiating down upon me, pointing straight at me as if it only exists for me—flushing my cheeks, radiating through my chest wall, and warming my soul.

Traffic noise in the distance, yet not breaking the perfect calm and stillness. Cherry blossom tree standing in all its splendour, protective arms outstretched—a mix of masculine strength and resilience, weaving effortlessly with feminine softness and beauty, bending, flexing, swaying in the gentle breeze with delicate pink fairy-like petals bowing their heads, dancing, and curtsying, with seamless ease and grace.

Vibrant shades of green, a myriad of hues and colours, gently swaying soldier stalks with button moon faces flowing, faces stretched upwards towards the sun.

Peace of tombstones, feeling sacred, savouring an overwhelming sense of deep inner peace.

Birds singing, high-pitched chattering insects hovering and playfully dancing around the verdant bushes.

A weeping willow silhouetted against the clear blue sky, branches bowing as if in prayer, marrying the most beautiful and perfect union of heaven and earth.”

 

About twenty minutes earlier, I had spent a few moments chatting to a young French couple who told me they were on honeymoon and having the trip of a lifetime—a month-long tour of Europe. They told me they were greatly impressed by the cathedral’s stunning architecture. When I mentioned I was about to head out to the gardens, however, they told me, ‘It’s just a graveyard out there. I wouldn’t bother. It was quite disappointing. There is nothing much there to see.’

 

Keeping Things Simple:

Your personal experience of each moment is your personal experience.

Your world can only ever be as rich and rewarding as you allow it to be.

So take a moment now to look around you and notice what you notice.

Jot down in your journal or notebook what you see, hear, taste, touch, savour, and feel all around.

Now expand your awareness and consciously see, hear, taste, touch, savour, feel, and notice more.

And jot down what you are now aware of that you had not noticed before…

 

This Blog is based on an extract from my #1 Internationally bestselling Book Unhackable Soul . If you would like to find out more about my book and how to reignite the light within you,  click here.

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Unhackable Soul #1 International Best-seller!

If ever there was a blog post to encourage you to believe in yourself, this is it!

As a child, I dreamed of writing a book and being a best-selling author.

I never gave up on my dream and this year in April 2022, at the age of sixty-five,  my book Unhackable Soul was finally released and published.

What’s more, on the  7th/8th May 2022  Unhackable Soul hit the #1 Amazon bestseller list!

 

Remarkably that weekend it hit the Amazon.com best-seller list  in five different categories, achieving:

#1  in Pain Management

#1 in Personal Transformation & Spirituality (above the incredible Gabrielle Bernstein and Brene Brown)

#2 in Faith & Spirituality

#2 in New Age  Self-help

#3 in Family & Personal Relationships

 

So…. believe in YOU…make your dreams matter!

If your dreams are important to you, treat them as important.

Only you can step up to what calls you forwards. The Universe’s support is always behind you, but you must take ownership of your dreams and play your part.

The bottom line is, your dreams are not going to happen if you do not stay true to them.

Making your dreams your reality comes down to you! 

 

 

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How to Live Well with Chronic Pain and Illness: Words of Wisdom, and Top Tips

The difference between a good life and a bad life
is how well you walk through the fire.
—Carl Jung

 

Over the last three and a half decades, I have learned a lot about living with pain and illness. It’s only fair to say it hasn’t always been the smoothest of journeys. What I have come to know for certain, however, is that when it comes to living well with chronic pain and illness, the following things help:

Build a Strong Team Around You.

Develop a supportive network of people around you who believe in you, your dreams, hopes, and abilities—and who will stand strong by you in your desire to embrace and live your life fully. Let them know how much you appreciate them and how much you value the part they play in your life.

Be Your Own Health Advocate and Guru.

See your physical and mental health as being your responsibility—not the responsibility of your doctor or any other health professional, family member, colleague, or friend. It is your body, mind, heart, soul, and spirit. Whilst it is important to be open to health specialists’ knowledge, experience, and advice, ultimately, it is up to you to educate yourself, and best understand your health condition to look after yourself well.

Stay on Top of Current Research.

Keep researching treatment options and new developments regarding your specific health condition, sharing and discussing your findings with your doctors. Even if your doctors have told you there is no effective medication or cure for your health condition now, it does not necessarily mean there never will be.

See Yourself as a Whole Person.

Treat yourself holistically: mind, body, spirit, soul. See that they are all elements of you and interconnected; you must treat yourself kindly and nourish and feed each part of yourself well. Don’t put all your focus and energies into one or two of them and starve or ignore the rest.

Develop Comfort and Coping Practices.

Be open-minded to trying things that may help you. Whether it is listening to music or watching a film to distract yourself from pain, visualisation, meditation, or mindfulness, pottering in the garden, going to a support group, taking a drive in the country, doing a little cooking, or picking up the phone to talk with a friend, the list is endless. Utilise the things that help you positively and beneficially and have the courage to minimise or park the rest.

Expand Your World—Do Not Keep Your World Too Small.

Reach out to others and enjoy their company on the days you feel up to it; be productive and still go places and actively do things. Focus on doing what you can do—not on any limitations your illness imposes on you. Showing up filled up and participating as fully as you can in life will bring you more feel-good feelings than isolating yourself and retreating from life or withdrawing into your shell.

Be Open to Conventional Medical Practices as well as Complementary Treatments and Therapies.

You are an individual and unique. Therefore, remain open-minded regarding treatments and therapies that may help you. Accept that no one size fits all or is the perfect treatment that will work for everyone, but the options are plentiful. If something interests you or feels right to you and is unlikely to do any harm, be willing to try it and trust that you know your body best.

Trust Your Voice (And Do Not Be Afraid to Speak Up)!

Doctors are not God; they are human and can have their off days like the rest of us. However, any doctor who is rude, arrogant, or condescending to you—dismissive, uncaring, judgmental, not understanding your condition and how it affects you, or accusing you of exaggerating your pain—is not the right doctor for you. You deserve the best care and treatment, including a doctor on your side who wants only the best for you. Be prepared and willing to change your GP if need be or change your practice until you find a doctor who fully supports you. Seek another opinion from a different consultant if need be. Trust your voice, speak up, and be heard.

Befriend Your Body; It Is Not Your Enemy.

Work with your body, not against it. Your body is part of you and not the enemy. Take quiet time regularly to ask your body, ‘How can I best serve you? How can I best help you? What do you most need from me today to help you experience greater comfort or function best?’ Ask, listen, trust, and respond. Get to know your body well and confidently act on its needs.

Feel It. Heal It. Let It Go.

Your body has enough to contend with without adding negative thoughts and emotions to deal with. Allow yourself to grieve if need be; feel angry; acknowledge regret, guilt, or blame; question ‘why me?’; or spend a short while feeling sorry for yourself and in victim mode. You are human, and it is natural to feel these emotions and work through them. Hanging on to negativity, however, does not help. A negative mind will never bring you a positive experience of life.

Pay Little Attention to Discouragement.

See that a bad day is simply a bad day and does not necessarily need to turn into a bad week, bad month, or bad year for you. Reminding yourself that you only ever must deal with the moment you are in now can help you get through those more difficult days when darkness descends.

Respect and Protect Your Own Space.

Protect your space and establish your boundaries when it comes to the advice you may receive from well-wishers, for example, ‘Have you tried XYZ yet?’ ‘My friend had that and says she’s cured now.’ ‘Perhaps you should try some exercise or get out more?’ Offer the benefit of the doubt to people and believe they have offered their advice with the best intentions. Listen and take on board any advice you feel may be helpful. Park the rest, however—and do not feel bad about it. You alone are the expert on your own life.

Spend More Time in Your Heart, Less Time in Your Head.

Avoid complicating life by overthinking every decision, action, communication, or thought. Instead, keep things simple (and less tiring and stressful) by thinking less and feeling more. Learn to trust your intuition: the essence, truth, soul, and heart of you.

Believe and Know You Can Handle It—Whatever ‘It’ Is.

Worry is like a rocking chair. It will give you something to do, but it will not get you anywhere. Live with faith and trust. Believe and know that you have all the power within you to deal with whatever life brings. One moment, one next best step at a time is all you ever need to do.

Find Your People; Connect with Your Tribe.

Unless someone else has ‘got it’, it is unlikely they will truly get you when it comes to chronic pain and illness. Join an uplifting and positive support group where you can mix with others who clearly understand the pain and challenges you go through without the need for you to be constantly explaining your illness or talking about or focusing on the problems you have. Alternatively, find and work with an inspiring personal coach or mentor who has experienced similar things or walked the same path you are on.

Always Remember Life is Precious.

Whilst death may be the destination of your physical body (and you can rest at peace in the knowledge that your spirit and soul will live on), when you wake up in the morning and find you are still breathing, rise and give thanks.

Know that your job on earth is not yet done!

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Self-Care and Soul-Care: They Are Work You Need To Do.

Caring well for yourself is your responsibility in life.

It relies on you being aware and attentive to your own emotional, physical, and spiritual needs and consciously answering those needs as best as you can.

There are no set rules when it comes to self-care.

You do not have to follow a particular diet, be a vegan, practise yoga, go to church, or spend hours staring at the stars and moon, exercising, meditating, or polishing your physical body.

What self-care does mean, however, is taking care of your mind and thoughts; your physical, emotional, and spiritual health; your moods, energy, and emotions; and listening to and honouring the deepest needs of what lies within your core and soul.

Be Clear

Self-care is not about being self-indulgent, nor is it selfish.

It is something that feeds, nourishes, and fuels you.

It should never deplete you.

It is about respecting yourself and doing all you can to enhance and maintain your holistic well-being and minimising your feelings of discomfort, emotional or physical turmoil, anxiety, or stress.

Neither should self-care ever be an emergency response action only practised in times of crisis. Self-care is an ongoing personal journey and relies on developing and honouring a growing awareness of your own ever-evolving mind/body/spirit/soul needs.

Although a simple concept, you taking care of you is often not prioritised. It is all too easy to concentrate on looking after everyone else in your family first or to be so consumed by your discomfort that you overlook nurturing your health and well-being.

Don’t Know Where to Start?

There is no need to feel overwhelmed at the prospect of looking after yourself better. It is best to simply start where you are and commit to making small nourishing changes to your ways of caring for yourself, thinking, acting, being, and doing.

Paying attention to your nutrition and quality of sleep, maintaining regular exercise (as you are physically able to do so), and ensuring adequate periods of relaxation are all intrinsic elements contributing to your overall feelings of well-being. It is equally important not to neglect the continuous enrichment of your mind, spirit, and soul. You must do all you can to keep your passion and enthusiasm for life reignited –and keep the light within you burning- for that is where your true power lies.

We are all born creative beings.

We are not inanimate objects meant to stay static, waiting for life to happen.

Our souls need a creative outlet to release the comforting presence of the vitalizing power of life that lies within.

A Timely Tip

You do not need to feel a bit better or have a better day or a better week before you start putting your soul’s self-care higher up your list of priorities.

It is important simply to start where you are to take better care of yourself and consciously and consistently make small changes from there.

Practising self-care at a mind/body/spirit/soul holistic level is a form of self-leadership which involves making conscious choices and decisions about how and where you want to show up in life.

If you are going to squeeze more comfort and joy from life, it is work you need to do!

The post Self-Care and Soul-Care: They Are Work You Need To Do. appeared first on Maureen Sharphouse.