PERSONAL NOTE
Here's a picture of my son, Matt, his wife, Julie, and my beautiful, intelligent, funny, and spunky Granddaughter, Mikayla Joy. Adopted as a newborn, Mikayla will be five in May but acts like she's twice that age! I think that look on Mikayla's face is her reaction to her Father, Matt, and his sleepy face.
Self-Care: WTF, that again?
Yes, women, that again! Many of us ignore self-care because we are too busy caring for others like partners, friends, children, neighbors, and more. And often, the result is that we become less capable, burned out, and eventually ill. My short story illustrates what a lack of self-care can lead to.
In 2016, I was diagnosed with the beginnings of Macular Degeneration in both eyes. I also had an Epiretinal Membrane in my right eye, adversely affecting my central vision.
I stopped the progression and hoped to heal it by doing Dr. Damon Miller's Better Eye Health Program. One part of this involves micro-current stimulation to both eyes using a headband attached to a small Micro-Stim unit. It takes 1-1/2 hours a day, five days a week. I did this faithfully until 2018. That's the year my husband was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, and our world turned upside down. He has taken care of me for over 35 years in so many ways, and he could no longer do that in the same way.
I stopped taking care of my eyes so I could do what was needed to get his health stabilized. On January 6th of this year, I went for an eye exam and learned I was losing my eyesight due to Macular Degeneration, and there was no cure. I was devastated and immediately re-started my eye health program. I haven't missed a single Micro-Stim session and have faithfully taken all the recommended supplements. Are my eyes improving? I can't tell for sure…yet, but I am determined to persevere.
What I did by not caring for myself could lead to permanent and irreversible blindness. Don't make the same mistake of putting yourself last!
Here's what I'd like you to do to ensure you do all the self-care you need. I have a fun, powerful, and very revealing short exercise for you to discover your best self-care methods. I've used this technique to give me beneficial insights. Try it and see what comes up for you.
- Take a piece of unlined paper and a pen or pencil.
- Pick up the pen/pencil with your other, non-dominant hand, the one you usually do NOT use to write.
- Using this non-dominant hand, print or write your name, ignoring any goal of neatness, legibility, or penmanship. Notice how it feels to be writing with this hand. Ignore any spelling, grammar, syntax, or vocabulary issues. This is a warm-up and may be difficult for beginners. It will be worth it, I promise. So, persevere!
- With your dominant hand (the one you write with), write this question: What self-care activities will work best for me?
- Now, writing with your non-dominant, write the answers that come to you. Do not think about it, don't judge what comes up, and allow the words to flow uncensored. Why? You are accessing your subconscious mind where your truth is stored.
- Read what you wrote and, using your dominant hand, write down your reaction to what you wrote with your non-dominant What thoughts or feelings came up for you, and how did it feel to do it? Acknowledge yourself for allowing whatever feelings and insights arose in you.
This exercise is from a beautiful book by Lucia Capacchione, Ph.D., The Power of Your Other Hand. I once attended a workshop with her and was impressed with this and the inner wisdom this method provides. It is one of the most influential and life-changing books I've ever read, and I've read hundreds of them over my lifetime.
What insights did you discover about the best self-care for you?
(If you'd like to see a video of this, go to https://vimeo.com/810340987 )
INSPIRATION
You’re not for everyone
but you are most definitely
for someone
and when you find yourself caught
in the trap of ‘people-pleasing’
remind yourself quickly
that you are ‘people’ too
and further refresh your memory
by recalling
that pleasing everyone
is not possible
it cannot be done
just like the sun cannot shine
on all faces at once
but when it does
when you are for someone
it is more than enough
you’re not for everyone
but it’s the ‘someones’
who matter most
the ‘someones’
who will breathe you new life
when your lungs forget how
love your ‘someones’
they’re the only ones
you need
- Donna Ashworth
COOL RESOURCE FOR CHANGING CAREERS
Making a career transition can be an exciting and challenging time as well as stressful and overwhelming. Whether you're leaving a job you no longer enjoy, pursuing a new career path, or starting your own business, the process can be both exhilarating and stressful. During this time of change, it's important to prioritize your self-care to ensure that you're taking care of yourself both physically and mentally. It’s even more important to have an experienced Coach and mentor to help you transition into this new career.
My friend and colleague, Jen Jaciw, a Coach with The Entrepreneur’s Source is the perfect person to help you explore new territory and decide what’s best for you. She’s extremely knowledgeable, warm, and caring and always puts 100% effort into helping her clients find the best match for their talents and interests.
Go to https://jjaciw.esourcecoach.com/schedule-a-call/ to learn what Jen can do for you as you explore new entrepreneurial options.
UPCOMING EVENTS
I will now accept new clients for my pilot, Transform the Way You Age Group Coaching Program. The program begins when we have six women who want to change age-ing into sage-ing and have fun doing it! And because it's a pilot and I'll ask for your honest and valuable feedback, you'll get a reduced price!
We'll begin by identifying your limiting beliefs about aging, move on to create your model of health and wellness, discover your body's wisdom, develop resiliency if you have physical limitations, and more.
If you're interested or want more information, email me at taru@taru.fisher.com. And if you want to start coaching with me immediately on an individual basis, schedule a Virtual Chat here http://bit.ly/3GEKV1h
I am ready!
Thanks so much for taking the time to read my Newsletter! Feel free to share it with any woman you think would benefit from reading it. And, they can receive my 10 Tips for Powerful Aging by going to http://bit.ly/3XeX6I
I am so loving writing now. I get so many ideas, they keep me awake at night, and I hardly know where to begin.
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