10 Years

I just finished reading the book “Family Lore” by Elizabeth Acevedo. There is a quote I’ve saved that spoke to me: “This is how you heal, niña. You are thoughtful about what you offer yourself; you study what you put out.”  Full disclosure, in this quote an old woman is helping her granddaughter heal from intestinal problems! But everything we offer ourselves – from food, to all kinds of media, to experiences outside of media, to relationships – either help us in some way or hurt us in some way – there’s not a lot of neutral ground here. Does it nourish you, inform you, soothe you, energize you? Or does it anesthetize you, irritate you, enrage you, make you feel helpless or hopeless or less-than? This is where I could write a paragraph or three about the evils of social media, but I’ve covered that subject a few times before.

I am going to spend this year being very thoughtful about what I offer myself.

If we are thoughtful about what we offer ourselves, how do we study what we put out? For me, part of it will involve journaling every morning as part of my new morning routine (which is still a work in progress). But output can also be seen as our moods, our attitudes, our energy levels, how we react to the things and people we encounter each day. I do realize that moods can be unrelated to what we consume – depression and anxiety are medical conditions, often inherited, and some of us may always have some level of irritability, fatigue, and negativity as a base level. Controlling what we allow to enter into our bodies/minds/spirits isn’t a cure-all. I do believe, however, that  it can at the very least help ameliorate some of the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and just the normal stresses of life. When we are thoughtful about what we offer ourselves, we are setting healthy boundaries. Self care isn’t just about bubble baths and massages – it’s about doing the tough things we know we need to do in order to feel our best. 

This week is my 10-year Cancerversary.  It’s a time for me to reflect on how far I’ve come since that dark day when it felt like the bottom fell out of my world. It’s also a time to renew my vow to “get busy living.”  But most of all, it’s a time to be grateful for all that I have experienced in the last 10 years, and the fact that I am still here.

Friends, I hope you offer yourselves only the best this week. You deserve it so very much.

Love, 

Michelle xoxo