Faithfulness

The challenge of rheumatoid arthritis has taught me a lot about faithfulness as I go through each day enduring pain and trying to find a path that will be less painful and that will help me to make permanent progress toward getting better. There are days when I think that I will simply abandon the effort to approach this challenge in ways that will be healthier for me through the use of dietary changes, supplements and exercise. I know that this is a good plan because I have been on this path for mor than twenty years now. However, I continue to find it very hard to navigate my way through some of the more pain filled days. But I must hasten to say that there is always some help that comes to me especially on the days when I feel the most like simply callling it quits and going to get some heavy duty arthiritis medicine and taking it. I have refrained from doing that and I continue to be grateful that I have been given the grace to stay with my intention to get better without taking a lot of drugs that will have negative side effects. I have been on this more natural path for over 20 years and I am very fortunate to have a physician who is supportive and respectful of my right to make some decisons for myself about the way that I want to try to get well. Her support is invaluable.
I am so much better than I was a few months ago and I will continue to get better because I am going to stay focused and I am not ever going to give up on myself and my ability to get well.
I believe that my attitude and my continued commitment to staying focused on the plan that I have adopted for myself and in maintaining that plan no matter what happens or how I feel. It works and I know that in the not to distant future, I will be completely well.
Blessings and Peace,

Gratitude

Gratitude is one of the best ways to empower your life. When you take the time to count the many gifts that come into your life on a daily basis it makes it harder to be overwhelmed by the challenges of daily life. As we move through each day the national and international issues can seem so daunting and when those are added to our individual daily life challenges, it can be easy to allow despair into our consciousness and when that happens we lose some of our personal power which is hard to regain at times if we do not find a way to diffuse the negative energy that is generated by our thoughts and feelings.
It is helpful to keep a small journal on a daily basis which chronicles some of the many things for which you have to be thankful. For instance the things that we often take for granted such as sight, good health, good friends, healthy families, employment, resources that make it possible for us to do some of the things that we enjoy and many other small and large gifts that make life better.
The journal record is good because it can be reread on some of the days when you find yourself needing to remember that life is actually not so bad.
Gratitiude is a tool of empowerment and if you find yourself needed to feel a bit more powerful, try being truly thankful for a few consecutive days and see the difference that it will make in
your attitude and eventually your daily approach to life.
Blessings and peace,
Catherine

Beginnings

I am happy to begin this new part of my journey by sharing my thoughts and ideas
with many others who are on the journey to wellness and health and who are trying
to find the best ways to be healthy and happy.